Sociology and Data Science MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Sociology and Data Science MSc combines advanced sociological training with rigorous data science skills to equip you with the tools to analyse and interpret complex social data. Through a curriculum that integrates sociological theory with cutting-edge data science techniques, you will explore pressing social issues using computational methods, quantitative analysis, and statistical software. Topics that may be covered include social inequalities, digital and global transformations, social mobility, and the role of data science in driving evidence-based policy. It can be studied on campus or online, giving you the flexibility 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
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
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

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelors' degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in sociology or a related social science subject. If you do not meet these requirements individuals with relevant work experience, or with A level sociology and an undergraduate degree in another subject who show a clear desire to change discipline may be considered.

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.

This programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.

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

The Sociology and Data Science MSc offers a comprehensive approach to understanding social phenomena through both sociological frameworks and data-driven methods. Students begin with foundational modules: Advanced Social Theory, Global Sociology, Principles of Sociological Explanation, and Social Change in Contemporary Society. These modules provide a basis in sociological theory, exploring key issues like globalisation, migration, civil rights, and social movements. 

Students also select from a series of data science-focused options that introduce foundational tools for data analysis, such as R and Stata, and cover advanced techniques for handling and preparing complex datasets. Courses in this area provide training in data science methods across diverse sources, including geo-spatial, big, and longitudinal data, and offer tools for digital data extraction and online surveys. The dissertation component provides an opportunity to conduct an independent research project on a topic of your choosing, demonstrating your application of data science tools to a contemporary issue. Graduates of this programme leave with a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and technical skills, well-prepared for careers in research, public policy, and data analysis. 

The programme is one of four postgraduate sociology degrees offered by UCL Social Research Institute. Others are Sociology MSc, Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc, and Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights MA. It 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 degree is likely to be of interest to students with a social science background who already have some quantitative training and wish to expand their data science skills to address real world phenomena. It will appeal to people with an interest in how the real world works, and those who work in jobs related to understanding and improving society using data science.

What this course will give you

This programme provides a strong foundation in sociological theory and hands-on data science skills, preparing you for the growing demand for sociologists with quantitative expertise. You will learn to select and apply data science techniques using analytical software such as R and Stata, acquiring experience in data management, analysis, visualisation, and academic writing. The programme emphasises critical thinking, flexibility, and empathy, preparing graduates for roles in academia, policy, and beyond – where these analytical and interpersonal skills are in high demand. 

The Social Research Institute is a world-leading centre for policy-oriented social science. Our mission is to change the world for the better through our research, our teaching and our public engagement. This degree plays to the department’s strengths, is applied, empirical, policy-relevant, and interacts with the real world. Students that complete this degree will leave with a range of analytical skills that are in high demand in the labour market and will be competitive in a broad range of occupations. 

The foundation of your career

This is a new degree so there are no alumni yet.

Employability

Upon completing your studies, you will emerge from our programme equipped with the essential skills and a forward-thinking mindset necessary to confront the challenges that define 21st-century society. Whether you decide to pursue further postgraduate studies or embark on a competitive career path, your time at UCL will provide you with a distinct advantage. Join us in shaping a brighter future through academic excellence and societal impact.

What this means in practice is students will acquire a range of skills that increase their employability, in addition to their subject specific expertise they will require. Through a comprehensive approach based on UCL’s Pillars of Employability, encompassing formative and summative exercises across different modules, methodological training, extracurricular activities, career guidance including PhD preparation support, and volunteering opportunities (e.g., under the UCL Community Research Initiative), we are confident that we provide our students with a well-rounded portfolio of skills and training that will set them apart in the labour market.

Upon graduation students will have acquired the following transferable skills:

  • Data analysis
  • Programming, using the latest software packages
  • Decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Teamwork
  • Independent work and leadership
  • Presentational skills
  • Communication skills
  • Time keeping and workload prioritisation
  • Project management

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. Seminar sessions are where students discuss and apply their learning from their lectures and other activities. In research methods courses, 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, 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.

Here is some information about the compulsory modules:

Global Sociology puts sociology in a context that is relevant to not just Euro-American scholarship, but can meaningfully speak to, and draw on, sociological thinking from around the world. In doing so, we consider the underlying assumptions of sociology which underpin the current hierarchies of knowledge.

Principles of Sociological Explanation is a foundational module discussing key building blocks of sociological explanation and how those explanations can be tested empirically. Each week discusses a core element of sociological explanation and uses an applied topic to illustrates this type of explanation in practice, revealing its strengths and weaknesses.

Social Change in Contemporary Society introduces students to the role sociology plays in social change, and consider how academic evidence, collective action and social movements may act as mechanisms of change. These discussions will take place around applied examples of social change occurring in contemporary society.

Advanced Social Theory represents an advanced exploration of classical sociological theory and its enduring influence on contemporary social research for a wide range of issues, such as civil rights, welfare and migration. The course explores various views on what sociology is and its goals, encouraging students to critically apply these perspectives in their research.

Dissertation module allows students to demonstrate independent research skills drawing on their learning across the taught modules in the degree. Students will receive individual supervision from a research-active tutor and participate in training sessions to support the development of their research.

Indicative optional modules are listed in this prospectus. Please contact us at mscsoc@ucl.ac.uk for additional information.

Modules

The Sociology and Data Science MSc consists of four compulsory modules (60 credits), four optional modules (60 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

Students on this programme take four compulsory modules alongside other postgraduate sociology students in the department: Global Sociology, Principles of Sociological Explanation, Social Change in Contemporary Society, and Advanced Social Theory. They also take four optional modules.

Dissertation teaching begins in term one and includes workshops and individual supervision.

The Sociology and Data Science MSc consists of four compulsory modules (60 credits), four optional modules (60 credits), and a dissertation (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.

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

The Sociology and Data Science MSc consists of four compulsory modules (60 credits), four optional modules (60 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

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. 

Compulsory modules

Global Sociology

Principles of Sociological Explanation

Social Change in Contemporary Society

Advanced Social Theory

Dissertation


Optional modules




Understanding Data for the Social Sciences



Data Science using International Data

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

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

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. Fieldwork is not compulsory to complete a dissertation. 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.

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.

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Sociology and Data Science at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study Sociology and Data Science 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

Got questions? Get in touch

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