Master of Social Research Methods (Advanced)

Length 1.5 year full-time
Minimum 72 Units

Academic plan VSRM
Post Nominal MSocResMthAdv
CRICOS code 108328A

Mode of delivery
- In Person
Field of Education
- Studies in Human Society
Academic contact
- Markus Hahn

Program Requirements

The Master of Social Research Methods (Advanced) requires completion of 72 units, of which:

6 units must come from completion from the following foundational statistics courses:

SOCR8001 Statistics for Social Scientists

STAT7055 Introductory Statistics for Business and Finance

LING8027 Quantitative Research Methods in Linguistics

24 units must come from completion of the following compulsory courses:

SOCR8002 Survey Data Analysis

SOCR8008 Qualitative Data Collection

SOCR8082 Social Research Practice

DEMO8008 Principles of Population Analysis

12 units must come from completion of courses from one of the following lists:

Social Research Methods

SOCR8004 Special Topic in Social Research

SOCR8006 Online Research Methods

SOCR8010 Advanced Survey Data Analysis

SOCR8011 Mixed Methods Social Research

SOCR8015 Human Research Ethics & Integrity: Principles & Practice

SOCR8201 Introduction to Social Science Methods and Types of Data

SOCR8202 Using Data to Answer Policy Questions and Evaluate Policy

SOCR8203 Advanced Techniques in the Creation of Social Science Data

SOCR8204 Causal Inference

SOCY8020 Qualitative Research Analysis

Demographic Analysis

DEMO8024 Population and Society: Theory and Empirical Perspectives

DEMO8047 International Migration

DEMO8048 Sex, Gender, and Population

DEMO8090 Population Issues in Asia and their Implications for World Development

DEMO8091 Special Topics in Population Change

DEMO8092 Life Course Analytics

6 units must come from completion of a 6000-, 7000-, or 8000-level course from the following subject areas:

ACST Actuarial Studies

ANIP Australian National Internship Program

ANTH Anthropology

CHMD Culture, Health and Medicine

COMP Computer Science

CRIM Criminology

DEMO Demography

ECON Economics

EMDV Environmental Management & Development

EMET Econometrics

IDEC International and Developmental Economics

INDG Indigenous Studies

INTR International Relations

LING Linguistics

MGMT Management

PASI Pacific Studies

POGO Policy and Governance

POLS Political Science

POPH Population Health

PSYC Psychology

REGN Regulation

SCOM Science Communication

SOCR Social Research

SOCY Sociology

STAT Statistics

24 units must come from completion of THES8103 Thesis

Master Research

The program includes 12 units of compulsory research project courses from the following list:

SOCR8002 Survey Data Analysis: Project proposal + research poster + poster presentation = 55% total assessment volume

SOCR8008 Qualitative Data Collection: Scoping report + data collection guide + research portfolio = 70% total assessment volume

Master Research Training

The program includes 24 units of compulsory research training courses from the following list:

SOCR8002 Survey Data Analysis: 55% summative research training assessment

SOCR8008 Qualitative Data Collection: 70% summative research training assessment

SOCR8082 Social Research Practice: 70% summative research training assessment

DEMO8008 Principles of Population Analysis: 50% summative research training assessment

With additional research training contributed by 6 units of one of the following foundational statistics courses:

SOCR8001 Statistics for Social Scientists: 30% summative research training assessment

LING8027 Quantitative Research Methods in Linguistics: 70% summative research training assessment

With additional research training contributed by 12 units of courses from the Social Research Methods and Demographic Analysis course list.

With additional research training contributed by 24 units of THE8103 Thesis.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present one of the following:

A cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis
A Bachelor degree or international equivalent AND a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis.

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Additional information: In order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis, students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor three months in advance of the start date of the semester of first enrolment in THES8103. Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor three months in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Social Research.

Ranking and English Language Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.

In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:

a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications: Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au.

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications.

Cognate Disciplines

Anthropology, Criminology, Development Studies, Economics, Geography, Marketing, Media and Communication, Political Science, Psychology, Social Policy, Sociology

Domestic Tuition Fees (DTF)

For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees

Annual indicative fee for international students: $53,110.00

For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

In a world increasingly reliant on data (big and small), a Master of Social Research Methods (Advanced) from the ANU will give you the skills and experience to understand a changing Australian and global society, as well as the political, demographic and economic forces that shape and drive these changes.

A Master of Social Research Methods (Advanced) from POLIS: The Centre for Social Policy Research will equip you with the practical skills to conduct, commission and evaluate research in the social sciences, and give you the opportunity to extend your skills in advanced research methods, and/or apply your skills to real-world policy and societal issues.

The program’s expert teaching staff are active researchers who can draw upon their wealth of local and international experience, as well as their connections with government and industry.

Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.

A Master of Social Research Methods (Advanced) will open up a range of career options within government, research organisations and in the private sector. The solid grounding in research methods at the heart of the program will also leave you well placed to pursue a research career within academia.

Career Options

ANU ranks among the world's very finest universities. Our nearly 100,000 alumni include political, business, government, and academic leaders around the world.

We have graduated remarkable people from every part of our continent, our region and all walks of life.

Learning Outcomes

summarise and critically review key studies in a particular substantive area of research;
use theory and existing literature to formulate social research questions and hypotheses;
construct and critically assess quantitative and qualitative social research designs;
identify the key stages of the social research project, how the components within each phase fit together, and be able to apply this knowledge to real-world research projects;
undertake basic statistical analysis appropriate for answering a stated research question;
present and interpret basic statistical research results; and
complete a major piece of research in the field of social research.

Research Strengths