To apply to any of our taught Master's programmes you will need to complete the online application form. Before doing so, please review the entry requirements, supporting document information, and relevant deadlines below. You may also wish to visit the department - we would be delighted to meet you. To arrange a visit, please email socpgt@warwick.ac.uk.

There are four entry requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible for our MA programmes:

1. An upper-second class (2:1) honours degree or equivalent. Your undergraduate degree should be in the area of sociology or a closely related subject. However, all serious applications from other disciplines will be considered. Warwick's International Office provides guidelines for how overseas qualifications equate to UK ones; this guidance is for information only and all applications and transcripts are considered on a case-by-case basis. However, this page will give you an idea of where your degree falls on the British scale.
2. A strong academic reference. When you apply, you will be able to supply your referee’s contact details, and we will request a reference from them directly. If you graduated more than two years ago, you may supply a professional referee instead if you are no longer in touch with your undergraduate tutors.
3. A good statement of purpose. This personal statement is your opportunity to explain why you would make a great MA student. Typical statements are 1-2 pages long. You should include:
   1. Your motivation. Why this particular Masters, and why Warwick?
   2. Your background. How has your education, extracurricular activities, and/or professional experience prepared you for rigorous postgraduate study in this area? This is particularly important if your undergraduate degree is not in the area of Sociology.
   3. Your expectations. How does this degree fit into your future plan? What do you hope to gain from it?
4. Fluency in English. If English is not your first language, you must have an IELTS score of 7.0 with no more than two components at 6.5 or 6.0, or other accepted language test. If your previous education was in English, or you are unsure whether your nationality requires a language certificate, contact Darani Anand to see if this requirement can be waived. Please also note that taking a pre-sessional English course at Warwick or elsewhere is not sufficient to replace an IELTS score at the required level.

Supporting documents

In order to make a decision on your application, we will need to see some documents that demonstrate you meet our requirements. You should supply these electronically in the first instance; if you receive an official offer, Admissions will tell you precisely which original hard copies are required to secure an unconditional offer. When you submit your application, you will receive a link where you can upload your documents for review:

1. Transcript. If you have not yet finished your degree, you can send us an interim transcript and simply state in your application what your final classification, GPA, or average is expected to be.
2. Reference(s). As mentioned above, we will contact your referees directly, but if they do not respond in a reasonable timeframe we may contact you and ask that you remind them to submit your reference.
3. Statement of purpose. You can either paste your statement into the space provided on the application form or, if it’s too long to fit in the allocated space, upload it as a pdf or Word document.
4. English test (if applicable). You do not need to supply your IELTS certificate straight away; however, please ensure you arrange to take your English test sooner rather than later so that you can secure an unconditional offer in time to apply for your visa, (if needed), and start your course on time.

Timings

We review applications on a rolling basis, so you should submit your application as soon as you are ready. We will normally make a decision on your application within 4 working weeks of receiving all necessary documents.

Overseas candidates must apply no later than 31 July; while there is no deadline for Home/EU candidates, we strongly recommend applying by 31 July as well in order to ensure enough time is left to sort out logistics, such as accommodation. Ideally you should aim to submit your application by April to ensure you receive your application results with enough time to organise the logistical aspects of your studies, before the start of term.

If you plan to apply for funding, please read the scholarship criteria carefully; if you need an offer in order to apply for funding, please allow enough time for your MA application to be processed. Deadlines and details about scholarships available can be found on our Fees & funding pages.