Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research Methods
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Diploma
- Code
- E12
- Level
- Postgraduate
- Made up of
- 120 credits
Description
Please note that this qualification is only available until 31 December 2013. In order to claim this qualification you must have completed the required 120 credits by this time. This qualification is not available to new students. If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification please contact the Qualifications and Ceremonies Centre on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
This postgraduate diploma provides a broad training in social research methods. The diploma provides training in aspects of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with compulsory and optional modules introducing the collection and analysis of both structured and unstructured data.
It aims to:
- enable you to understand a range of relevant methodological debates and ethical guidelines
- equip you with basic and advanced social research methods, transferable skills (including IT skills) and an understanding of alternative approaches to research
- enable you to conduct and evaluate social research in academic, commercial or professional environments.
Planning your studies
The minimum entry requirement is a recognised UK honours degree or its equivalent.
Although the honours degree can be in any subject, you are unlikely to be prepared for this qualification if you have not had a prior academic grounding in the social sciences or psychology. This is because your postgraduate studies will assume you are familiar with social scientific or psychological language and concepts, and the characteristic ways in which social scientists and psychologists construct arguments, use theory and handle evidence.
Postgraduate study requires that you have the ability to:
- write accurately, clearly and concisely
- read large quantities of text quickly, accurately and critically
- classify evidence precisely, and assess its value and reliability
- argue logically, consistently and sceptically
- marshal evidence to support a logical argument.
All our postgraduate modules are taught in English, so your spoken and written English must be of an appropriate standard for postgraduate study. If you’re not sure whether your English skills are good enough, there is some help and guidance at our Skills for OU Study website.
Social science modules in this qualification are not available for study on a stand-alone basis.
Modules start in either May or November. 30-credit modules are taught over a sixteen-week study period. Examinations are held in April and October.
It is expected that you will have commenced your studies towards the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research Methods with one of the discontinued postgraduate foundation modules. This will have equipped you with the requisite skills for postgraduate-level study.
Because of the demands that study of the diploma will make on you we recommend that you take only one module at a time, particularly in your first year. You should read the detailed advice about entry and preparation in the individual module descriptions. We cannot guarantee that the same selection of modules will continue to be available.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 120 credits within eight years of the commencement of your study.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Career relevance and employability
The Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research Methods will equip you with skills directly relevant to careers in which designing, undertaking, evaluating or managing quantitative and qualitative social research are necessary. Careers of this kind include those in marketing, social and educational policy, health, policing and criminal justice, local and central government, and academic research. You will also develop a range of transferable skills – including the ability to work independently, communicate clearly, and analyse complex information – that will be valued by employers in both public and private sectors.
There is more information about how OU study can improve your employability in the OU’s Employability Statement from our Careers Advisory Service. You can also read or download our publication OU study and your career and look at our subject pages to find out about career opportunities.
Modules
For this 120-credit postgraduate diploma, you require:
90 credits from the following compulsory modules:
| Postgraduate compulsory modules | Credits | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2012 |
| And either of the discontinued 30-credit modules D821 or D822 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules D840, DT840, DTZY840
and
| Postgraduate compulsory module | Credits | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2012 FINAL |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module DZY844
And 30 credits from the following optional modules:
| Postgraduate optional modules | Credits | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2012 FINAL |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules D820, D850, D841, D851, D852, D853, D854, D857, D860, D861, D862, D863, D864, DZY843
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
For this qualification, we do not allow you to count credit for study you have already done elsewhere.
On completion
On successful completion of the required modules you will be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research Methods entitling you to use the letters PGD SRM (Open) after your name.
You may continue your studies and add 60 credits to your diploma to gain the MSc in Social Research Methods (F24) (please note that F24 will be withdrawn at the end of December 2014).
If you leave the programme before you qualify for the diploma you can be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Social Sciences Research Methods (C52) if you hold 60 credits from either of the discontinued modules D821 or D822 and Introduction to quantitative and qualitative research methods (D849) (or the discontinued modules D840, DT840 or DTZY840) (please note that C52 will be withdrawn at the end of December 2013).
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Qualification Regulations and the Student Regulations.
Qualification Regulations
- Introduction to the Qualification Regulations
- General Qualification Regulations
- Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research Methods
Student Regulations
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
How to register
To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
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A postgraduate qualification.
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