Postgraduate Study in the Social Sciences

If you are a graduate who finds themselves interested in the behaviours and interactions of people and society and often wonder why these behaviours and interactions take place then postgraduate study in the bounds of the Social Sciences is definitely an area of study for you; disciplines to study within the sciences include Media Studies, International Politics, Psychometrics, Refugee Studies, Organisational Behaviour, Criminology, Communications and Health Economics to name but a few. The subjects within the umbrella of Social Sciences cover a plethora of contemporary issues and the research arising from the Social Sciences commonly influences policies on a number of national and international levels.

Pursuing these disciplines lead graduates on a pathway of discovery through a number of controversial and internationally relevant issues. Individual research projects undertaken during postgraduate study enable students to gain an insight into the workings of human behaviour based around scientific learning and researched evidence.

Although not necessarily thought of as a true science, Social Science covers a wide variety of academic disciplines that examine the human aspects and interaction of the world and they can differ from similar disciplines such as those within the humanities by emphasising the use of scientific method and rigorous standards of evidence in the study of humanity, including quantitative and qualitative methods. Social Sciences may cover but is not limited to the following range of subject areas:

Anthropology
Communication
Criminology
Economics
Education
Linguistics
Media
Politics
Psychology
Social Policy
Sociology

These subjects are often again broken down into sub categories when taught at a postgraduate level and follow many differing pathways and specialisms. With the evolution of globalisation and internationalism some subjects of a contemporary nature are becoming increasingly popular and are more readily available to study than others. Specialisms within the Social Sciences include Economic based programmes such as International Business Economics, Financial Economics and Economic Evaluation and Healthcare; Sociology programmes including Refugee Studies, Race and Ethnicity, Social Research Methods and Transnational Media; Psychology based programmes including Social Psychology, Organisational Behaviour, Psychometrics and Health Psychology; Political programmes may cover subjects such as International Politics, Politics and Human Rights and Political Communication; Media based programmes can envelop Media and Communications, Transnational Media and Media and Human Rights.

These specialisms are then refined even further within each subject into modular topics that cover specific issues. These issues can range from the criminal justice system in modern society, the complex interconnections between media and human rights, controversies and challenges arising from global and transnational social transformations, globalisation of the world economy and the increase in competition; right through to examining sociocultural factors that may contribute to disease or how people function in work environments.

At postgraduate level, the choices available for study within the Social Sciences can be incredibly wide ranging in terms of subjects covered yet the topics and issues studied within the subjects are often quite explicit and focused and relate directly to current real world social situations.

In order to study the Social Sciences at postgraduate level potential students are often encouraged to have completed a first or second-class honours degree in a social science discipline, however other relevant subjects may be considered or relevant work experience within the Social Sciences may also be acceptable. If you feel that you may not meet the entrance requirements for a programme it is important that you discuss this with the institution before giving up hope. For postgraduate study at an English educational institution if your first language is not English you may also be asked to show evidence that your command of the English Language is suitable for the programme that you intend to study. Various institutions will recommend a suitable pre-sessional programme or a foundation/introductory programme that will enable you to progress through to the postgraduate programme if they feel that you fall short of the programmes’ entrance requirements.

Opportunities available to you on completion of a postgraduate programme in the Social Sciences depend largely upon the programme you undertake. As an example Sociology based programmes extend opportunities towards working as specialists in a variety of local, national and international settings including non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations, international development agencies, local and national government, academic and social research organisations, trades unions, community based organisations and campaign groups; Economics graduates can find opportunities as economists in economic and management consultancy, multinationals, government agencies and in business and finance; and Psychology graduates who have undertaken postgraduate study can find opportunities within Psychology research, have become Chartered Psychologists in a number of disciplines and have gone on to become academics in their field.

As you can see the Social Sciences encompass numerous avenues of study and cover a wide range of issues that relate to humanity; the programmes are extremely diverse in flavour and all relate to the examination of Human Behaviour.

Whatever your decision, ensure that you have recognised the best programme to suit your personal needs, take your time in deciding, and most important of all - enjoy the Social Sciences.

Contributed by : Tim Williams, Information and Communications Coordinator, School of Social Sciences, The City University, London.



For further information on studying Social Sciences at The City University please go to www.city.ac.uk/social

Other related postgraduate courses you may be interested in include:

Public Administration

A Masters in Public Administration is a great way for existing public service managers to enhance their understanding and skills or is ideal for a graduate who wants to work in the public sector in a managerial role. Postgraduate courses in Public Administration explore the issues facing public management and public policy with an international comparative approach so students can obtain broader knowledge.

Social Work

To study Social Work at postgraduate level, you will need to be a qualified social worker with 2 years post-qualifying experience. This course is ideal for those who want to update their awareness of developments in social work values, knowledge and skills and social welfare policies.

Sociology

At postgraduate level, courses in Sociology tend to be more research orientated where you are given the opportunity to research in-depth study of a social issue. Areas in which you may want to specialise are: Sociology of Education, Comparative Labour Studies, Social and Political Thought, Gender Studies, Social research and Social Policy.