Loughborough University

What you'll study

This programme emphasises advanced research methods and their application to real-world social questions. Core teaching typically covers research design, advanced quantitative methods (including multivariate statistics and longitudinal analysis), advanced qualitative methods (such as thematic analysis, narrative and grounded theory), mixed-methods approaches, and research ethics and governance. Students build practical skills in data collection, management, analysis and reporting using industry-standard software.

• Research Design and Ethics — principles of designing robust social research, sampling strategies, ethical review and public involvement.
• Advanced Quantitative Methods — regression modelling, multilevel models, survey design, causal inference and basic machine-learning techniques for social data.
• Advanced Qualitative Methods — in-depth interviewing, focus groups, observation, qualitative data analysis and reflexive approaches to interpretation.
• Mixed Methods — integrating quantitative and qualitative strands within a coherent study and approaches to triangulation.
• Practical Data Skills — applied training in statistical and qualitative software packages, data visualisation and reproducible research workflows.
• MSc Dissertation or Project — an independent research project supervised by academic staff, allowing students to apply methods to a substantive question and produce a substantial research report or paper.

Teaching is delivered through lectures, seminars, hands-on workshops and supervised research. Assessment commonly combines coursework, practical analysis exercises, presentations and the final dissertation.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold an undergraduate degree at a good second-class honours level (2:1 preferred) or an international equivalent in a social science, psychology, health, statistics, economics, or a related discipline. Applicants with a lower-second-class degree plus relevant professional or research experience may also be considered.

Successful applicants should demonstrate quantitative and/or qualitative analytical potential; some programmes expect basic prior exposure to statistics or research methods. Applicants without formal methodological training may be required to complete pre-sessional or foundation material.

International applicants must meet English language requirements; evidence of proficiency in academic English is required where the first language is not English. Candidates should provide a personal statement outlining research interests and, where requested, academic references.

Career prospects

Graduates go on to roles that require strong empirical and analytical skills across the public, private and third sectors. Typical career paths include:

• Researcher or research officer in government departments, think tanks and policy units.
• Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment roles for NGOs, development agencies and charities.
• Data analyst, insight or market research positions in commercial organisations.
• Academic research and PhD study in social sciences and interdisciplinary research centres.
• Policy advising, consultancy and roles in public services where evidence synthesis and programme evaluation are required.

The programme’s strong practical training in methods and dissertation experience helps graduates produce demonstrable outputs and portfolios valued by employers and doctoral supervisors.

Why study at Loughborough University

Loughborough has an established Department of Social Sciences with active research groups and centres such as the Centre for Research in Social Policy, providing a supportive environment for methodologically rigorous work. The department combines interdisciplinary expertise across social policy, sociology, criminology and related fields, enabling students to test methods on diverse substantive topics.

Students benefit from small-group teaching in methods workshops, one-to-one supervisory support for dissertations and access to research infrastructure including specialist software, data services and statistical support. The university’s emphasis on employability and applied research offers opportunities for collaboration with external partners on live evaluation projects and placements.

Overall, Loughborough’s MSc Social Science Research is suited to those seeking a demanding, practice-oriented grounding in research methods as a foundation for careers in research, policy, evaluation or further academic study.