MRes Social Sciences

Institution University of Salford, School of Sociology
Method At the institution
Location Salford - Greater Manchester
Type Masters
Course fee By request

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MRes Social Sciences

Objectives The aims of the MRes Social Sciences (Politics) are to provide students with broadly-based qualitative and quantitative research training, specialist training in political science, international and security studies, practical experience in the development of a research proposal, and experience in the conduct of a small scale research project. The degree is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of methodological, philosophical and theoretical knowledge necessary to successfully undertake PhD studies in political science, international and security studies. The aims of the MRes Social Sciences (Sociology) are to provide students with broadly-based qualitative and quantitative research training, practical experience in developing a research proposal, and experience in the conduct and writing up, in dissertation form, of a small-scale research project. The degree is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of methodological, philosophical and theoretical knowledge necessary to successfully undertake PhD studies in sociology.
Academic title MRes Social Sciences
Course description The MRes Social Sciences is an ESRC accredited training programme, meaning that applicants are eligible to be considered for applying to the ESRC for funding. ESRC recognition also means that the degree can be taken as the “1” element of a “1+3” award.

The programme has two pathways (Politics and Sociology) and students opt for one of these pathways. The aims of both pathways of the MRes Social Sciences substantially overlap.

The Politics pathway consists of the following modules: Philosophy of the Social Sciences; Issues in Research Design; Contemporary Social and Political Thought; Conducting Social Research; Survey Design and Analysis; Ethnographic Methods; and a subject specific specialist module chosen from a bank of modules run by politics staff.

The Sociology pathway consists of the following modules: Philosophy of the Social Sciences; Issues in Research Design; Contemporary Social and Political Thought; Conducting Social Research; Survey Design and Analysis; Ethnographic Methods; Advanced Secondary Analysis; and Qualitative Research Practice.

In addition, students on both pathways complete a Research Project which is analogous to an MA dissertation on other Master’s degrees in terms of length and general academic standards. However, as a research project on the MRes its content has more specific requirements regarding methodology than most Master’s dissertations.

The general aims of the Research Project are to enhance the intellectual development of students by requiring them to complete an extended piece of work that tests and refines their skills in research, analysis and written skills. At the same time, the project allows the students to apply many of the methodological skills they have learned and developed in the taught modules and the Research Proposal. All of this provides fundamental preparation for further postgraduate work.