Social Inequalities and Research Methods MSc

Explore our Social Inequalities and Research Methods taught Master's degree.

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P-L3PW

MSc

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

29 September 2025

Sociology

University of Warwick

The Social Inequalities and Research Methods MSc is a wide-ranging course for students interested in social inequality and who wish to develop the research skills necessary to examine it. Join Warwick Sociology to develop theoretical awareness of the social processes that generate social inequality, and a set of cutting-edge research skills and methodologies to empirically study its causes and effects.

The main aim of this course is to provide you with a thorough training in sophisticated qualitative and quantitative research methods that can be used to understand social inequalities. You will have the opportunity to further specialise in research methods of your choice in your dissertation project.

The course will introduce you to several dimensions of social inequality. You will study key topics such as social class and social stratification, work and employment, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, health and disability. You will develop an in-depth understanding of key theoretical approaches and concepts for understanding inequality, and you will be introduced to key empirical studies in the area of social inequalities.

By the end of this course, you will have solid skills in research design, data collection, data management, and data analysis, and a wide-ranging understanding of the methodological and analytical aspects in the study of social inequalities.

Skills from this degree

• Ability to analyse and evaluate research in the broad field of social inequality
• Ability to analyse and evaluate theories that seek to explain causes and effects of social inequality
• Ability to critically evaluate and utilise basic and advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques for the study of social inequality
• Ability to conduct independent research
• Ability to write about complex ideas in a clear way
• Ability to understand and assess claims to knowledge made by a range of relevant disciplines

This MSc course has three core modules which will be studied alongside a range of optional modules. You will be required to choose three optional modules.

All our MA courses follow a consistent structure meaning that you will follow a programme of taught modules, followed by a 15,000-word dissertation. Part time students will take three modules in Year One, and three modules plus dissertation in Year Two.

Class sizes can range from 6 to 30 students, depending on each module.

Each module consists of at least 20 hours of teaching. Many modules follow a 1-hour lecture/1-hour seminar format, while other modules are taught in 2-hour workshops.

You will have a supervisor for your dissertation research project, who you will meet regularly for guidance and advice.

Taught modules are assessed through written assignments. You will focus on completion of your MSc dissertation following the end of Spring Term.

Reading lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject

• Band B
• IELTS score of 7.0 with no more than two components at 6.5 or 6.0, or other accepted language test.

Read our department advice on applying to ensure your application has the best chance for success.

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

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