At least a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject area.
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Join our supportive and expert community of researchers as a student on our MSc by Research or PhD programme. We produce innovative research offering insights and solutions for society’s most pressing challenges.
We welcome proposals for research degrees on a wide range of sociological topics. Our team’s particular research strengths lie in:
Students can study either full time or part time alongside employment or family commitments. In recognition of the fact that no two research projects – or research students – are the same, we offer a flexible approach to supporting you and you will have access to hot-desk office space and library and ICT support. MSc students will typically take two research methods training modules, which are also available to PhD students.
Contributing original knowledge to your chosen specialism in sociology, you will develop your own research project under the guidance of an expert team of academic supervisors. Develop a 30,000-word thesis on the MSc by Research programme, or an 80,000-word thesis on the PhD programme. You may also have the opportunity, subject to progress, to upgrade from the MSc by Research programme to the PhD programme if you wish to develop your MSc project into a PhD.
You will be supported to develop an extensive range of research skills and professional aptitudes to ensure you graduate as an expert independent professional researcher. This training is delivered through an exciting research design and methods programme and a range of bespoke workshops – connecting you to researchers and research students across the university. You will be invited to participate in our Academic School’s research seminar series and to attend events and training arranged by our Early Careers Researcher Network, and dedicated office space is provided for postgraduate researchers at our Francis Close Hall campus in Cheltenham.
At least a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject area.
A master’s degree or equivalent in a subject area relevant to the proposed research topic.
We strongly encourage applications from students from a range of diverse backgrounds who demonstrate appropriate research experience and achievement
EU and international students need IELTS 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in any other component) or equivalent.
Your application should include a research proposal up to 1,000 words (excluding references/appendices) which follows the structure outlined in the research proposal guide.
You're viewing fees for the MSc by Research Full Time (2 years) course option. Choose a different course option to see corresponding course fees.
| Start date | Course code |
Fee (UK) Fee per year |
Fee (international) Fee per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | — | £5,350 | £13,425 |
| October 2025 | — | £5,350 | £13,425 |
| February 2027 | — | TBC | TBC |
| October 2026 | — | TBC | TBC |
|
International students can benefit from a range of scholarships and bursaries across many undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. |
Find out more | ||
Our postgraduate research students cultivate a diverse set of skills that are highly valued in the UK and internationally, preparing them for successful careers within academia and beyond.
As a postgraduate research student at UoG, you’ll develop and refine a range of skills across research, academic practice, project management and critical analysis to equip you for your future. Whether it’s contributing to ground-breaking academic research or applying problem-solving skills in the workplace, we’ll ensure you’re ready to take on your next challenge.
This versatility opens doors to opportunities across various sectors, from education and research institutions to commercial organisations and NGOs, where you’ll have the confidence to apply your researcher skills and develop innovative solutions to meet your ambitions.
With research submitted in each of our research areas judged to be internationally excellent according to the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), our research supervisors have a broad range of specialisms across a diverse range of subjects.
Get in touch to find out how we can support your research interests by emailing admissions@glos.ac.uk.
You’ll be part of our Academic School’s research seminar series, enabling you to learn about the range of cutting-edge research taking place at the university, and network with the wider academic community. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your own research as part of the seminar series– great for developing your research dissemination skills and receiving feedback from a range of academic experts – and to join our Early Career Researcher network.
The School of Business will support you to present your research at academic conferences. These opportunities ensure that you stay abreast of the latest developments in your field and can develop your external research networks.
Gain new skills and develop innovative projects using cutting-edge facilities, labs and suites. Work with expert lecturers and professionals from across the industry.
“My work primarily concerns sociological and criminological issues relating to migration and diversity, as well as experiences of families, children and young people. Within the EC Horizon 2020-funded CHIEF project, I was part of a team of researchers across 9 countries examining diverse young people’s understandings of culture, heritage and inter-cultural dialogue. Other projects have included research with the Church of England Diocese of Birmingham around migrant and ethnic minority-led congregations; work commissioned by The Children’s Society into impacts of austerity on families in a disadvantaged neighbourhood; and a study of experiences of becoming a new parent during the CV-19 pandemic.”
“My research interests encompass social mobility; community and place-making; class identities and inequality; higher education inequalities; and poverty and welfare policy, explored through ethnographic approaches and creative qualitative methods. Recent projects include work examining the impact of the CV-19 pandemic on community relations within a deprived ward of Stroud with Dr Hazel Roberts, and collaborative research with colleagues at the University of the West of England, University of Exeter and Bath Spa University to explore the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students’ learning experiences in HE.”
“My work is located within critical security studies. I focus on in/security and identity on digital platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and online news websites asking what practices of violence these discourses make possible. Common sub themes in my work include gender, technology, states, and secrecy. I have an expertise in discourse analysis, digital methods and visual material such as images and videos.”
View our full list of academics within the Social Science subject community and the wider School of Natural, Social and Sports Science.
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