Social Research - MSc
Social research helps us understand human behaviour, providing insights into social issues, personal experiences, public opinion, patterns of collective behaviour and what causes them. The MSc Social Research offers a thorough grounding in a range of professional research skills and methodologies. Thus, you’ll gain practical experience of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method analysis techniques and develop valuable transferable skills in critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving. Excellent preparation for further research or doctoral study, you’ll also be well placed for roles in business or government, marketing, policy-making, charitable organisations, education and training, or law.
Month of entry
- September
Mode of study
- Full time, Part time
Fees for 2026/27 academic year
- UK - Full time £9,400 per year. Part time £5,200 per year.
International - £17,100 per year.
Duration of study
- Full time 1 year, Part time 2 years, Modular up to 5 years
This course is no longer accepting applications from international students for the 2025/26 academic year.
Why study Social Research at Keele University?
Course summary
Generating knowledge that can ultimately ease suffering and improve individual, community and even international relations, the impact of social science research cannot be underestimated. It helps policy makers recognise and understand social issues, informing decisions about the design and implementation of appropriate responses to anything from economic aid and education, to health and immigration.
Constantly evolving, social phenomena – the individual, social and external influences that affect our behaviour and opinions about life and our relationships with others – can have a profound effect on people’s lives and development.
Blending theory, methodology and practice, this course provides systematic introductory and interdisciplinary research and researcher training. It is mapped against the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF), which articulates the knowledge, behaviours and attributes of successful world-class researchers.
You will learn how to plan, conduct and manage social research projects, developing theoretical models and recommendations to inform responses to real-world social issues as diverse as multiculturalism, political discourse and right-wing populism or extremism, volunteering, transitions to adulthood and employment.
The School of Social Sciences benefits from internationally respected expertise within the disciplines of criminology, education, international relations, philosophy, politics and sociology.
From the outset, you will be paired with an experienced supervisor, receiving the guidance expected of a taught master’s, while having the freedom to research and write a dissertation on a topic of your choice. Recent topics covered by our students have included re-democratising education, parent participation and new school governance regimes, the 'quarter-life crisis', and the relationship between social media usage and wellbeing.
The MSc will be of particular interest if you are considering doctoral (PhD) study in a social science discipline or are seeking to work in the public, private or third sector – for example, in social or market research, social and health care, for local and national government or charitable and community organisations. If you already work in these areas, it provides practical, career-focused training to better develop your social research skills.
Alternatively, if you are a recent graduate and have not yet decided on a firm career, this master’s will support your personal and professional development. Among the many skills you’ll develop are critical thinking and reasoning, communication, mental flexibility, teamwork ability and self-leadership, some of the most in-demand essential transferable ‘soft’ skills according to global consultants McKinsey.
The University is also a member of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). This MSc programme complies with the ESRC's research training requirements for PhD scholarships (commonly termed +3), and is also suitable as the master's year as part of an ESRC scholarship award that covers both the master's and PhD (commonly termed a 1+3 award).
Other courses you might be interested in:
"The MRes was an excellent opportunity to prepare for my career as a qualitative research associate. The varied and hands-on modules challenged my thinking and gave me the opportunity to trial different research methods, analysis techniques and analysis software to discover my strengths, but importantly gave me the confidence to develop my weak spots! The small teaching groups allowed me to create a great support network with my peers and get to know the staff. The support that I received from staff was excellent and there was always someone available to answer questions or provide feedback on work. "
Course structure
A central feature of Keele's MSc Social Research is its flexible structure. This course can be studied as either a one-year full-time or two-year part-time course, with a September start date. It is also possible to study more flexibly part-time on a modular basis, accumulating degree credits by taking individual modules over a period of maximum of five years.
The taught component of the course includes seven compulsory core modules and one optional module. Much of this content is designed to equip you with additional skills in research, ensuring that ESRC guidelines on postgraduate training and development are met and that benchmark criteria set out within the Vitae framework are attained.
This purposefully seeks to develop your ability to think independently and address problem-solving in a systematic and disciplined way, equipping you with key transferable skills in project management, communication, analysis and reasoning. You’ll develop your ability to analyse complex information and present your arguments clearly and coherently.
Throughout, you will be preparing for the Dissertation (60 credits) which you will conduct and then write up in the later stages of the course.
Modules
The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods, as well as student voice. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.
Core modules
The schedule below is indicative of one year of full-time study. If you study over two years part-time, course content will be the same, but the taught elements will be split over the two years.
