Digital Sociology MSc

The MSc in Digital Sociology is offered as a one-year full-time programme.

You will take compulsory courses that give you a sociological perspective and prepare you for independent dissertation research.

In our core courses, you will study how we are re-understanding foundational questions in fields such as the sociology of inequality, work, and identity. You will also have the chance to develop essential social data science skills to explore topics such as:

• political protest
• misinformation
• the future of work
• digital bias and discrimination
• digital mobility and stratification

Your four further option courses will provide a deeper empirical and theoretical grounding in questions within the sociology of emotions, finance, and technology. You will also have methods training in areas such as computational text analysis, network analysis, and multi-level modelling.

Hands-on, research-based methods seminars will take place on campus and the programme will draw on interdisciplinary expertise in:

• Informatics
• Science and Technology Studies
• Design Informatics
• Digital Education

Dissertation

The dissertation, a piece of self-designed research with supervisory support, allows you to put your personal stamp on your studies. You will complete a supervised dissertation project on a topic that you choose based on your interests and career plans.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

As well as providing students with relevant skills, studying for this degree will give you:

• a foundation in social and cultural theory, as relevant to the study of digital society
• a foundation in digital research methods relevant for the sociological study of contemporary society
• the opportunity to learn how to gather and analyse digital data using programmatic tools in R and/or Python
• the opportunity to engage with ethical issues that are raised by digital sociological work

This degree is well-positioned for a wide range of careers in the public, private, and third sectors. It is particularly relevant for those who have aspirations for a career in:

• digital research
• internet research
• digital social policy
• digital media design and development

The programme is also key for those who wish to engage with digital technology and data in their own personal lives, or on a wider scale as an activist, artist, manager, or practitioner.

You will gain highly transferable skills in research, communication, and project management applicable to roles in many fields.

After graduating, you may go on to undertake roles in areas including:

• social media analysis
• internet research
• digital social policy
• technology consulting
• journalism
• education
• law and government

Further study

The programme also offers a route to a PhD programme in social research.

Students enrolled in the MSc in Digital Sociology will also have the opportunity to enrol in some EFI courses.

• [Edinburgh Futures Institute] (https://efi.ed.ac.uk)

Our faculty are also involved in the Centre for Data, Culture, and Society. Dr. Karen Gregory co-directs the Digital Social Science Research Culture, which regularly hosts research seminars and workshops, which MSc students are welcome to attend.

• [Digital Social Science Research Culture] (https://efi.ed.ac.uk/ecosystem/critical-data-studies/)

Our faculty have also brought the Summer Institutes in Computational Social Science (SICSS) to Edinburgh.

• [The Summer Institutes in Computational Social Science] (https://sicss.io)

Here is some information on the SICSS event we held in 2022:

• [SICSS-Edinburgh: June 13 to June 24, 2022] (https://sicss.io/2022/edinburgh/)

Our faculty also convene the British Sociological Association’s Digital Sociology study group:

• [Digital Sociology Study Group] (https://www.britsoc.co.uk/groups/study-groups/digital-sociology-study-group/)

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025. A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, in a relevant discipline.

We welcome applications from students with a strong background in the social sciences as well as those coming from a background in statistics, data science, and computer science. Applicants who do not have this relevant background will receive consideration on the merits of their personal statement and other relevant experience.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments. The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your residency status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding