Master of Science by Coursework in Social Science of the Internet (Part-time)

2. Candidates must follow for six terms a course of instruction in Social Science of the Internet.

3. The examination will be in eight parts, normally split over two years as follows:

• (i) First year:

  • Part 1: Compulsory core methods paper in ‘Digital Social Research Methods: Methods Core’ assessed by written coursework. 

  • Part 3: Compulsory core paper in  'Internet and Society’, assessed by examination. 

    Part 5: One methods option paper, to be chosen from a list to be published on the Oxford Internet Institute website annually by the first Monday of Michaelmas Term or another paper agreed by the Director of Graduate Studies.  Not all methods options may be available every year. The methods option papers will be assessed by arrangements which are specified in the reading lists for each module. 

    Part 6: One substantive option paper, to be chosen from a list to be published on the Oxford Internet Institute website annually by the first Monday of Michaelmas Term or another paper agreed by the Director of Graduate Studies. Not all substantive options may be available every year. The substantive option papers will be assessed by arrangements which are specified in the reading lists for each paper. 

• In addition, students will be required to write a thesis proposal during Trinity Term of the first year, to be submitted to their supervisor by Friday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term of their second year. Students will receive written formative feedback on this proposal from their supervisor.

  (ii) Second year:

  • Part 2: Compulsory core paper in ‘Digital Social Research Methods: Statistics Core’ assessed by examinations. With the agreement of the Director of Graduate Studies, the ‘Applied Analytical Statistics course (assessed by written coursework) may be taken in lieu of this paper. 
    

  • Part 4: Compulsory core paper in ‘Internet Technologies and Regulation’, assessed by examination.
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  • Parts 7: One further option paper, to be chosen from the list of methods and substantive option papers to be published on the Oxford Internet Institute website annually by the first Monday of Michaelmas Term or another paper agreed by the Director of Graduate Studies. Not all options may be available every year. The option papers will be assessed by arrangements which are specified in the reading lists for each paper. 
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  • Part 8: A thesis not to exceed 15,000 words on a topic within the subject of the course, to be specified jointly by supervisor and student, and approved by the Chair of the Board of Examiners. The thesis must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by noon of the weekday on or nearest to the 1st of August of the year in which the degree is to be taken.

4. Under exceptional circumstances, with permission from the Director of Graduate Studies, students may elect to delay until the second year an examination that would normally take place during the first year, or may elect to sit during the first year an examination that would normally take place during the second year (provided the student is able to meet all prerequisites for the paper). No changes to the normal examination sequence will be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies that would result in more than 70% of the non-thesis marks being examined in a single year.

5. All written assignments must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by the times and dates specified at the start of the course. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work.

6. The examiners may examine any candidate viva voce.