Overview

Sociology’s postgraduate culture centres on students completing an MA by Research; MPhil or PhD. As an Abertay researcher, you will collaborate across disciplines with colleagues from other divisions. We have been a key partner in a number of large European grants specifically examining the interaction between technology, society and social innovation, as well as exploring social network dynamics for collective awareness.

Division staff have supervised a wide range of projects some of which have entailed partnership with non-academic user groups in the domains of:

• Policy sociology – health, education, youth, environment, influencing public policy, communities and professional practice.
• Criminal justice – influencing policing and criminal justice stakeholders.
• Media, arts and cultural industries – centring on digital design processes, media educationalists, artists and curators.

Collaborations exist with criminal justice and policing researchers through the inter-university Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR), the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA), and with media educationalists through the Association for Media Education in Scotland (AMES).

Our research programmes will prepare you for a rewarding career as an academic and researcher, as well as opening up opportunities for a diverse range of careers outside of academia, for example, in formulating policy.

MSc by Research

The award of Master of Science by Research (MSc by Research) demonstrates a practical ability to undertake research studies, a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/or the application of original thought.

How long is an MSc by Research?

If you are studying full-time, you will be expected to complete the award in 12 months. The minimum period to receive this award is 10 months and the maximum is 14 months.

If you are studying part-time, you will be expected to complete the award in 24 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 20 months and the maximum is 28 months.