Social Research and Psychosocial Studies

Program Overview

The Social Research and Psychosocial Studies MRes at Birkbeck, University of London is an interdisciplinary program that provides rigorous training in quantitative and qualitative research methods. It prepares students for careers in social research, government, NGOs, and academia. The program offers a combination of taught modules and an independent dissertation, and is taught in the evenings to accommodate working professionals.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Focus: Interdisciplinary research and analysis.
• Duration: 1 or 2 years (Full-time or Part-time respectively)
• Learning environment: Theoretically informed, interdisciplinary, and socially engaged research
• Benefits:
• Rigorous training in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Focus on addressing critical issues in social research.
• Excellent preparation for doctoral studies.
• Research institutes:
• Birkbeck Institute for Social Research
• Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities
• Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality

Outline:

Modules

• Core Modules (60 credits):
• Choose four from six: Advanced Topics in Quantitative Social Research, Applied Social Data Analysis in R, Experiments in Social Science, Introduction to Quantitative Social Research, Qualitative Research Design, Qualitative Social Research Methods
• Option Modules (60 credits):
• Choose two from nine: Culture, Community, Identity, Education, Globalisation and Change, Education, Power and Resistances, Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Theory and Practice, Psychoanalysis and Culture, Texts and Interpretation, Theories and Sites of the Psychosocial
• Dissertation (60 credits): 12,000-15,000 words

Course structure

• 3 evenings a week (full-time) or 1-2 evenings a week (part-time)
• October-July

Assessment:

• Individual modules assessed by coursework (essays, reports, portfolios) and/or examinations.
• Dissertation assessed for research, analysis, and presentation.

Teaching:

• Combines formal lectures, seminars, tutorials, and practical workshops.
• Evening timetable (between 6pm-9pm).
• Small class sizes, particularly in seminars.
• Strong emphasis on independent learning and research skills.

Careers:

• Diverse career paths in various sectors:
• Government departments
• Think tanks
• NGOs
• Civil Service
• Political parties
• Possible roles:
• Social researcher
• Government social researcher
• Human resources officer
• Higher education lecturer
• Politician's assistant
• Support offered by Birkbeck's Careers and Enterprise service

Other:

• Entry requirements: Bachelor's degree with at least a 2:2 (or equivalent).
• International students require appropriate English language qualifications.
• Fees: £5,400/year (part-time) or £10,800/year (full-time) for domestic students; £9,915/year (part-time) or £19,830/year (full-time) for international students.
• Scholarships available for eligible international students.

• Part-time home students: £5,400 per year
• Full-time home students: £10,800 per year
• Part-time international students: £9,915 per year
• Full-time international students: £19,830 per year