Applied Research

The MSc Applied Research allows you to design your postgraduate study to meet your research and career aspirations.

There is a programme of core modules but around that you can choose from a varied selection of modules or design your own bespoke study. Through a programme of flexible blended learning, this allows you to undertake your studies in a variety of academic areas. As well as becoming an expert in a chosen area, the course provides a unique opportunity to learn from others researching in different subject areas, using different methodologies and presenting in different formats.

This course has three main strands; research training, subject development and research project. It will develop your skills in a range of techniques and research methods applicable to your subject area and in addition will allow consideration of the full ethical and methodological perspectives used within a range of academic areas. You will also develop skills to disseminate your work in formats appropriate to subject and professional expectations.

The Independent Major Project ensures a journey from research design to dissemination to a wider audience at a post-graduate level. Support for the project will be given in the core modules (Creative Research Skills: Tools and Techniques, Research Design and Application and Independent Major Project). This support will consist of lectures, workshops, online tasks and tutorials to develop research skills and support you to plan, conduct and disseminate your own major piece of research.

In addition to the core modules, you will choose from a range of option modules to develop subject specific knowledge and skills. This includes the opportunity to further develop applied skills through specialised option modules including research assistantships or applied work-related experiences as well as more academic modules. Furthermore, there is the choice to study Negotiated Option Modules which provide an opportunity to develop an individual learning plan and determine assessments in a topic area of interest.

You will be taught using a variety of methods including lectures, group-based tasks and 1-1 tutorials (dissertation supervisor). A blended learning approach will be used throughout as both use of online platforms and the on-campus facilities will be used to support leaning.

The uniqueness of this course is that you can negotiate the exact content of your programme of study from across a diverse range of disciplines. In collaboration with us you will develop a learning contract, and this will specify the exact title of the award that you will receive at the end of the course to reflect choices and specialisms, so for example it could be relatively broad such as Applied Research (Physical Geography or Applied Research (Genomics) or quite specific such as Applied Research (Metabolic Disease).

Previous students have completed the course in the following academic areas:

• Archaeology
• Biological and Biomedical Science
• Environment and Geography
• Policing, Criminal Investigation and Safeguarding
• Psychology
• Sport and Exercise