MSc Applied Educational & Social Research
ApplyKey facts
- Start date: September
- Study mode and duration: 12 months full-time – by attendance & blended learning
24 months part-time – by distance learning
Study with us
- look at the issues facing educational and social researchers and offers a range of intellectual and practical resources to structure and explore these issues
- available both as face-to-face attendance and as a form of blended learning involving face-to-face meetings with additional web-based content delivered by a dedicated online environment
- learn to evaluate, design, conduct, analyse and justify applied research
- benefit from teaching by internationally-recognised experts
- tailor the choice of classes to your personal interests
Why this course?
The MSc Applied Educational & Social Research is a full-time one-year or two-year part-time degree, ideal for those looking to enhance their academic and professional understanding of research. The course looks at the issues facing educational and social researchers and offers a range of intellectual and practical resources to structure and explore these issues. Students are encouraged to identify their own area of interest for research and to explore this throughout the course, before completing their own dissertation research in this chosen area.
The course is aimed at two principal audiences:
- those wishing to develop their professional understanding of applied research
- those seeking to develop their research skills prior to undertaking PhD study
The full-time version of the course is available both as face-to-face attendance and as a form of blended learning involving face-to-face meetings with additional web-based content delivered by a dedicated online environment. This allows you to study at times that suit you. The classes are flexible, so you can make choices based on your own personal interests. The part-time version of the course is entirely distance learning.
The course offers an ESRC recognised route (+1) into a PhD in Education. Students following this route undertake 60 credits taught centrally with other ESRC students from across the Faculty.
International students completing this degree will further benefit from gaining an insight into the UK educational system.
What you’ll study
The programme will enable you to evaluate, design, conduct, analyse and justify educational and social research, in terms of:
- underlying conceptions of the person, social relations, education and research practice
- first-order principles which define valid research problems and knowledge
- political and social assumptions about the purpose of research and its relationship to constituencies of practice and policy
- research strategies implied by different philosophical assumptions
- techniques for engaging in knowledge-gathering from different social and educational settings and sources
- techniques for analysing data of all types
- methods of disseminating research outcomes and emergent issues
- use of research for educational and social ends
You'll study four core (compulsory) and one optional modules over two semesters. In addition, you'll complete a 12,000 to 15,000-word dissertation allowing you to carry out detailed study in an area of specific interest.
Learning & teaching
You'll have the opportunity to learn from internationally-recognised experts in educational and social research. You'll be taught through a range of student and staff-led research seminars which encourage open discussion and the exchange of ideas.
Assessment
You'll be assessed through written coursework that draws on academic study and reflection on practical experiences in educational and social research. You'll receive individual support to write a dissertation of 12,000 to 15,000 words on a negotiated topic of interest.
Teaching staff
Course content
The course is organised into Compulsory Modules (Modules 1-4, including one double module) which, together with an optional module, comprise the 120-credit coursework. The dissertation is worth an additional 60 credits.
The modules are organised sequentially and you're normally expected to take them in order.
Please note that the below is an indicative list of classes. These are subject to change.
Educational Research & Enquiry
This module introduces researchers to the major intellectual traditions which may be used to structure the formulation of research questions in educational and social research, introducing participants to the basic assumptions and analytic moves of positivist/realist research, of qualitative/hermeneutic research and of critical/discourse analytic research. It will also introduce researchers to the nature of ‘ethics’ in social research.
Design Strategies in Educational & Social Research
The module introduces the main research strategies which are available within the quantitative, qualitative and critical research traditions and how these may be used to generate knowledge about the questions at hand. The module emphasises the importance of self-awareness about the limitations of the knowledge produced and the ethical issues which might be entailed in the process of such research.
Data Collection in Educational & Social Research
This class provides you with a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to data collection procedures, across the main traditions in educational and social research. It's concerned with the full range of techniques of data collection associated with both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Data Analysis in Educational & Social Research
This class will support your understanding of the principles underlying both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis. The key principle underlying this module is that participants should be fluent in data analytic techniques from different traditions and should understand their communalities and differences.
Further Quantitative Research Design and Analysis
This class is designed to engage researchers with issues of quantitative research design and data analysis in a range of educational and social contexts and to provide a practical grounding and experience in relevant current analytic techniques. It will consider further topics in measurement and regression and introduce loglinear modeling, logistic regression, multi-level modeling and complex factorial designs.
Further Qualitative Research Design and Analysis
This class will engage researchers with issues of qualitative research design and data analysis in a range of educational contexts and provides a practical grounding in relevant techniques. You'll develop an understanding of the epistemological and ontological dimensions of qualitative research and which will enable you to undertake research design and analysis using appropriate qualitative approaches.
Drawing on the understanding and relevant experience gained through your participation in the core and optional modules, and applying and developing your practical skills, the dissertation offers the opportunity to engage in a small but substantive piece of research directly relevant to the participant's own context of professional and academic practice.
Entry requirements
| Academic requirements | An undergraduate degree or equivalent. |
|---|---|
| English language requirements | Please check the University's English requirements before making your application. |
Pre-Masters preparation course
The Pre-Masters Programme is a preparation course held at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre, for international students (non-UK/Ireland) who do not meet the academic entry requirements for a Masters degree at University of Strathclyde.
Upon successful completion, you'll be able to progress to this degree course at the University of Strathclyde.
Please note: Previous Maths & English qualifications and your undergraduate degree must meet GTCS minimum entry requirements as well as the pre-Masters course and an interview will be conducted before an offer can be made.
Chat to a student ambassador
If you want to know more about what it’s like to be a Humanities & Social Sciences student at the University of Strathclyde, a selection of our current students are here to help!
Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all the questions you might have about courses and studying at Strathclyde, along with offering insight into their experiences of life in Glasgow and Scotland.
Chat to a student ambassadorFees & funding
All fees quoted are per academic year unless stated otherwise.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.
| Scotland |
|
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland |
|
| International |
|
| Available scholarships | Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities. |
| Additional costs | International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
How can I fund my course?
Scottish postgraduate students
Scottish postgraduate students may be able to apply for support from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). The support is in the form of a tuition fee loan and for eligible students, a living cost loan. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students coming from England
Students ordinarily resident in England may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance England. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students coming from Wales
Students ordinarily resident in Wales may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance Wales. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students coming from Northern Ireland
Postgraduate students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland may be able to apply for support from Student Finance Northern Ireland. The support is a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
International students
We've a large range of scholarships available to help you fund your studies. Check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
International students
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Visit our international students' section
Glasgow is Scotland's biggest & most cosmopolitan city
Our campus is based right in the very heart of Glasgow. We're in the city centre, next to the Merchant City, both of which are great locations for sightseeing, shopping and socialising alongside your studies.
Life in Glasgow
Apply
Start date: Sep 2024
Applied Educational and Social Research
Start date: Sep 2024
Applied Educational and Social Research
Contact us
Prospective student enquiries
Contact a member of our team on LiveChat between 10am and 4pm (GMT)
Telephone: +44 (0) 141 444 8600
Have you considered?
We've a range of postgraduate taught and Masters courses similar to this one which may also be of interest.