Social Science Research (10 Pathways)

Accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), our prestigious MSc Social Science Research programme is designed for students interested in a research career in academia or industry.

There are 10 pathways:

• Communication and Media
• Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy
• Health and Wellbeing
• Sport and Exercise Science
• Human Geography
• Education
• Management and Business Studies
• Living in a Digital Society
• Cross-disciplinary Methodologies and Advanced Data Analysis
• Sustainable Development, Net Zero and Climate Resilience

This programme has a strong focus on research. All pathways share three core modules covering qualitative and quantitative research, research design, practice and ethics in the context of social science research, taught by the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. Graduates from this programme will be fully equipped to independently undertake research, whether they intend to progress onto a PhD or a career in research.

The School of Social Sciences and Humanities is a stimulating environment in which to pursue a postgraduate degree. It fosters interdisciplinary research and collaboration and hosts the Centre for Research in Communication and Culture (CRCC) , the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) and the Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment and Resilience (STEER)

The 10 available pathways allow students to tailor their degree towards their area of interest, complementing the core modules with pathway-specific modules taught by experts in the field, benefitting from a cross-disciplinary approach with teaching across departments:

Students on the Communication and Media, Living in a Digital Society or Cross-disciplinary Methodologies and Advanced Data Analysis pathways will take pathway-specific modules with the Communication and Media department. Communication and media research is conducted in the Centre for Research in Communication and Culture (CRCC) which was established in 1991. The centre is one of the largest of its kind in the UK and its core themes include: language and social interaction; media, memory, and history; and political communication.

Students on the Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy pathway, will take pathway-specific modules with the Criminology Sociology and Social Policy department - host to the prestigious Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP), which over the past 30 years has developed an international reputation for high quality applied policy research. Most prominently, CRSP is currently involved in the study of the Minimum Income Standard programme.

Students on the Human Geography or Sustainable Development, Net Zero and Climate Resilience pathways, will take pathway-specific modules with the Geography and Environment department, home to the Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment and Resilience (STEER) the UK's largest dedicated centre for sustainable energy research, pioneering global energy and economic modelling strategies to deliver the clean energy transition and develop the international standards our graduates will use in their future careers.

Students on the Sport and Exercise and on the Health and Wellbeing pathways will take pathway-specific modules with the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. Research within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences is multidisciplinary, drawing on the full spectrum of natural and social sciences, and is focused on issues of contemporary concern at international, national and local levels. Recent research projects have explored: human rights in sport; levels of BAME representation in football leadership and coaching; safeguarding in, around and through sport, promoting physical activity in workplaces; eating for optimal health and wellbeing; athlete mental health; and Sport For A Better World? - a social scientific investigation of the Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) sector.

Students on the Management and Business Studies pathway will take pathway-specific modules with Loughborough Business School. Taught by experienced and internationally recognised researchers and educators, the pathway-specific modules offer contemporary perspectives on managing and using data and sustainability and net zero, with a strong emphasis on using theory and data to tackle the research problems of today and the future.

Students on the Education Pathway will complete pathway specific modules taught by internationally recognized researchers with the Department of Mathematics Education in the School of Science. The Department of Mathematics Education is home to the Centre for Mathematical Cognition as well as the ESRC-funded Centre for Early Mathematical Learning; the UK’s largest dedicated centres to pioneer research on mathematical cognition and learning and to harness insights from this research to improve educational practice of teaching and learning mathematics.

The programme is in full compliance with the Economic and Social Research Council’s requirements for an MSc in Social Science Research. On completion of the course, students will have met the training requirements for PhD funding from the ESRC, opening up the possibility of securing PhD funding from the ESRC. This programme is also available as part of an ESRC Studentship. Loughborough University is proud to be part of Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP, which offers studentships for outstanding applicants. ESRC funding is highly competitive and subject to restrictions.

Who should study this programme?

• Students wishing to pursue a career in academia
• Professionals who wish to both develop and strengthen their applied research skills in any of the 10 available areas of study
• Those wishing to conduct research in non-academic public and private sector roles