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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Social Research (MSc) (Full-time) (PTMSCSORES1F)

Jump to: Year 1

Year 1 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

Notes:
You will be required to show that your choices reflect an appropriate breadth of interest.

Not all electives may run in any given year and places may be limited.

NOTE: Students following the Quantitative Methods pathway will take either 'Core Quantitative Data Analysis 1 and 2 (SCIL11009)' OR 'Statistical Modelling in the Social Sciences (PGSP11486)' as compulsory courses. See relevant course entries for more information. Entry to 'Statistical Modelling in the Social Sciences 'will be on the basis of a discussion with the Programme Director during welcome week.

Students will have an opportunity to apply for a Placement-based Dissertation in Semester 2. http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/current/dpt/cxpgsp11537.htm

ESRC Funded students:
Please note that students with ESRC funding will be required to take the following ESRC accredited research training courses:

1.Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection- PGSP11016
2.Core quantitative data analysis 1 and 2- SCIL11009
3. SGSSS Core: Becoming a Confident Social Science Researcher- PGSP11631
4. Dissertation 60 credits

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection
PGSP11016 20 credits
Core quantitative data analysis 1 and 2
SCIL11009 20 credits
Research Design for Societal Challenges
PGSP11630 20 credits
Dissertation (MSc/Dip Social Research)

Must be passed at 50% and taken during Block 5 (Sem 2) and beyond

PGSP11057 60 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

Specialist Courses - Social Research

Select between 40 and 60 credits of the following courses
Autoethnographic Research Methods in the Social Sciences
CNST11079 20 credits
Humanities and Arts-informed Research Methods in the Social Sciences
CNST11087 20 credits
Queering Health and Social Sciences: LGBTQIA+ Perspectives
CNST11096 20 credits
Comparative Analysis of Social and Public Policy
PGSP11104 20 credits
Analysing Qualitative Data
PGSP11110 20 credits
Culture and Power: The Anthropology of Political Processes
PGSP11178 20 credits
Qualitative Methods and Ethnographic Fieldwork
PGSP11188 20 credits
Global Environment: Key Issues
PGSP11358 20 credits
Evaluation Research Methods
PGSP11373 20 credits
Analysing Social Networks with Statistics
PGSP11452 20 credits
Longitudinal Data Analysis
PGSP11487 20 credits
Bayesian Statistics for Social Scientists
PGSP11553 20 credits
Refugees, Health and Humanitarian Action
PGSP11576 20 credits
Computational Sociology
PGSP11583 20 credits
Computational Text Analysis
PGSP11584 20 credits
Nationalism, Populism and Democracy
PGSP11608 20 credits
Social Demography
PGSP11629 20 credits
Social Network Research: Theories and Analysis
SCIL11042 20 credits
Data and Society
STIS11007 20 credits
AND

Level 11 courses in Schedules A to Q, T, W and Y

Select between 0 and 20 credits from Level 11 courses in Schedules A to Q, T, W and Y
Notes:
Courses in this collection can only be taken with permission from the Programme Director and the Course Organiser.
OR

Quantitative Methods Pathway - MSc Social Research

Select between 40 and 60 credits of the following courses
Notes:
These courses specialise in quantitative methods and analysis.

Please note Longitudinal Data Analysis will run as a one-week intensive course during week 9 of semester 1.
Longitudinal Data Analysis
PGSP11487 20 credits
Bayesian Statistics for Social Scientists
PGSP11553 20 credits
Computational Text Analysis
PGSP11584 20 credits
AND

Specialist Courses - Social Research

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Autoethnographic Research Methods in the Social Sciences
CNST11079 20 credits
Humanities and Arts-informed Research Methods in the Social Sciences
CNST11087 20 credits
Queering Health and Social Sciences: LGBTQIA+ Perspectives
CNST11096 20 credits
Comparative Analysis of Social and Public Policy
PGSP11104 20 credits
Analysing Qualitative Data
PGSP11110 20 credits
Culture and Power: The Anthropology of Political Processes
PGSP11178 20 credits
Qualitative Methods and Ethnographic Fieldwork
PGSP11188 20 credits
Global Environment: Key Issues
PGSP11358 20 credits
Evaluation Research Methods
PGSP11373 20 credits
Analysing Social Networks with Statistics
PGSP11452 20 credits
Longitudinal Data Analysis
PGSP11487 20 credits
Bayesian Statistics for Social Scientists
PGSP11553 20 credits
Refugees, Health and Humanitarian Action
PGSP11576 20 credits
Computational Sociology
PGSP11583 20 credits
Computational Text Analysis
PGSP11584 20 credits
Nationalism, Populism and Democracy
PGSP11608 20 credits
Social Demography
PGSP11629 20 credits
Social Network Research: Theories and Analysis
SCIL11042 20 credits
Data and Society
STIS11007 20 credits
AND

Level 11 courses in Schedules A to Q, T, W and Y

Select between 0 and 20 credits from Level 11 courses in Schedules A to Q, T, W and Y
Notes:
Courses in this collection can only be taken with permission from the Programme Director and Course Organiser.
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