Sociology and Demography

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 14.8 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 25 k / Year(s) Deadline: Jan 20, 2025
1 place StudyQA ranking:2365 Duration:2 years

Photos of university / #oxford_uni

The MPhil introduces students to contemporary theories and research methods on the intersection of sociology and demography. This 21-month programme takes a life-course and multilevel approach, aiming to integrate micro and macro issues in analysing social problems and the causes and consequences of population change.

Graduate destinations

Graduates often continue with a DPhil at Oxford or doctoral studies at highly-ranked US and continental programmes. Others find placement in research-intensive occupations in the public sector (eg national statistical offices, government departments and regional/local authorities), in international organisations, think tanks, and in private sector occupations in which quantitative skills are highly valued (consulting, market research, health research, social research, and insurance companies).

The course will prepare you for doctoral work in sociology and demography and research-intense jobs.

The curriculum emphasises:

  • population-level analysis and demographic measures
  • a life course approach
  • sociological analysis as the key approach to explanation
  • advanced quantitative methods. 

This emphasis is reflected in the compulsory papers. Optional papers and the thesis will reflect either a more specialised topic (eg gender, family and fertility, migration and integration of migrants, health and mortality, intergenerational relationships) or methodological work.

The MPhil programme has the following components:

  • Sociological Analysis paper taught in the first year through lectures and seminars, assessed by an unseen examination
  • Demographic Analysis paper taught in the first year through lectures, seminars and computer labs, assessed through a combination of examination and assignments
  • Life Course Research paper taught in the first year through lectures, seminars and computer labs, assessed through a combination of methods
  • Statistical Methods paper taught in the first year through lectures and computer labs, assessed through a combination of a test and assignments
  • Research Design paper taught in the first year through lectures, assessed via a combination of methods
  • two optional papers over both years of the MPhil, normally taught through eight weekly classes/seminars for each paper and assessed by unseen examination or appropriate coursework
  • Replication project in the second year, comprising a combination of individual and group work and assessed via assignments
  • MPhil thesis, a new and substantial analysis of up to 30,000 words on a sociological and/or demographic topic, to be submitted by the end of the second year

Please note that the optional papers available may vary from year to year. 

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in a social science subject.

The department will only consider applicants who have an undergraduate degree in arts, humanities or science subjects if they can demonstrate a strong interest in sociology and demography, as taught at Oxford.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought, though you may include these scores as part of your application.

  • Official transcript(s)
  • CV/résumé
  • Personal statement:Up to 750 words
  • Written work:Two essays of 2,000 words each
  • References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

Test

Standard level scores

Higher level scores

IELTS Academic 
Institution code: 0713

7.0 Minimum 6.5 per component  7.5  Minimum 7.0 per component 

TOEFL iBT 
Institution code: 0490

100

Minimum component scores:

  • Listening: 22
  • Reading: 24
  • Speaking: 25
  • Writing: 24
110

Minimum component scores:

  • Listening: 22
  • Reading: 24
  • Speaking: 25
  • Writing: 24
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) 185

Minimum 176 per component

191 

Minimum 185 per component

Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) 185

Minimum 176 per component

191 

Minimum 185 per component

  • Global Education
  • Hill Foundation Scholarships
  • A number of Research Council awards are available each year from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
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