Overview

Course Structure

You will take a combination of core papers, option papers and method option papers and produce a thesis of up to 15,000 words on a topic of your choosing based on discussions with a thesis supervisor.

• Core papers are designed to provide students with a foundation of core skills, methods, theories and concepts required for sophisticated study in the field.
• Option papers enable students to pursue specialist research skills and disciplinary expertise in greater depth. This includes Methods option papers that allow further methodological training, with papers focusing on the development and use of cutting edge research tools and techniques.
• The thesis provides you the opportunity to apply the methods and approaches you have covered in the other parts of the course and carry out a substantive piece of academic research including designing a study, carrying out data collection and analysis, and developing a theoretical framework.

During Trinity Term, you will attend weekly seminars where you will present and develop your thesis research and receive feedback from fellow students and academic staff.

The MSc in Social Science of the Internet is designed for

• Students intending to focus on Internet-related research in the further pursuit of a doctoral degree in information, communication, or any of the social sciences.
• Students wishing to gain the skills and knowledge needed for professional careers in leading technology companies, consulting firms, and the wide variety of businesses that increasingly need employees who understand technology and how people use it;
• Students wishing to pursue a career in Internet communications policy or regulation;
• Professionals working in Internet-related fields, and who wish to gain a broader understanding of the societal aspects of its design or use.

Learning outcomes

The course aims to equip you with essential theoretical tools and methodological skills. You are introduced to the empirical evidence necessary for an in-depth understanding of the role of the Internet in society, including the changing nature of governance and the theoretical, practical and ethical questions surrounding Internet use.

On completion of the course, students will have:

• Acquired skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methods including leading edge methods of particular relevance to online activity;
• Learned how to apply approaches from one or more of the social sciences to consideration of the Internet and related technologies and their societal implications;
• Gained empirical and theoretical knowledge and understanding of the major topics and concepts in Internet research as well as a general understanding of the technological and social shaping of the Internet.
• Gained wide-ranging critical knowledge and understanding of the scholarly literature, key topics and concepts in areas relating to the student’s particular research interests.
• Learned to think strategically about the Internet and its evolving technologies and their implications for policy and practice.
• Participated in, and learned from, the range of intellectual activities ongoing in the OII and the wider University.
• Achieved a high standard of written work through the preparation and presentation of essays and assessed coursework.

How to Apply

All applications must be made through the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions site.

• The full-time MSc programme has two deadlines, in November and January.
• The part-time MSc programme has three deadlines, in November, January and March.

Applications submitted for all deadlines are given equal consideration. Please ensure that you start the online application process as early as you can, to ensure plenty of time to complete your application. Only applications that are complete by the deadline (including letters of reference) can be considered by the admissions team.

For MSc applicants interested in continuing on to doctoral study, please note that a separate application form to the combined MSc + DPhil (1+3) admissions route is no longer required. To be considered for MSc + DPhil (1+3) funding, applicants should apply to the MSc in Social Science of the Internet only and submit an ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership application as part of their other application materials.

This MSc can form part of the Oxford 1+1 Programme, which enables students to combine their MSc with the Oxford MBA (Said Business School) in order to provide a two-year Oxford postgraduate experience that combines the depth of study of an MSc, with the managerial and leadership breadth of an MBA.

The Oxford Internet Institute is participating in the University of Oxford’s pilot on selection procedures, which aims to explore actions aimed at better contextualising admissions procedures for graduate students while minimising conscious and unconscious bias. For all our courses, the socio-economic data you provide in the application form will be used to contextualise the shortlisting and decision-making processes. For details about the pilot and the actions we are taking, please see the University’s page on the Pilot selection procedure.

Schedule

The MSc consists of four core papers, three option papers, and the thesis.

The MSc course runs from October to August. Oxford University terms are referred to as Michaelmas Term, Hilary Term, and Trinity Term  and normally last eight weeks. Please note that this information is provisional, and may be subject to change.

Full-time programme (1 year)*

The course content for the part-time degree is identical to that taken by full-time students but will be completed in two years rather than one year. Students will be expected to attend lectures, classes and tutorials in the department for one to two days a week during term-time, and to participate fully in the life of this friendly and dynamic department, both remotely and in person.

