Social Research (Sustainable Futures) MRes

UWE Bristol is one of five universities that makes up the South West Doctoral Training Partnership - a consortium accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council to provide specialist postgraduate research training in the social sciences.

Gain an in-depth understanding of conducting social research, and use your skills to carry out your own research study on this specially designed MRes Social Research course. The course provides excellent preparation for social science doctoral study or for research careers in the public or private sectors. It fulfils the pre-requisite for studying a PhD at UWE Bristol through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) on the Sustainable Futures pathway.

Policy-making, planning and management across society and the economy needs to be underpinned by robust social scientific evidence. Focusing on the 'societal challenge' - how to promote sustainable futures - this MRes Social Research will give you the skills to critically evaluate existing evidence and conduct your own social research project with an interdisciplinary framing.

Solid grounding in research skills

Sustainable Futures is an area of expertise at UWE Bristol, and on this pathway you will be supported by a research supervisor with extensive research experience in your chosen field. As well as providing in-depth social research training, on this course you will learn about interdisciplinary social scientific philosophy, research design, quantitative and qualitative methodologies and analysis. You will be encouraged to critically review and evaluate research approaches and evidence, and investigate your own research questions.

Explore the area that most interests you

You will have the opportunity to choose optional modules relating to your pathway and future research interests, and undertake research for your dissertation. One of the benefits of the SWDTP is that all students studying on the two pathways (Sustainable Futures or Health and Wellbeing) at the partner universities join together for interdisciplinary modules, so students will have the opportunity to travel to Bath, Bristol and Exeter for research training days.

A route into PhD or research career

If you join the course through the SWDTP's 1+3 route, you will then stay on at UWE Bristol to undertake your PhD, and work with the same supervisor on your doctoral research. If you choose to take your skills into industry, this MRes course provides an excellent grounding for building a research career.

Careers / Further study

If you're joining the course with the aim of undertaking a PhD, the MRes Social Research is a prerequisite for the South West Doctoral Training Partnership's 1+3 route. The course is also relevant for graduates seeking to build a research career - and provides an excellent foundation for research positions in both the public and private sectors. Students might go on to work on research in organisations such as the NHS, local government or the Office for National Statistics. Others may decide to stay in academia, and take on a research or teaching position.

For more information, including the most up to date module listing, see the entry for this course on the UWE Bristol website, by clicking on the 'visit website' button to the left of this page.

We normally require a honours degree of 2:1 or above (or equivalent if it is a non-UK degree) in a relevant subject. If you do not meet the above grade requirements but have at least 12 months relevant professional experience and/ or equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview.