Social Science Research Methods MSc

Our Masters in Social Science Research Methods provides advanced and mixed-methods training to build your confidence as a researcher. The programme offers practical, expert-led teaching that connects qualitative and quantitative methods to prepare you to understand and address major global challenges. You will work with real data and build strong research skills in areas such as interviews, fieldwork, creative and participatory methods, text analysis, surveys, and network analysis. You can also choose one disciplinary pathway to focus your studies on topics across sociology, politics, or urban studies.

Academic contact:
- socpol-student-recruitment@glasgow.ac.uk
- Dr Rebecca Tapscott
Teaching start: September

Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time

Apply now

Please note: our Online Application Form and Applicant Self Service will be unavailable from 08:00-14:00 (BST) Thursday 24 September 2026 due to essential maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Why this programme

In this programme, you will acquire specialised and mixed-methods training through research-led and problem-focused teaching. The option for subject specialisation makes it a flexible and powerful foundation for a PhD, or research career in the publicor private sector.
Course activities and assessments are designed to help you gain fluency across qualitative and quantitative methods, while providing flexibility for you to build specialised expertise in the methods that speak to you most.
Our teaching team spans diverse research methods and subject areas, supporting you in creating a personalised learning journey. Their excellence is recognised through honours such as the University's Teaching Excellence Awards.
The school is a leading centre of research excellence for social and political science, with 90% or more of its research assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in REF2021.
Our teaching team spans diverse research methods and subject areas, supporting you in creating a personalised learning journey. They have received prestigious recognition for teaching quality, including the University's Teaching Excellence Awards.
This programme is recognised by the Scottish Graduate School for Social Science (SGSSS) as a training Masters on its +1 scheme. It is a recognised core methods training pathway for SGSSS-funded PhD students.
Watch: Social Sciene Research Methods programme overview

Programme structure

You will take a mix of core and optional courses. Courses are delivered across two semesters via a mix of lectures and tutorials. You will also undertake an independent research project (dissertation) that provides an opportunity for in-depth critical exploration of an area of your choosing.

Core courses

Core courses in semester one provide a robust foundation for research design and methods. Taking a problem-driven and applied approach, these courses situate methods in the broader context of social enquiry. They support you in developing confidence with different forms of qualitative and quantitative data, research design, data collection, and analysis. Applied “data projects” provide hands-on time to work with both qualitative and quantitative data and apply skills to ensure participatory and deep learning.

Optional courses

In semester two, you will enhance your learning through specialist methods courses, with the option to pursue a subject specialisation of your choice.

General Pathway: Qualitative and Creative Methods, 40 credits of your choosing, plus free choice of dissertation/research project
Disciplinary Pathway: one specialist methods course, up to two optional courses from any of our disciplinary offerings, plus disciplinary dissertation/research project (confirmed by approval of dissertation convenor)

Specialist methods courses

*required for General Pathway

Disciplinary courses

While you may choose any Level 5 courses in the School of Social & Political Sciences, some recommended optional courses recommended for a strong disciplinary foundation are listed below. We recommend consulting with the programme convenor to make a well-informed selection tailored to your unique profile and goals.

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Criminology

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Global Economy

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Global Health

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International Relations

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Public Policy

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Russian & East European Studies

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Sociology

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Urban Studies

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Research project

Choose one:

If you are pursuing a disciplinary pathway, you must take the dissertation project that corresponds to your selected discipline.

Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

Career prospects

This programme offers you the opportunity to either explore a social research career or to continue on your academic journey into PhD study. Outside of academia, the programme provides you with key knowledge and analytical tools relevant to a career in social research.

Career opportunities and pathways

Graduates of the Social Science Research Methods MSc fully meet ESRC and SGSSS training requirements for doctoral students. Graduates are thus well positioned to apply for PhD positions, nationally and internationally. Graduates who have studied research methods master’s in the School of Social & Political Sciences historically have gone on to establish careers as academics and researchers across the world.

For those interested in a career outside of academia, the programme provides you with key research skills and substantive knowledge to pursue careers across social research. Our graduates will be well-prepared for careers including in:

International and non-governmental organisations
Government agencies
Media
Think tanks
Business/private sector/industry

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Professional development

Our programme embeds professional development into your learning, with assessments structured to allow you to demonstrate your mastery of evidence synthesis, critical thinking and analysis skills within your chosen course. You’ll also be developing key workplace skills such as communication, leadership, social influence, project management, and problem-solving.

