Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2024). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas. The MPhil introduces students to contemporary theories and research methods on the intersection of sociology and demography. This advanced 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. The MPhil will provide you with a solid foundation for a wide range of careers, including those in academia, preparing 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.

• Sociological Analysis paper taught in the first year through lectures and seminars

• Demographic Analysis paper taught in the first year through lectures, seminars and computer labs

• Life Course Research paper taught in the first year through lectures, seminars and computer labs

• Statistical Methods paper taught in the first year through lectures and computer labs

• Research Design paper taught in the first year through lectures

• two option papers over both years of the MPhil, normally taught through eight weekly classes/seminars for each paper

• Replication project in the second year, comprising a combination of individual and group work

• 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.