SOC-40018: Foundations of Social Research: Design and Philosophy (30 credits, semester 1)
This module explores the key approaches, principles and methods employed in social science. It lays the foundations for early career researchers' development in the social sciences by increasing awareness of different ways of undertaking social science research. The module also develops your ability to how research projects may be designed. You will be introduced to a range of methods and approaches that enable you to critically evaluate different methodological approaches. Through workshops, key readings and practical exercises, you will learn about different philosophical perspectives underlying what constitutes social science knowledge, social research paradigms (for example: positivism and interpretivism), and the relationship between theories and research designs. Through this module, you will develop an understanding of how expert researchers' questions and designs are informed by their philosophical assumptions and learn how to design your own research project.
SOC-40024: Building Researcher Capacity: Skills and Ethics (30 credits, semester 1)
Building Researcher Capacity focuses upon essential researcher skills and understanding the ethical considerations central to social science research. You will explore strategies for becoming a successful social researcher, while critically examining the ethical dilemmas that arise in social research. Topics include: informed consent, confidentiality, power dynamics, and the responsible reporting of findings. Through practical exercises and case studies, you will build the skills needed to conduct ethically sound and methodologically rigorous research, preparing you for practice in the social sciences.
SOC-40020: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies in Social Science (30 credits, semester 2)
Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies offers a comprehensive introduction to key research methods in the social sciences. You will explore the theoretical foundations, strengths, and limitations of each approach, gaining hands-on experience with data collection, analysis, and interpretation techniques. Sessions cover survey design, statistical analysis, interviews, focus groups, and thematic coding. Emphasis is placed on integrating methodological approaches to address complex social phenomena, enabling you to develop the skills necessary for conducting robust, rigorous research in diverse social science contexts.
SOC-40026: Theory and Methods in Digital Social Research (30 credits, semester 2)
We live in an era of unprecedented access to information about people's everyday lives, communications, mobility, consumer habits and behaviour - through communications technologies, social media platforms and digital footprints. This module will advance your knowledge of the history and theories associated with the transformation of 'digital society' in tandem with a focus on the methods used to study these dynamic processes of change. Through case studies and workshops you will learn about the use of 'big data' to study social processes, digital ethnography, and how conventional qualitative and quantitative methods have been applied to study different aspects of digital society (for example: social relationships, consumer habits, work, organisations, health and wellbeing).
Dissertation
GRT-40017: Dissertation (60 credits)
The dissertation is the final assessment on the programme that brings together your modular learning in the development and implementation of a significant piece of research.
Entry requirements
The following section details our typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If you don't see your qualifications listed, please contact us to find out if we can accept your qualifications.
Typical offer
Please ensure that you read the full entry requirements by selecting your qualifications from the dropdown menu below. This will include any subject specific, GCSE/Level 2 Maths, and English language requirements you may need.
Please select your country from the drop-down list below for the full entry requirement information
UK
2:2 degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Bangladesh
60% in a 4-year degree or 3-year degree with a 2-year Master's in any humanities or social science subject from a public university
or
CGPA 2.8 in a 4-year degree or 3-year degree with a 2-year Master's in any humanities or social science subject from a private university
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
We don’t accept degrees from certain universities, please see our Bangladesh Country Page for more information
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Canada
70% or C or a GPA of 2.5 in a degree (Ordinary or Honours) in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated relevant professional qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
China
70% in a degree in any humanities or social science subject or 65% in a degree in any humanities or social science subject from a '211' university
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Ghana
Second class degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
India
55% or CGPA 6/10 in a degree of at least 3 years in any Humanities, or Social Science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Kenya
Second class degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Nepal
60% / 2.4 in a 4-year Bachelor's degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
65% / CGPA 2.8 in a 3-year Bachelor's degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Nigeria
Second class degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Pakistan
We accept a range of qualifications from Pakistan. Please visit our Pakistan Country Page for more information or we will consider demonstrated relevant professional qualifications or experience.
You will also need an English language qualification (see below)
South Africa
Second class division 2 / 60% in a Bachelor's degree with Honours in any humanities or social science subject
or
Second class division 1 / 70% in an Ordinary Bachelor's degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Sri Lanka
55% in a Special Bachelor's degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Uganda
Second class degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Zimbabwe
Second class degree in any humanities or social science subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
English language requirements
All of our courses require an English language qualification or test. For most students, this requirement can be met with a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please see our English Language guidance pages for further details, including English language test information for international students. For those students who require an English language test, this course requires a test from Group B.
References
Normally, you will need to provide at least one academic reference to support your application unless you have been out of study longer than two years. If it has been more than two years since you last studied on a degree-level programme, you will normally need to provide an employment reference instead. For more information about Academic References, please see our Postgraduate how to apply web pages.
Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose
Please see our Postgraduate how to apply web pages for guidance on what to include in your personal statement.
Recognition of Prior Learning
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which enables applicants to receive recognition and formal credit for learning acquired in the past through formal study or work and life experiences.
RPL can also be requested for admission onto the start of a programme in lieu of the admission requirements. For more information, see our Recognition of Prior Learning web pages.
Professional qualifications and work experience
The majority of our courses will consider relevant work experience and/or professional qualifications at the appropriate level, as an alternative to an undergraduate degree for entry. The work experience should be for a sustained period and at a suitable level, based within a relevant sector to your chosen course.
Admissions staff will review your work experience and/or professional qualifications during the assessment of your application to ensure suitability in terms of relevancy, level and appropriate learning outcomes.
General information
The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the typical offer which would be made to candidates, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application. For international students, find out how we work with approved agents as part of our admissions process.
Internationally respected research
The School of Social Sciences brings together multidisciplinary academics in Criminology, Education, International Relations, Philosophy, Politics and Sociology, whose research is internationally respected for its theoretical innovations and relevance to applications in the real world.
Teaching usually takes place in the Chancellor's building on the main campus, giving you easy access to lecture and seminar rooms, library facilities and computer laboratories as appropriate.
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Postgraduate funding and scholarships
Funding
Whether you're continuing from undergraduate study or returning to education, our dedicated financial support team is here to help.
Living costs
Keele University is located on a beautiful campus and has all the facilities of a small town. Student accommodation, shops, restaurants and cafes are all within walking distance of the teaching buildings. This is a very cost effective way to live and to reduce your living costs.
Scholarships and funding
We are committed to rewarding excellence and potential. Please visit our Scholarships and Bursaries webpage for more information.
The MSc Social Research is a recognised route on the 1+3 awards made by the ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). Candidates may apply for funding towards master’s and doctoral (1+3/2+2) study, or doctoral study only (+3/+2). The NWSSDTP does not fund standalone master’s programmes.
Applications should be made via one of the following pathways:
- Criminology, Social Policy and Social Work
- Social Studies of Science, Technology and Medicine
- Socio-legal Studies
Those interested in applying for 1+3 funding via the NWSSDTP, should contact the ESRC DTP Institutional Lead, Fabienne Emmerich, to discuss their subject pathway and supervision requirements.
Please note, if your course offers a January start date, the January 2026 start date falls in the 2025/26 academic year. Please see the tuition fees archive for the 2025/26 fees.
Planning your funding
It's important to plan carefully for your funding before you start your course. Please be aware that not all postgraduate courses and not all students are eligible for the UK government postgraduate loans and, in some cases, you would be expected to source alternative funding yourself. If you need support researching your funding options, please contact our financial support team.
For continuing students, fees will increase annually by RPIX, with a maximum cap of 5% per year.
Additional costs
You do not need to budget for additional mandatory or optional costs beyond standard study expenses. For general information, see the university's additional costs information.
"This course gave me the opportunity to develop my knowledge and understanding of research design and social theory as well as an opportunity to practically apply this understanding through supported pilot projects, assignments and my dissertation. The flexibility and support of the staff was invaluable in building my skills as a researcher. Based on my Master’s research I presented my first paper at the BELMAS / CCEAM Conference, July 2022 and published my first article in Management in Education."
Teaching, learning and assessment
How you'll be taught
This course includes a combination of taught classes, lectures, seminars, large and small group work and guided independent study. With smaller-sized classes, our ethos is very much about learning co-operatively and supportively in a friendly, nurturing environment, sharing your ideas with tutors and peers and vice versa.
The main focus of the programme is the research you'll participate in via your dissertation. You'll receive regular support and feedback from your research mentors and supervisors, which may take place online or face-to-face.
You will be taught by experienced, well-qualified staff who are research-active within the discipline, accomplished at working on research-funded projects nationally and internationally, and eager to share their teaching, research and professional experience to help you achieve success in your studies.
Though there are taught components to the course, we place a strong emphasis on student-led learning and research to help develop your independent research skills.
As a postgraduate student, you are also able to attend the School’s annual research seminar series, which will enable you to become involved in the School and University's research culture.
How you'll be assessed
The programme is assessed by a range of methods, including: portfolios, essays, a research proposal, reports, and exams. These enable assessment of your analytical abilities, and of your ability to evaluate particular debates, material, and evidence.
You must pass all taught modules before you can proceed to the dissertation. This is the final assessment on the programme and brings together your modular learning in the development and implementation of a significant piece of original research guided by your supervisor.