Throughout the programme you will also have the opportunity to build active networks through speaker events, social activities and engagement with our alumni community.

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Career support from the University of Glasgow

As a postgraduate student at the University of Glasgow you will have access to our Careers, Employability and Opportunity service. This service offers students the opportunity to network through organised events, help with finding employment, internships and work experience, and career development masterclasses.

Learn more about Careers, Employability & Opportunity.

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Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2026-27

MSc

Home & RUK

Full-time fee: £11,367
Part-time fee: £1,263 per 20 credits

International & EU

Full-time fee: £26,460

Fee status

Fee status guidance

Deposits

International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 when an offer is made.

Deposits: terms & conditions

The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% administration fee will be deducted unless otherwise stated.

a: Deposits WILL be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

Where the University is unable to offer you a place on the programme as specified on the offer. A full refund will be issued in this case.
Death of a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
SERIOUS ill health of the applicant or a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
Applicant does not meet conditions of offer. This may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide at least two language tests which were taken after the date the deposit was paid).
Visa / ATAS refusal: we will only consider a refund if the visa / ATAS refusal was based on matters outside of the applicant’s control.
If a refund request is received within 14 days of the deposit being received a full refund will be issued under the Consumer Protection Regulations.

b: Deposits WILL NOT be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

An applicant decides not to attend the University for any reason not outlined above.
Personal financial constraints / unsuccessful scholarship application.
Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and hold it against the applicant’s account to secure their place for the following year of entry. You may defer twice. After the second deferral standard conditions will apply.
There is still time to meet the English language test requirement before the final upload date. Please see section a) 4.
Visa / ATAS was applied for too late. Please see section a) 5.
Any documents used for admission are proven to be fraudulent. We work in partnership with Qualification Check to check academic qualifications. English language qualifications are verified with the provider.
The refund request is received more than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email.

Timeframe for requesting a refund

Refund requests must be received no later than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email. As per section b)7 above the request will be denied.

Receiving a refund

To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, the University will pay all refunds to the original payer using the source payment details. This is known as a “return to source” payment.
All appropriate documentation and evidence relating to the original payment must be provided, when requested.
All payments and refunds are in GBP currency - the University is not responsible for any exchange rate fluctuations or beneficiary bank charges associated with the refund.
Where University approved payment methods have not been used, this may cause significant delays or prevent payment altogether.
We will aim to issue the deposit refund within 8 weeks of receipt of information per point 2 above. At peak times this may be longer.

How to request a deposit refund

Please go to our enquiry form and select 'Fees and Deposit' as the enquiry reason and then 'Can I have a deposit refund?'.

Please upload all supporting documentation to your applicant self-service portal before submitting the above request.

Find out more about Deposits

Additional fees

Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
Registration/exam only fee: £170

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in any Social Science, Humanities or Arts subject.

We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent.

Extensive work experience in Government or a policy related field may be considered with a degree outside the standard entry requirements. We would also welcome students with experience in creative industries or broader humanities, including curatorial, history or similar fields. Students with experience of project management, research ethics and research methods, including surveys, interviews and ethnographic methodologies are welcome to apply.

English language requirements

For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme:

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

Tests taken up to 20 January 2026

90 Overall, no subtest lower than Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

92 Overall, no subtest lower than Reading 22; Listening 20; Speaking 23; Writing 21
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

65 overall with no subtest less than Reading 60; Listening 60; Speaking 65; Writing 60
Online PTE not accepted for entry
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

176 overall with no subtest less than 169
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

7 overall with no subtest less than 6
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic/ Academic Online

70 overall with no subtest less than 65
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English II

Two subtests at 96 or higher, and two subtests at 80 or higher
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Kaplan Test of English

Any two subtests at 480 or higher, and any two subtests at 450 or higher
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
Undergraduate 2+2 and 3+1 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have completed their final year of study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS);
essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University;
flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

More information on our Pre-sessional courses.

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

Heriot Watt
Kingston Upon Thames
Middlesex University
Manchester University
Reading University
Edinburgh University
ST Andrews University
UCL
Durham

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

International students

We are proud of our diverse University community that includes students and staff from more than 140 different countries.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.

Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.

Documents

As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:

A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
One reference letter on headed paper
Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
A copy of the photo page of your passport

You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.

You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.

For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.

If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.

Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.

Application deadlines

Application deadlines for 2027 entry will be published in due course. Please check back later.