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Overview
If you work in the social sciences or humanities and want to improve your career prospects or prepare for a PhD, this flexible MRes degree – a postgraduate taught course, featuring a large research project – is the perfect way to achieve your ambitions.
On this course, you'll choose to study within any of the faculty's schools: the School of Education, Languages and Linguistics (SELL), the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) and the School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics, and Literature (SASSHPL).
You'll have the flexibility to choose your learning methods, set your own timetable and specialise in your chosen field. You'll develop your research skills alongside specialist staff, and get a Master's degree without needing to sacrifice your job.
This degree is perfect for progressing your career, and can help you to pursue ambitious new roles, or seek promotion opportunities.
You can choose to study this course over one year full-time or two years part-time as a campus-based learner or by distance learning. You can also choose to study by full-time intensive block learning over one year.
Start in September or January if you're studying by block delivery, or in September if you'd rather learn on campus or online by distance learning.
Depending on your chosen speciality, you'll graduate from the course with one of the following awards:
- MRes African Studies
- MRes American Studies
- MRes Applied Linguistics
- MRes Childhood Studies
- MRes Communication
- MRes Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies
- MRes Development Studies
- MRes Early Help
- MRes Education
- MRes European Politics
- MRes Forensic Investigation
- MRes Gender Studies
- MRes History
- MRes International Relations
- MRes Intersectionality and Inclusion
- MRes Literary Studies
- MRes Mental Health and Wellbeing
- MRes Politics
- MRes Public Administration
- MRes Security Risk Management
- MRes Security Studies
- MRes Sociology
- MRes TESOL
- MRes Translation
The University of Portsmouth is ranked third of all modern post-92 universities in the UK for research power
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
Course highlights
- Focus your research interest in the humanities and social sciences field
- Learn to translate your learning into research, such as submitting peer reviewed publications and presentations
- Access the University's respected research centres, including CEISR (Centre for European and International Studies Research)
- Benefit from the professional training and supervision of our Doctoral College
- Access all the books and material you'll need in our library, along with electronic resources, including thousands of online ejournals and newspapers
- Choose to study your way - either full-time or part-time on campus, online by distance learning, or by full-time block delivery, where you'll study each module over a week's intensive study, with time in between to focus on research
MRes Applied Linguistics - Sharing in graduates success
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
MRes Humanities and Social Sciences degree entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
- A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed subject specialism.
Please check the course details online for information about subject specialisms that can be supported.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 5.5.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Selection process
- You will be asked to write a short research proposal upon receipt of your application. Read our guidance on submitting your research proposal.
- Applicants to the Forensic Investigation area of supervision will be invited to attend an interview.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
All fees subject to annual increase.
UK / Channel Islands and Isle of Man students
- Full time: £9,400
- Part time: £3,130 in year 1 (60 credits) and £6,270 in year 2 (120 credits)
- Distance learning full time (1 year): £8,600
- Distance learning part time (2 years): £4,300 per year
EU students
(including Transition Scholarship)
- Full time: £9,400
- Part time: £3,130 in year 1 (60 credits) and £6,270 in year 2 (120 credits)
- Distance learning full time (1 year): £8,600
- Distance learning part time (2 years): £4,300 per year
International students
- Full time: £17,200
- Part time: £5,730 in year 1 (60 credits) and £11,470 in year 2 (120 credits)
- Distance learning full time (1 year): £8,600
- Distance learning part time (2 years): £4,300 per year
Funding your studies
Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.
Additional course costs
These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
Additional costs
Our accommodation section shows your accommodation options and highlights how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.
You’ll study up to 6 units a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each unit.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
If you choose to complete this course via distance learning, you'll need to cover the travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for any optional campus based induction events, workshops and study days that you choose to attend.
You'll need to cover the cost of travel for any of the placements or internships that you take on the course. Depending on the nature of the internship or placement, these costs can be anywhere between £50 – £1,000.
Modules
Full-time
Core modules
You'll learn to formulate inventive investigations while upholding ethics and sound methodology.
By critiquing diverse research designs across the humanities and social sciences, you'll make informed choices fitted to research questions.
You'll build skills in self-direction, enabling you to evaluate and enhance your strengths through reflective blogs and training plans.
By setting feasible objectives and applying rigorous methods, you'll carry out a coherent, structured, and supported independent research investigation, showcasing scientific integrity.
You'll also communicate your findings persuasively in writing and via presentation to diverse professional audiences.
Full-time block delivery
You'll learn to formulate inventive investigations while upholding ethics and sound methodology.
By critiquing diverse research designs across the humanities and social sciences, you'll make informed choices fitted to research questions.
You'll build skills in self-direction, enabling you to evaluate and enhance your strengths through reflective blogs and training plans.
By setting feasible objectives and applying rigorous methods, you'll carry out a coherent, structured, and supported independent research investigation, showcasing scientific integrity.
You'll also communicate your findings persuasively in writing and via presentation to diverse professional audiences.
Part-time
Core modules
You'll learn to formulate inventive investigations while upholding ethics and sound methodology.
By critiquing diverse research designs across the humanities and social sciences, you'll make informed choices fitted to research questions.
You'll build skills in self-direction, enabling you to evaluate and enhance your strengths through reflective blogs and training plans.
By setting feasible objectives and applying rigorous methods, you'll carry out a coherent, structured, and supported independent research investigation, showcasing scientific integrity.
You'll also communicate your findings persuasively in writing and via presentation to diverse professional audiences.
Core modules
You'll learn to formulate inventive investigations while upholding ethics and sound methodology.
By critiquing diverse research designs across the humanities and social sciences, you'll make informed choices fitted to research questions.
You'll build skills in self-direction, enabling you to evaluate and enhance your strengths through reflective blogs and training plans.
By setting feasible objectives and applying rigorous methods, you'll carry out a coherent, structured, and supported independent research investigation, showcasing scientific integrity.
You'll also communicate your findings persuasively in writing and via presentation to diverse professional audiences.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Career development
You'll graduate from the MRes Humanities and Social Science degree course with knowledge of research methods, training and skills relevant to your current and future employment, and which will aid your future career progression. You can also choose to continue your academic studies with PhD research.
Work experience and career planning
We'll help you to identify voluntary roles and opportunities that will complement your studies.
When you complete this course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the heritage, teaching, or other related industries.
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
Meet MRes graduate, Sophie Stevens
BA (Hons) English Literature and MRes graduate, Sophie Stevens, explains how she's used her studies to embark on a teaching career in Germany within the British Council - Teaching English Abroad scheme.
Supporting you
Learning support
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Teaching
The modules involve taught sessions, selected by you and your supervisory team, from those available with the Graduate School Development Programme (GSDP) and from the faculty and department or school. This supports a route towards further research that goes well with research themes in the faculty.
How you'll spend your time
Each academic year is divided into 2 teaching blocks:
- September/October to December/January – teaching block 1
- January/February to May – teaching block 2
Apply
Ready to apply?
Starting in January 2026
International students
If you're from outside of the UK, you can apply directly to us (above) or you can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.