University of Portsmouth
Humanities and Social Sciences MRes
University of Portsmouth

Course modalities offered

Key Course Facts

Salary

Salary of all UK Graduates of

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £22481 £20177 £23660
25-75 percentile range £20119 - £25653 £15142 - £24804 £17699 - £30158

Course Description

Overview

If you work in the social sciences or humanities and want to improve your career prospects or prepare for a PhD, this flexible MRes degree – a postgraduate taught course, featuring a large research project – is the perfect way to achieve your ambitions.

On this course, you'll choose to study within any of the faculty's schools: the School of Education and Sociology (SES), the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics (SLAL) and the School of Area Studies, History, Politics, and Literature (SASHPL).

You'll have the flexibility to choose your learning methods, set your own timetable and specialise in your chosen field. You'll develop your research skills alongside specialist staff, and get a Master's degree without needing to sacrifice your job.

This degree is perfect for progressing your career, and can help you to pursue ambitious new roles, or seek promotion opportunities.

You can choose to study this course over 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time as a campus-based learner or by distance learning.

What you'll experience

On this course you'll:

  • Focus your research interest in the humanities and social sciences field
  • Learn to translate your learning into research, such as submitting peer reviewed publications and presentations
  • Access the University's respected research centres, including CEISR (Centre for European and International Studies Research) and ICJS, one of the UK's largest centres in criminology and criminal justice studies
  • Benefit from the professional training and supervision of our Graduate School
  • Access all the books and material you'll need in our library, along with electronic resources, including thousands of online ejournals and newspapers

Depending on your chosen speciality, you'll graduate from the course with one of the following awards:

  • MRes African Studies
  • MRes American Studies
  • MRes Applied Linguistics
  • MRes Childhood Studies
  • MRes Communication
  • MRes Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies
  • MRes Development Studies
  • MRes Education
  • MRes European Politics
  • MRes Forensic Investigation
  • MRes Gender Studies
  • MRes History
  • MRes International Relations
  • MRes Literary Studies
  • MRes Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • MRes Politics
  • MRes Public Administration
  • MRes Security Risk Management
  • MRes Security Studies
  • MRes Sociology
  • MRes TESOL
  • MRes Translation

Careers and opportunities

You'll graduate from the MRes Humanities and Social Science degree course with knowledge of research methods, training and skills relevant to your current and future employment, and which will aid your future career progression. You can also choose to continue your academic studies with PhD research.

****Structure:**** **This course is offered on two pathways** **Pathway A:** you will either focus one third of your time in research training and development and two-thirds of your time in your individual research project **Research Preparation and Development (60 credits),** **Research Project (120 credits)** **Pathway B:** you will spend half of your time in the taught element of your course, covering your chosen subject specialism training and research training and development, and the other half in your individual research project. **Subject Specialism (30 credits),** **Research Preparation and Development (60 credits),** **Research Project (90 credits),** **Teaching** The units involve a number of taught sessions which are selected by you and your supervisory team from those available with the Graduate School Development Programme (GSDP) and from Faculty and Department/School subject-specific provision. These will support a route towards further research that synergises with research themes in the Faculty.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

English language requirements

test Grade Additional Details
IELTS (Academic)

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Cambridge English Advanced

**Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015**

An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 169

Cambridge English Proficiency

Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 169.

TOEFL (iBT)

91.with a minimum of 20 in Reading, 19 in Listening, 21 in Speaking and 20 in Writing.

PTE Academic

An overall score of 61 with a minimum of 54 in each skill.

Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Humanities and Social Sciences, MRes, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed subject specialism. Please check the course details online for information about subject specialisms that can be supported. You will be asked to write a short research proposal upon receipt of your application. Applicants to the Forensic Investigation area of supervision will be invited to attend an interview.

Costs

Tuition Fees Humanities and Social Sciences MRes

EU £2970 year 1
England UK £2970 year 1
Northern Ireland £2970 year 1
Scotland £2970 year 1
Wales £2970 year 1
Channel Islands £2970 year 1
Ireland £2970 year 1
International £6030 year 1

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship.

Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice.

Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

University Rankings

Positions of University of Portsmouth in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of University of Portsmouth in related subject specific rankings.

Social Studies & Humanities

    • #53 
    • #451 
    Social Sciences
    NTU Rankings by Subject
    [Published 11 July, 2023]

See all 29 university rankings of University of Portsmouth

About University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth is located on the United Kingdom’s only island city, Portsmouth. This public university, which was previously known as Portsmouth Polytechnic, forms part of the University Alliance, an organisation whose aim is to promote growth and innovation in the UK by putting an emphasis on links with business and industry.

List of 234 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Portsmouth - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Portsmouth

undergraduates:
18085
postgraduates:
5005
Total:
23090
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Where is this programme taught

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