Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, tutorials and research supervision, and is taught by scholars who have carried out research in the field. Students are expected to take part in both guided and self-guided personal work. Seminar sessions are where students discuss and apply their learning from their lectures and other activities. In research methods courses, lectures are often mirrored by a practical workshop seminar in a computer lab where students will put the analytical techniques introduced that week to use.

Most modules are offered as campus-based and fully online courses, with both versions of the module running in parallel. For distance-learning students, all lectures, activities and exchanges between students and tutors take place within Moodle (UCL's digital learning environment) and integrated platforms such as Zoom. In place of the face-to-face group seminars held on campus, students taking modules at a distance participate in various e-learning activities, facilitated by the tutor leading this group.

For Student visa holders, all study that is part of your course is expected to take place on the university’s premises, with Tier 4 conditions preventing selection of modules taught entirely through online study.

Assessment is carried out through a blend of formative and summative assessment methods. Module assessments on the programme vary, and may include coursework (for example, essays and written assignments), presentations, or a form of examination. You may be expected to complete both individual and group assessments. UCL’s module catalogue details individual module assessments, but please note these may be subject to change on an annual basis.

On average, it is expected that a student spends 150 hours studying for each 15-credit module. This includes teaching time, private study and coursework. The 60-credit dissertation module requires a notional learning time of about 600 hours.

Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments. Part-time and modular/flexible students will need one day per week for each 15-credit module, plus additional time to prepare for assessments.

Modules are taught over 10 weeks each term. For campus-based students, this is usually in the form of either a one-hour lecture followed by a one-hour seminar or workshop, or a two-hour practical workshop. Distance learners have access to the same information delivered to students studying on campus through a range of online teaching tools.

For full-time students studying on campus, typical contact hours are around 10 hours per week. In terms one and two, full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. In term three and the summer period, students will be completing the dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their supervisors.

For distance-learning students, most learning activities are self-paced and asynchronous. Online discussion boards are used to help foster a sense of community, and to allow you to keep in touch with peers and academics throughout your studies. There will be opportunities for weekly one-to-one contact with your tutors. Live sessions can also be arranged where time zones permit.

Here is some information about the compulsory modules:

Global Sociology puts sociology in a context that is relevant to not just Euro-American scholarship, but can meaningfully speak to, and draw on, sociological thinking from around the world. In doing so, we consider the underlying assumptions of sociology which underpin the current hierarchies of knowledge.

Principles of Sociological Explanation is a foundational module discussing key building blocks of sociological explanation and how those explanations can be tested empirically. Each week discusses a core element of sociological explanation and uses an applied topic to illustrates this type of explanation in practice, revealing its strengths and weaknesses.

Social Change in Contemporary Society introduces students to the role sociology plays in social change, and consider how academic evidence, collective action and social movements may act as mechanisms of change. These discussions will take place around applied examples of social change occurring in contemporary society.

Advanced Social Theory represents an advanced exploration of classical sociological theory and its enduring influence on contemporary social research for a wide range of issues, such as civil rights, welfare and migration. The course explores various views on what sociology is and its goals, encouraging students to critically apply these perspectives in their research.

Dissertation module allows students to demonstrate independent research skills drawing on their learning across the taught modules in the degree. Students will receive individual supervision from a research-active tutor and participate in training sessions to support the development of their research.

Indicative optional modules are listed in this prospectus. Please contact us at mscsoc@ucl.ac.uk for additional information.