What our students say

The key highlight from the MA is the opportunity to meet people from a variety of academic disciplines, meaning you obtain new perspectives on how the social world is understood. We’ve had people deriving not only from the social sciences, but also from geography, law, theology and even modern foreign languages. The course is not just for those wanting to do a PhD or a research-related career- it can suit anyone. Moreover, the selection of 5 credit research training modules means that you can study the methods you want to employ in future study, thus allowing students to tailor the MA to suit their interests and requirements.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Criminology I knew straight away that I wanted to carry on studying and pursuing my research interests in gender and terrorism. I absolutely love Liverpool and the student life here is fantastic. Liverpool has given me the best years of my life. The staff have been brilliant and extremely supportive and working with like-minded people from a variety of disciplines has been really beneficial.

The diversity of modules really appealed to me. Studying a course that looked at the depths of classical social theorist to the contemporary, that also considered Criminology and Social Policy was distinct from my other choices and made the course sound really exciting, and it has been! But to be in the presence of active and published researchers who are recognised by key thinkers in the sociological world was inspiring. I don’t think many other students get to work with those at the very top of their field. It was simply the best choice logically to obtain the best possible education and degree that I could.

The School's MA in Social Research Methods, which has Economic and Social Research Council 1+3 Recognition status, has given me an invaluable and rigorous basis from where to begin my own research. Drawing upon their own expertise, lecturers provide numerous opportunities for the student to reflect upon various research fields that are at the forefront of sociological and criminological concerns. Researchers at the School are often leaders in their field, and they are also actively engaged in their community, keeping the spirit of Eleanor Rathbone alive.

The fact that in the first year we study modules from Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy was the deciding factor when I was choosing where to study for my degree; the fact that the course leaders recognise the merits to develop a foundation of knowledge. Studying sociology in Liverpool is such a unique experience – a city overflowing with culture and history makes for incredibly captivating surroundings therefore meaning that wherever you go in the city you are constantly able to observe the world through a Sociological perspective.  Plus Liverpool is the friendliest and most lively city in the UK – without a doubt!

My advice to anyone studying this course would be: ‘keep your mind open’. University is an opportunity to engage with people of different ages, with different ideas and from different parts of the world– not an opportunity you get every day. During this course my mind has been opened and my knowledge expanded, breaking down and re-constructing a lot of pre-conceived ideas I had about the world, leading me to consider different opinions and attitudes. The course is fun, inspiring and challenging – a brilliant selection for anyone who wants to get to grips with real issues within society at this present moment in time.

I enjoyed the course material, the ability to develop my own opinions and engage in debates with people about specific topics. Staff are really friendly and approachable; you are taught by up to date, current researchers in the fields of sociology and criminology. My peers were so supportive; being a small cohort helped with this. I obtained a 2:1 which enabled me to continue studying here as a postgraduate. I’m now studying for a Masters in Criminological Research.

I wanted to take a course that offers a thorough grounding in both quantitative and qualitative research methods and plenty of scope and flexibility for developing my research interests. The MA Social Research Methods course at the University of Liverpool stood out as being particularly suitable for my needs. Liverpool's School of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology has a reputation for research excellence and I was attracted by the prospect of learning from teaching staff who are leading social researchers in their respective fields. Moreover, Liverpool has a well-established tradition of doing research that makes a tangible difference to society, which was an important factor in my decision.