Welcome to our Open Days

Welcome from the Director of Graduate Studies

We are an innovative department and have deliberately sought to create a teaching environment that is welcoming, supportive and stimulating for all our students. The Oxford Internet Institute is the only major department in a top-ranked international university to offer multi-disciplinary social science degree programmes focusing on the Internet, attracting top students drawn from a variety of different disciplines. Studying at the Oxford Internet Institute is a unique experience where you can benefit from the many disciplines represented and leave equipped for careers in exciting and dynamic sectors such as technology industries, journalism, finance, law and academia.
Professor Greg Taylor, Director of Graduate Studies

Studying at the Oxford Internet Institute

Professor Greg Taylor provides an overview of the Oxford Internet Institute a multidisciplinary research and teaching department of the University of Oxford, dedicated to the social science of the Internet, as well introducing our degree programmes.

This includes our MSc in Social Science of the Internet, MSc in Social Data Science, DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences and DPhil in Social Data Science (starting in 2019).

Our Degree programmes

MSc in Social Science of the Internet

The MSc in Social Science of the Internet provides an in-depth understanding of the social science concepts, theories and methods required to undertake and assess rigorous empirical research or policy analysis of Internet-related issues.

In addition to core papers in Internet social dynamics, technologies and regulation, statistics and research methods, students choose from a variety of specialist options papers such as Internet law, economics, governance and politics, social networks, or more advanced study of Internet methods. In their third term, students undertake original research in their own area of interest.

Full-time (1 year) or Part-time (2 years).

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MSc in Social Science of the Internet

The MSc in Social Science of the Internet provides an in-depth understanding of the social science concepts, theories and methods required to undertake and assess rigorous empirical research or policy analysis of Internet-related issues.

In addition to core papers in Internet social dynamics, technologies and regulation, statistics and research methods, students choose from a variety of specialist options papers such as Internet law, economics, governance and politics, social networks, or more advanced study of Internet methods. In their third term, students undertake original research in their own area of interest.

Full-time (1 year) or Part-time (2 years).

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MSc in Social Data Science

The MSc in Social Data Science provides in-depth training in how to create viable datasets out of messy, real world data; and to develop the tools and techniques to analyse them to tell us something about the world, through explanation, prediction and testing of interventions.

In addition to foundational papers in Social Data Science, Applied Analytical Statistics, Research Methods, Visualization, students take a set of Intensive papers that introduce the programming skills for data capture and cleaning, teach statistical and machine learning fundamentals, and cover techniques for scaling analysis to large datasets.

Social Data Science students can select two option papers which enable students to pursue issues of particular interest in greater depth, whilst developing their specialist skills.

Full-time degree (1 Year)

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DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences

The DPhil in Information, Communication and the Social Sciences combines high-quality supervision from field-leading academics with tailored training in research methods and graduate skills focusing on a broad range of qualitative and quantitative approaches to understanding the Internet.

The multi-disciplinary research environment means that our doctoral students can pursue research either within a single discipline or draw from methods and theories across a range of subjects. Our vigorous events programme ensures that students are exposed to some of the most exciting people and developments in the Internet field, and we make a big effort to get to know our students individually and to support the growth of strong peer-group networks.

Full time (3-4 Years) or Part-time (6-8 Years)

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DPhil in Social Data Science

The DPhil in Social Data Science combines high-quality supervision from field-leading academics with training emphasizing research applications of digitally-generated social data.

The OII is partnering with multiple departments to jointly offer this degree, including engineering science, statistics, sociology, computer science, and other departments across the University of Oxford. This will allow students to draw on Oxford’s wide range of disciplinary expertise in their classes and from their supervisors.

Sample courses

Our faculty have expertise spanning a wide range of social, economic, political, legal, industrial, technical and ethical issues relating to the Internet. A sample of some of the courses is shown here. You can find a full list of courses on the programme pages.

The Philosophy and Ethics of Information

This option course for the OII MSc in "Social Science of the Internet" examines the philosophy and ethics of Information, its problems, approaches, and methods.

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