The MA in Research Methods (Developmental Psychology) is an ESRC-accredited Social Sciences & Health Faculty degree in which departments from across the University work together to deliver a tailored study programme that explores human development through a research lens.
It is primarily designed for students who plan to continue their graduate studies at PhD level in the broad area of developmental psychology or work as a research psychologist. It is also relevant for students wishing to pursue careers in applied areas, such as clinical or educational psychology.
Students intending to have a career as a research psychologist need to acquire a high level of research skills at postgraduate level. Research methods training, co-ordinated through the Durham Research Methods Centre, therefore forms a central part of the MA course, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods. One third of the course is also devoted to the dissertation which may be carried out in any area of psychology related to development. The taught course modules include both generic and subject level components, providing an introduction to broad issues and methodological approaches in developmental psychology and the social sciences.
Course structure
Core modules:
Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Practices Across Social Research introduces the areas of contemporary social scientific research practice. You will develop an understanding of the intersection where philosophical, methodological and disciplinary contexts meet, including qualitative, quantitative, statistical, computational and historical programmes of research. You will also explore the various issues involved in the application of these methods inside and outside academia and will consider the ethical issues involved such as power and equality.
Qualitative Methods and Analysis supports your preparation for conducting qualitative research equipping you with the knowledge and skills to understand and appraise qualitative social sciences research, including different approaches to research and design and the analysis of qualitative data.
Advanced Developmental Psychology Review teaches the skills to create and deliver literature reviews as well as providing analysis of key topics in the field of developmental psychology, including research skills, data handling, writing styles and methods of presentation.
Research Design in Child and Clinical Psychology provides an introduction to the methods and design used in child and clinical psychology and offers practical training in the transferable skills relevant for professional and personal development.
Current Issues in Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology provides in-depth knowledge of current theoretical stances and methodological issues within the fields of developmental psychology and neurodiversity. The aim is for you to gain a broad understanding of typical development and then consider different development pathways.
Quantitative Methods and Analysis develops your knowledge, critical understanding and skills in quantitative data analysis and teaches you how to use statistical techniques for exploration and description of data sets. You will also learn how to make appropriate statistical inferences about associations between social phenomena.
Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences teaches you a set of advanced statistical methods that are used across psychology and the behavioural sciences, equipping you with the skills to confidently identify appropriate statistical techniques and analyse data using relevant software across a range of different types of research.
The Dissertation enables you to design, implement, analyse and finally discuss an empirical project relevant to your field of study, giving you the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge you have acquired and to gain experience of collaborating with other researchers and undertaking research and project management. The Department provides excellent support and opportunities for conducting a significant piece of independent research.
Alternative modules (depending on prior knowledge and understanding) include:
- Advanced Ethnographic Research;
- Multilevel Modelling;
- Simulating Data in R;
- Systematic Review;
- Computational Social Science;
- Participatory Action Research;
- Statistics in Health and Medicine with R.
