Sociology MA

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree in Sociology or a related subject (e.g. Social Policy, Sociolinguistics, Political Science, Social Anthropology, etc). An upper second class degree (or equivalent) is desirable but applications from candidates with a lower second class degree and professional qualifications and/or appropriate experience will also be considered.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

This degree is intended for students with a general interest in sociology who wish to update, extend and deepen their knowledge and understand current developments in the field.

The programme aims to provide students with opportunities to expand their knowledge of the discipline by engaging with contemporary research and by undertaking historical and comparative study.

What will you study on this course?

Compulsory modules:

Research Process and Meaning: The module provides postgraduate level training in the main varieties of qualitative and mixed methods research in the social sciences, including basic literacy in qualitative data analysis. Locating the research process in debates about situated knowledge, reflexivity and subjectivity, show how research design is unavoidably grounded in assumptions about the nature of the phenomena to be investigated and how researchers are implicated in the things they describe.

Students are taught how to generate qualitative data and how to apply a variety of analysis techniques. The use of ‘mixed’ methods is addressed through examples of text analysis, visual interpretation and online social research. Training in the use of NVivo qualitative data analysis software is an integral part of the module and takes place alongside the sessions dealing with analysing conversation, interviews, observations, ethnographic accounts, texts and visuals.

MA Dissertation

The dissertation is undertaken on completion of the taught modules. It is valued at 60 credits (one-third of the MA degree) and will be around 20,000 words in length.

Part-time students in employment may choose a topic related to their profession and an area in which they wish to develop further expertise and specialisation. Under guidance of a dissertation tutor, students will undertake their MA dissertation work independently on a topic of their choice. This may be a piece of empirical research including primary or secondary data analysis or a theoretical dissertation.

Optional modules:

• Climate Justice and the Politics of Climate Change
• Global Wales
• Tackling Inequalities
• Theorizing Society and Politics
• Comparative & International Criminal Justice
• Health Policies
• Key Issues in Criminology
• Key Issues in Social Policy
• Transnational Crime
• Youth Crime, Vulnerability and Abuse.

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Sociology MA Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

Information for international students

International students whose first language is not English: An IELTS score of 6.0 (no element below 5.5).

For information and further detailed guidance on entry requirements for International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages on the International Education Centre section of our website.

Fees and funding

Please read our Fees & Finances pages for the most up to date information. You can also find out more about Postgraduate Funding & Scholarships on our website.