University College London (UCL)
Social Policy (Research Methods) MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The MSc in Social Policy (Research Methods) is designed to help students develop strong skills in research within social policy. The program covers core methods used in social research, including quantitative and qualitative techniques. Students learn how to design, conduct, and analyze research projects, gaining hands-on experience through practical exercises and real-world examples. Throughout the course, they are encouraged to critically evaluate research methods and consider their ethical implications, preparing them for careers that involve evidence-based policy work or further academic study.
The program balances theoretical understanding with practical skills, enabling students to handle complex data and communicate findings effectively. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding social issues from multiple perspectives, fostering critical thinking. Students can tailor their learning by choosing options aligned with their interests, such as advanced statistical methods or qualitative approaches. This flexible structure supports those planning to work in research, policymaking, or related fields, equipping them with the tools to analyze social phenomena systematically and ethically.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
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.
Modules
Full-time
The programme consists of four compulsory modules (60 credits), four optional modules (60 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).
Four 15-credit modules are taken in term one (two compulsory modules and two research methods modules selected from the available options). Another four 15-credit modules are taken in the second term (two compulsory modules and two optional). Where relevant, you will be required to take introductory methods modules before moving on to the more advanced ones. Dissertation teaching commences in term one and includes workshops and individual supervision, with the research and writing conducted in terms two and three and the summer.
Part-time
Over the two years, students take four compulsory modules (60 credits), four optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).
In the first year of the programme you will take Understanding the Policy Process and a further three to five of the 15-credit modules (compulsory and/or optional). Where relevant, you will be required to take introductory research methods modules before moving on to the more advanced ones. The number of modules that you take in each academic year will depend on your commitments outside UCL, such as employment and family responsibilities. In the second year, you will take the remaining 15-credit modules, bringing the total number to eight, and commence work on the 60-credit research dissertation.
Flexible
Students take 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 Understanding the Policy Process taken in the first year and the 60-credit research dissertation taken in the final year of study. The number of modules that you take in each academic year will depend on your commitments outside UCL, such as employment and family responsibilities. Where relevant, you will be required to take introductory modules before moving on to the more advanced ones. You do not have to take modules every year.
Compulsory modules
- Policy Engagement for Researchers
- Understanding the Policy Process
- Social Problems and Intervention
- Comparative Social Policy
- Individual Dissertation Project (Social Policy)
- Collaborative Dissertation Project (Social Policy)
Optional modules
- Advanced Social Data Science
- Advanced Qualitative Methods
- Impact Evaluation Methods
- Ethnography
- Foundations of Qualitative Methods
- Foundations of Social Data Science
- Advanced Computational Techniques for Data Science
- Longitudinal Data and Analysis
- Inclusive Research: Theory for Policy and Practice
- Digital Technologies for Research Evidence Synthesis
- Systematic Reviews for Policy: Taking a Complexity Perspective
- Researching Childhoods
- Data Science using International Data
- Intersectionality and Critical Qualitative Research
- Understanding Data for the Social Sciences
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.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Architectural Computation. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Architectural Computation.
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.
What this course will give you
The Social Policy (Research Methods) MSc equips students with the conceptual tools and empirical evidence necessary for investigating social policy and policymaking, including critical assessment of the role of research evidence in policy development and implementation. There are opportunities to specialise in qualitative or quantitative research and to choose an individual dissertation project or one involving collaboration with an external organisation. Graduates will be able to apply their knowledge and understanding and analytical and methodological skills in conducting social research in different policy contexts.
The programme is located in the UCL Social Research Institute, a research-intensive department with an outstanding international reputation for policy-oriented social science. It is taught by an interdisciplinary team with specialist expertise across a wide range of policy areas. Our central London location and network of partners and alumni gives us access to nationally and internationally prominent guest speakers who give insight into policy as it is formed.
The programme provides a gateway to careers in academia, policy, and beyond. It fosters development of disciplinary knowledge and transferable 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
Graduates from this MSc programme have gained sought-after skills that allowed them to pursue professional careers in academia or policy research, policy analysis, policy development and implementation, programme management, and policy advocacy within the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Employability
As a graduate of this programme, you will be equipped to work in a broad range of roles, such as social policy researcher, advisor to government, or as NGO personnel. You will also have the methodological background to move into doctoral research.
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.