Methodology Institute

Normally, you should have an upper second class honours degree from a UK university or its equivalent abroad and an MSc at merit level that provides a training broadly similar to our MSc Social Research Methods. Gaps in training in methodology can be addressed in the first year of registration.

It is expected that a PhD in the Methodology Institute will be completed in three years of full-time study, with appropriate adjustment made for part time study. Two supervisors are normally assigned to each research student at the time an offer of admission is made. One of these supervisors may be from outside the Methodology Institute.

In the first year, you will spend over half your time taking a range of methods and specialist courses. These are selected in discussion with your supervisor, dependent on your needs. You will take some of the courses taught by the Methodology Institute, which are currently:

Mi451 Quantitative Analysis 1: Description and inference
Mi452 Quantitative Analysis 2: The generalized linear model
Mi455 Quantitative Analysis 3: Applied multivariate analysis
Mi456 Special Topics in Quantitative Analysis
Mi453 Fundamentals of research design
Mi454 Qualitative social research: interview, text and image

A typical selection would be to take Mi452, Mi455, Mi453 and Mi454 in the first year, but you may be excused some or all of them if you have previously taken graduate-level courses covering the same material. You are expected to be familiar with introductory statistics up to the level covered on Mi451. If you use quantitative methods in your research, you are also encouraged to take Mi456 in your first or second year.

The courses you take may also include ones from other institutes or departments at LSE, dependent on your needs.

In the Summer Term of your first year, you will produce a 10,000 word research proposal, outlining the theoretical and conceptual background, the aims and methods of your thesis. You will also give a short oral presentation of your proposal. The proposal will be assessed by the supervisor and two other academics, normally members of MI staff. It has to reach an acceptable standard to enable you to progress to the second year.

During your second year of registration you will submit three draft chapters of your thesis and a detailed plan for its completion for evaluation by a PhD upgrading committee, who will recommend transferral to PhD registration if your work is judged to be of sufficient quality and quantity.

After the first year you will spend more time on independent study under the guidance of your supervisor. This will involve the collection, organization and analysis of data, and writing up the results. You will attend the Institute's research seminar and other specialist workshops and seminars related to your interests. You will be expected to make an active contribution to these by presenting papers and joining in the general discussion periods.

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