Part-time programme (2 years)*

Year 1

Year 2*

Fees & Funding

Fees

Details of fees, living expenses, and definitions of home and overseas students, together with information about potential sources of funding are available from the University’s Fees and Funding website.

Funding

There are a number of sources of funding for postgraduate students at Oxford. Details of all scholarships for which candidates may be eligible can be found on the University Fees and Funding Website. To be considered for any of these scholarships both full- and part-time applicants MUST apply by the January deadline. The scholarships are all highly competitive and are awarded on academic merit.

Clarendon Scholarships

Clarendon is one of the biggest of the University’s scholarship schemes, offering around 170 new scholarships each year to academically outstanding graduates. Clarendon scholarships are competitive, prestigious and highly sought-after. As well as providing for fees and living costs Clarendon aims to enhance the Oxford experience by offering students the chance to form lasting social, academic and professional networks. Students can apply by completing the funding sections of the graduate admissions form. As part of the admissions process, the Oxford Internet Institute Scholarship Committee will decide which applicants to nominate to the University for consideration. Further details of this scholarship can be found on the University’s Clarendon Scholarships page.

ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership

The Grand Union DTP ESRC studentship is for MSc applicants who wish to continue on to doctoral study at the OII,  or for applicants to the DPhil programme only.

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on social and economic issues. The University, in collaboration with Brunel University and the Open University, hosts the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership – one of fourteen Doctoral Training Partnerships accredited by the ESRC as part of a Doctoral Training Network.

The Oxford Internet Institute’s graduate degree programmes are a recognised doctoral training pathway in the partnership and our Digital Social Science pathway is provided through two routes, Masters-to-DPhil (known as 1+3) and DPhil-only (known as +3), and is available to students studying part-time as well as those studying full-time.

In order to be considered for 1+3 funding via the Grand Union DTP ESRC studentship, you must apply to an OII MSc programme and select ‘ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences’ in the University of Oxford scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form. You must also complete a Grand Union DTP Application Form and upload it, together with your graduate application form, to be considered for nomination for the studentship.

Information about ESRC studentships at Oxford can be found on the Grand Union DTP website. Please ensure you have read all of the guidance available on the website before completing the Grand Union DTP Application Form. Questions can be directed to the Grand Union DTP Office.

ESRC studentships are open to both Home (UK) and International candidates, read more about the eligibility criteria here.

Black Academic Futures 

The Black Academic Futures Scholarships offer up to 30 scholarships for UK Black and Mixed-Black students to pursue graduate study at Oxford. Applicants need to apply to an Oxford department by the January programme deadline to be considered for the scholarship and ensure they include the ethnicity information in their application. 

Rhodes and Marshall Scholars 

The OII welcomes a number of Rhodes and Marshall Scholars onto the MSc programme every year. Eligible students should apply for those scholarships before applying for a place on the MSc programme. 

Refugee Academic Futures 

The Refugee Academic Futures scheme offers financial support to pursue graduate study at Oxford to students who are refugees or other people with lived experience of displacement. Applicants need to apply to an Oxford department by the January programme deadline to be considered for the scholarship.

Care-Experienced Academic Futures

The Care-Experienced Academic Futures scholarships offer financial support to students who have experienced being in care in the UK to pursue graduate study at Oxford.

Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme 

The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme provides the opportunity to pursue fully-funded graduate studies at the University of Oxford, combined with a comprehensive programme of leadership development, long-term mentoring and networking.  

To be considered for this scholarship, you must select the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the University of Oxford Scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form and submit your application for graduate study by the January deadline for your course.   

OII Shirley Scholarship 

The OII awards a limited number of MSc Scholarships each academic year. These scholarships are open to students (from any country) and all applicants who are offered a place on our programme are automatically considered for an award. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. 

Recipients of an OII departmental scholarship will be designated as Shirley Scholars, and they will be supported by the Shirley Scholars Fund established in honour of OII founder donor Dame Stephanie Shirley.