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Social Research Methods with Data Science MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Social Research Methods with Data Science MSc is designed to cover cutting-edge research methods, with a focus on data science, used in collating evidence for the analysis, critique and evaluation of substantive issues in the social sciences, such as social justice, health disparities, migration, crime, gender, political identity. It can be studied on campus or online, allowing you to engage with the programme from anywhere in the world. 

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
£8,000
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a social science discipline.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Students in this degree will learn data science in-depth and can choose either this as their speciality or a mixed methods approach to their curriculum, including qualitative methods and evidence synthesis. They are encouraged to apply their understanding of methodology to critique existing research, design their own research, carry out their own analysis and communicate clearly with academic specialists and non-specialists. All students gain hands-on experience in a range of methodologies used to study issues of interest in the real world.

The programme is available full-time (one year), part-time (two years) or via flexible/modular study (taking a maximum of five years to complete). Find out more about each of these ways of studying. 

Who this course is for

This programme is aimed at students interested in studying the world around them. It is suitable for those looking to lay the groundwork for further work at PhD level as well as those wishing to seek employment with enhanced knowledge and skills. Applications are invited from anyone with a suitable undergraduate degree in a social science subject or relevant experience in a related field.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Social Research Methods with Data Science MSc students join the UCL Social Research Institute: a research-intensive department with world-leading experts in data science, qualitative methods, and systematic reviews - as well as a broad range of social science subjects. 

Our department specialises in applying research methods to inform policy in areas such as education, health, labour markets, human development, and child/adult wellbeing.

The department’s staff has a broad range of interests, including expertise in economics, sociology, psychology, social statistics, survey methods and data collection, mixed-methods research, and policy evaluation techniques.

You will become part of a lively community of staff, PhD, MSc, and undergraduate students involved in seminars, workshops, and reading groups in addition to formal teaching.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Graduates with skills in social data science are in demand from a wide range of employers, including government departments, academic institutions, the media, finance and marketing.

Employability

Our graduates in social sciences research methods are currently working as:

  • University and college lecturers and researchers 
  • Civil servants in analysis and policy evaluation teams
  • Third-sector employees, providing detailed analysis and evaluation of charity and NGO projects
  • Teachers
  • Journalists, writing on topics ranging from policy impact to social issues such as health, crime, inequality, justice
  • Social researchers in think tanks and public bodies 
  • Market researchers, studying consumer behaviour and market trends

Networking

Our students come from a range of backgrounds from all over the world, providing great networking opportunities within the programme. Students encounter academics, researchers, alumni, and visiting speakers at seminars, lecture series, career events, workshops, and other department and student organised events. Students are kept up to date with opportunities to participate in events and apply for internships or jobs.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, tutorials and research supervision, and is taught by scholars who have carried out research in the field. Students are expected to take part in both guided and self-guided personal work. Lectures are often mirrored by a practical workshop seminar in a computer lab where students will put the analytical techniques introduced that week to use.

Most modules are offered as campus-based and fully online courses, with both versions of the module running in parallel. For distance-learning students, all lectures, activities and exchanges between students and tutors take place within Moodle (UCL's digital learning environment) and integrated platforms such as Zoom. In place of the face-to-face group seminars held on campus, students taking modules at a distance participate in various e-learning activities, facilitated by the tutor leading this group.

For Student visa holders, all study that is part of your course is expected to take place on the university’s premises, with Tier 4 conditions preventing selection of modules taught entirely through online study.

Assessment is carried out through a blend of formative and summative assessment methods. Module assessments on the programme vary, and may include coursework (for example, essays and written assignments), presentations, or a form of examination. You may be expected to complete both individual and group assessments. UCL’s module catalogue details individual module assessments, but please note these may be subject to change on an annual basis.

On average, it is expected that a student spends 150 hours studying for each 15-credit module. This includes teaching time, private study and coursework. The 60-credit dissertation module requires a notional learning time of about 600 hours.

Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments. Part-time and modular/flexible students will need one day per week for each 15-credit module, plus additional time to prepare for assessments.

Modules are taught over 10 weeks each term. For campus-based students, this is usually in the form of either a one-hour lecture followed by a one-hour seminar or workshop, or a two-hour practical workshop. Distance learners have access to the same information delivered to students studying on campus through a range of online teaching tools.

For full-time students studying on campus, typical contact hours are around 10 hours per week. In terms one and two, full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. In term three and the summer period, students will be completing the dissertation research, and keeping regular contact with their supervisors.

For distance-learning students, most learning activities are self-paced and asynchronous. Online discussion boards are used to help foster a sense of community, and to allow you to keep in touch with peers and academics throughout your studies. There will be opportunities for weekly one-to-one contact with your tutors. Live sessions can also be arranged where time zones permit.

Modules

The Social Research Methods with Data Science MSc consists of four modules in quantitative methods (60 credits); four further research methods modules (60 credits); and a dissertation using quantitative methods (60 credits).

Students are expected to choose data science modules for at least half of their taught credits. The remaining credits can be chosen from additional modules in data science, qualitative research methods, and evidence synthesis methods.  

The first term of the programme introduces a broad range of quantitative methodologies, ranging from data manipulation to advanced regression techniques. Modules on qualitative analysis and evidence synthesis are also on offer.

The second term allows you to develop your research interests with a range of advanced optional modules for you to choose both from areas in social data science that may include impact evaluation, longitudinal data and analysis, advanced quantitative methods, data management, and from areas based on qualitative methods such as ethnography, thematic/narrative/discourse analysis, advanced methods, applications of systematic reviews and digital mixed methods. 

You will begin work on the dissertation in term one. This will be your own piece of research based on quantitative analysis methodologies. 

The Social Research Methods with Data Science MSc consists of four modules in quantitative methods (60 credits); four further modules in quantitative, qualitative, or evidence synthesis methods (60 credits); and a dissertation using quantitative research methods (60 credits).

Part-time students will complete the programme over two academic years. Up to six 15-credit modules can be taken in the first year, with the remainder taken in the second year.

During the first year of the part-time programme, you will complete at least one data science module each term, while the remaining credits will be at the choice of the student. The same pattern will apply in the second year, with the addition of a dissertation using quantitative methods. 

Dissertation teaching begins in term one of the second year and includes workshops and individual supervision.

Modular/flexible students have between two and five years in which to complete the programme, with the dissertation taken in the final year of study. You do not have to take modules every year. 

The modules are taken in generally the same order as students on the full-time or the part-time routes. Following approval by the Programme Leader, module order can be varied.

Compulsory modules



Optional modules




Understanding Data for the Social Sciences



Data Science using International Data




Intersectionality and Critical Qualitative Research



Digital Methods




Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Fieldwork

Students may choose to organise and undertake fieldwork in relation to their research for their dissertation, but this is not a requirement. If undertaken, fieldwork must be self-funded.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000 £8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

Fee deposit information to be confirmed.

The purchase of books may constitute an additional cost, but there is no requirement to purchase any book as part of the programme. 

Students are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for their dissertation, and should account for these costs when planning their finances. UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

If fieldwork is conducted, this is at the student’s own expense and should be estimated according to the type and length of fieldwork proposed. The exact cost to the student will depend on the location, prevailing exchange rates, and the price of travel and accommodation. 

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Social Research Methods and Data Science at graduate level
  • why you want to study Social Research Methods at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Social Research Institute
Social Research Institute

mscsrm@ucl.ac.uk

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