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What makes the MRes in Sociology at Worcester special?

The Sociology MRes course will enable you to focus on a sociological topic or related area of your own choosing and to develop research skills in preparation for employment or further study in the field. In the process, the Sociology team will support you in developing your original research project and with expanding your research profile and academic network.

If you would like to learn more about the Sociology MRes, please contact the Course Leader for Sociology, Dr. Luke Devine, at l.devine@worc.ac.uk

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • A personalised learner journey that develops your independent research, methodological, and writing skills
  • Regular opportunities to work with scholars in Sociology and the School of Humanities in developing your research profile, networks, and transferable employability skills
  • Intensive research focus on an area of your own choosing and expertise, with tutor support, in developing an independent and original thesis
  • Close tutor support in identifying a long-term career path with particular emphasis on potential future PhD study, work experience, and dissemination of your research
  • Inclusion and collaboration in a supportive network of students and scholars in Sociology and the School of Humanities with particular emphasis on encouraging your personal development as an independent researcher in original and pathbreaking contexts
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You will normally be expected to have:

  • A First or Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1) Degree, or equivalent award, in Sociology or a related subject

and/or

  • Appropriate research or professional experience, which can be verified by evidence of achievement. This includes, for example, research related experience in a government organisation, NGO, campaign group, charitable trust, or in social policy, education, welfare, etc.

Other information

International applicants will be required to demonstrate comparable prior subject experience and to have an appropriate level of written and spoken English (normally an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6 in written English).

Entry qualifications for international students are guided by the National Academic Recognition Information Centre's (NARIC) advice on international qualifications.

Course content

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. However the majority of what you study will be entirely up to you. On the MRes programme you will get the opportunity to carry out a major research project on a topic of your choice. Past MRes theses have focused on a diverse array of original topics with sociological significance and contemporary relevance. Before applying, please share your ideas with the Sociology Course Leader, Dr. Luke Devine. The Sociology team is particularly interested in ideas that break with sociological tradition, that highlight and empower new identities and voices in Sociology, and that can unsettle constructions of common-sense and the everyday.

Modules

  • RSDP 4001 Developing as a Researcher
  • MHCA4001 Research Approaches in the Humanities and Arts
  • MHCA4002 Thesis Preparation Module 
  • MHCA4005 MRes Research Project 
Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught via a combination of classroom modules and supervisor-supported independent study. Lectures are used to impart the core knowledge essential to each component of the course, while also, generally, being interactive. Analysis, problem solving skills, and, most importantly, the application of knowledge to your own project are all developed through interactive seminars and workshops. On RSDP 4001 and MHCA4001, both lectures and workshops are delivered principally via guest sessions in which the varied expertise of teaching staff across arts, humanities and the University as a whole will support the development of the broad, rounded skills that the MRes is designed to develop. Research skills are developed through classroom activities and assessments (as described above) but also in conjunction with supervisors on the supervisor-led modules MHCA4002 and MHCA4005. This close working with the supervisor, who will be an expert in your field of study, will foster the more specific research skills required for your subject. By successful completion of the course, you will be beginning to develop as an expert in your field.

Meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 8 occasions in the year (for full-time students) and approximately 4 (for part-time). The personal academic tutor is likely to be your supervisor. By combining teaching, independent study, academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and personal academic tutoring we seek to enable you to reflect on your progress and to build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Contact time

In a typical week you will have around 0-7.5 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the timetabling of modules and is variable. In the second half of the course you would expect to have less contact time in order to do more independent study around your research project.

Typically contact time will be structured around:

  • 1 taught module per week (2.5 or 5 hours, dependent on module). Modules will range from approximately 8-30 students.
  • Independent self-study, supported by meetings with a supervisor.

Independent self-study

In addition to direct contact time, you will be expected to undertake around 25 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve research, data gathering, or writing either for the thesis preparation module or for the final research project. Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, our virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Course duration

  • 1 year full-time
  • 2 years part-time

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose research, expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. In addition, the taught modules will be supported by a range of guest lecturers with expertise in each of the areas covered by the module.

The core team for the MRes includes subject experts details of which can be found on our meet our experts page. All of our lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. 

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments. Each module has one or more formal or 'summative' assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. The assessment methods are designed to test out each of the core components of the major research project which will be the foundation of your MRes - e.g. Methods, underlying paradigms, theories, and philosophies.

The assessments include: a personal development plan; a literature review; an in-class individual presentation; an essay (or equivalent); a sample chapter (or equivalent); an extended research project.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Careers

Careers

This course will help you to develop both intellectual and technical competencies in research. It will prepare you for academic careers by covering the fundamental components of academic research: developing a topic, literature review, method and analysis, and the planning and execution of a substantial piece of written or practical research. Through the 'apprenticeship' model, your work will be closely integrated with that of an expert supervisor and with an academic department giving you valuable experience of contributing to and working within a community of scholars. This will allow possible development towards further postgraduate research such as a PhD. Former graduates from the MRes programme have gone on to be awarded competitive, fully-funded 3 year PhD bursaries in the region.

An MRes in Sociology will also help you to progress towards a career in equivalent research-based employment. This might include, for example, working for government departments, NGOs, campaign groups, charitable trusts, or in education, social policy or welfare. In the context of an ever-expanding information economy, an MRes would prepare you for work in any organisation looking for literate and research trained staff. Further support will be available to you via the Research School's Student Researcher Development Programme. This provides workshops in, amongst other things, oral presentations, public engagement, writing CVs, bid writing, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fee for full-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2024/25 is £9,000 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2024/25 is £17,400 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fees for part-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes/PGCert/PGDip courses in the academic year 2024/25 are £750 per 15-credit module, £1,500 per 30-credit module, £2,250 per 45-credit module, and £3,000 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fees for part-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2024/25 are £1,450 per 15-credit module, £2,900 per 30-credit module, £4,350 per 45-credit module, and £5,800 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £131 per week to 'En-suite Premium' at £221 per week (2024/25 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

Additional costs

There will be general costs for printing, stationery, books etc and, depending on your research project, you may have occasional costs associated, for example, with accessing or travelling to archives.

How to apply

How to apply

Before applying

You should first discuss your research interests, qualifications and potential research project with potential supervisors and/or the course leader prior to submitting an application. This will help establish, for both parties, that our staff have the necessary expertise to supervise your proposal and to identify whether the intended research project would require additional, available resources. To be considered, applications must attach a research proposal (750 words), setting out the project you wish to carry out on the MRes.

Please contact the programme leader Dr Barbara Mitra (b.mitra@worc.ac.uk) for general advice about your research topic and the availability of appropriate supervision.

Information about application and interview deadlines can be found on our Applying for a Masters by Research page.

Please contact the Research School (research@worc.ac.uk) if you have any questions.

You can apply for this course using the application forms below 

APPLY FOR THIS COURSE - FULL TIME APPLY FOR THIS COURSE - PART TIME

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Dr Barbara Mitra

Course leader