MSc (R) Science and Technology Studies

NEW: ESRC Studentships (deadline 30th March 2012) 

University of Edinburgh Scholarships (deadline 1st February 2012)

The MSc(R) in Science and Technology Studies is aimed at students who intend to go on to pursue a research career, within or outside academia, in this interdisciplinary field. Coursework combines a general training in social science research methods with a selection of optional courses. For students progressing to a PhD, the dissertation at the end of the MSc(R) normally takes the form of a full research proposal and/or pilot study in preparation for the empirical stage of their doctoral research. See what our alumni have to say about their experiences in the MSc(R).

Science and Technology Studies

Internationally renowned as the home of the Edinburgh School, with its characteristic "strong programme" in the sociology of scientific knowledge, the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies Subject Group has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for interdisciplinary studies of science, medicine and technology. Notably the subject group is home to Innogen: the ESRC Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics and thus is able to offer a wide range of research topics to support. More on the ongoing research in the subject group can be found at www.stis.ed.ac.uk.

Academic expertise in science and technology studies is drawn from across the university to provide training and supervision for our research students. Students take a programme of coursework combining training in research methods with specialist courses that are specific to their needs and submit a full research proposal for examination in their first year. This is followed by supervised research leading to the production of a PhD thesis. Students who have a solid background in STS may be accepted directly into our PhD programme, however most students will be required to first do a foundational MSc by Research in Science and Technology Studies.

Please review our pages on funding and research topics. Students considering applying to pursue doctoral research in Science and Technology Studies are welcome to contact the Postgraduate Admissions Advisor (Research), Dr Jane Calvert, to discuss their eligibility, conditions of entrance and the availability of appropriate research supervision: info-stsres@ed.ac.uk

Programme

A normal programme involves successful completion of the following training courses in the Graduate School of Social and Political Studies:

• Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection
• Core Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Research
• Research Design

and a selection of courses from those offered by the STIS subject group appropriate to the student's topic, background and needs – such as:

• Sociology of Scientific Knowledge
• Social and Economic Perspectives on Technology
• Case Study Methods in STS
• Evolution and Dynamics of Biotechnology
• The Social Shaping of Information and Communication Technology
• Internet, Society and Economy
• Gender, Science and Technology
• Politics of Science and Technology
• Genetics, Nature and Society
• Foundations of Science, Technology and Development
• Energy Policy & Politics
• Social Dimensions of Systems and Synthetic Biology

In addition students will work through the year with their supervisors on a systematic review of the secondary literature in their proposed area of research. Supervisors will also advise students of the most appropriate further training in their area of research interest.

Dissertation

The dissertation constitutes the main work in which students demonstrate the extent to which they have achieved the crucial learning outcomes from the first year of research training. It normally takes the form of an extended research proposal with the following components:

• a review of the literature, both theoretical and empirical;
• an outline of the specific questions to be addressed, a statement of research design and methods to be employed;
• an evaluation of the expected contribution of the study to knowledge in the field;
• consideration of the practical, political and ethical issues affecting the conduct of the research;
• a presentation of the schedule for the research, and (where appropriate) its estimated budget.

Where the degree is taken as a stand-alone degree, the dissertation normally includes a component of data collection and analysis, or selection of theoretical documents and analysis.

Contacts

For queries about applying for a Masters by research please contact

Dr Jane Calvert

info-stsres@ed.ac.uk

Queries on the admissions procedure itself should be directed to the Graduate School Office.