You are successfully registered
Thanks for telling us about yourself, ! Now we know who we're talking to, and can create content you'll love
We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.You can manage your preferences now or at any time.
We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.
The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.
You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.
You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.
For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.
They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.
You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.
Functional cookies
These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.
Performance cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.
If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.
Marketing cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.
Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.
Full time
1 year
OCT-25
MSc - Master of Science
Politics
Taught
About the course
The MSc in Politics Research is an intensive one-year research preparation master's degree. It is not a standalone course, but rather it is intended for students who would like to proceed directly to doctoral study at Oxford or elsewhere but who must first obtain the necessary research training in political science.
The MSc in Politics Research provides an advanced level of formal training in research techniques and methodology, and enables you to acquire advanced level substantive knowledge in this sub-area of the discipline. The approach to teaching comprises intensive and interactive work between you and your supervisor and course teachers, combined with a carefully planned programme of classes, seminars and lectures, as well as directed self-study.
If you are successful on the degree you will attain a proven competence in quantitative and qualitative research methods. You will demonstrate competence in a variety of further and more advanced techniques of data collection, data handling and data analysis. You will design your research project, and will write a short thesis under expert supervision.
Upon the successful completion of your MSc, you can apply to continue your studies in pursuit of a research degree (DPhil) in a relevant area of political science. You should include at least some indication of the topic of your eventual doctorate in your application. Do not worry if you do not yet have a detailed thesis outline: the MSc programme is intended to help you to develop a detailed research proposal.
The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) is internationally recognised as a leading centre for teaching and research in politics and counts among its members a number of acknowledged authorities within these disciplines.
As an MSc in Politics Research student you would have to attend and complete the core classes and tutorials in comparative government or in European governance and a programme of research methods training, which includes core courses in statistics and research design and specialised elective courses.
Graduate destinations
Graduate work in politics will prepare you for an academic career in the field, either in Oxford or elsewhere, but the DPIR also celebrates the substantial number of its graduates working in government, in diplomatic services, and in senior positions in the private sector.
For this course (per year)
£30,210
For this course (per year)
£42,840
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of the following UK qualifications or their equivalent: a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in political science or international relations, or in a related discipline such as economics, history, philosophy, sociology or law. Nonetheless, each application will be assessed upon its own merits, and so candidates with a degree in an unrelated discipline should demonstrate the relevance of their academic background to their proposed subject or topic of study. Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent. The MSc is not a terminal degree but rather it is intended for students who would like to obtain the necessary research training in politics in order to proceed to doctoral study. Applicants might therefore have a master’s level degree in another discipline or one in politics from a university with a very different approach to that at Oxford. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.