A new masters degree for those interested in a professional career in survey research has just been launched. The MSc Survey Methods for Social Research is the only degree of its kind and is being taught jointly by experts from the university's Institute for Social and Economic Research and the Department of Sociology.

Offered on a full-time, part-time or modular basis, it’s expected to attract interest not just from recent graduates, but also from survey practitioners already in the workplace.

Nick Allum, who’s coordinating the programme, said: “This new Masters degree represents a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is serious about a career in survey research methodology to work with the very best in this field and to get hands on experience working with Understanding Society the most exciting and innovative social research project around.”

Gerry Nicolaas, Deputy Director of the Survey Methods Unit  at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) added: "It is widely recognised that there is a mismatch between the knowledge and skills needed by survey organisations and those currently offered by university graduates. This unique program should be able to address this mismatch and provide survey organisations with a workforce trained in survey data collection, questionnaire design and applied sampling. The combination of hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge of survey methodology will be of particular value to organisations such as NatCen."