Does the Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods cover statistics?

Yes — at a working level. The Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods covers descriptive statistics, basic inferential tests and survey design, with introductory work in SPSS or R. Students wanting deeper statistical training should follow up with a specialist statistics course.

What sort of field study do students produce?

Past Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods capstones have included a focus-group study on local NHS service uptake, a survey of charity volunteer retention, and a mixed-methods evaluation of a community programme. Your subject is your choice, agreed with your tutor and ethics-reviewed before fieldwork begins.

Is the Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods recognised by the SRA?

The Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods is aligned to the Social Research Association's Code of Practice — particularly the ethics, consent and reporting standards. It is recognised by employers as credible methodological training and supports application for SRA membership through the standard route.

What fees and instalment options are available?

Fees vary by mode and intake. LSJHML offers an instalment plan across the academic year and a small charity-sector employer discount. Contact admissions for the current schedule.

Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month UK qualification for community development workers, policy researchers and third-sector practitioners who need methodologically credible research training. The course is aligned to the Social Research Association's Code of Practice and the Community Development Foundation's standards for participatory work, and is built around mixed-methods practice with a capstone field study.

You will design and run a small primary-research project, complete an ethics review to SRA standards, work with both qualitative interview data and quantitative survey data, and write up your findings in a publication-ready report.

Key Features

Mixed-methods curriculum — qualitative interview work, focus groups, survey design, basic statistical analysis.
SRA Code-of-Practice-aligned ethics module — informed consent, vulnerable populations, data protection, GDPR for research.
Capstone field study — a small primary-research project on a question of your own, supervised by a named tutor.
Community-development practice module grounded in Community Development Foundation standards.
Industry-led seminars from working social researchers in local authorities, charities and research consultancies.
Direct top-up into the final year of a UK BA in social research or related discipline at LSJHML or a partner university.

What You Will Learn

The Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods is structured around the working practice of an applied social researcher — design, ethics, fieldwork, analysis, report. You finish able to design a credible research project, secure ethics approval, run fieldwork to professional standard, analyse mixed data and produce a publishable report.

Research design — research question formation, methodological justification, sampling strategy.
Qualitative methods — semi-structured interviewing, focus groups, ethnographic observation.
Quantitative methods — survey design, sampling, basic descriptive and inferential statistics.
Mixed-methods integration — triangulation, sequential and concurrent designs.
Ethics — SRA Code of Practice, informed consent, vulnerable populations, GDPR for research.
Analysis — thematic analysis for qualitative data, basic statistical tests, software at a working level.
Community-development methods — participatory research, asset-based approaches, co-production.
Reporting — research report structure, executive summary, policy brief, peer-review readiness.

Who This Course Is For

Community development officers and local-authority staff designing or commissioning research.
Charity programme managers needing methodologically credible evaluation capability.
Junior researchers in consultancies, think tanks or academic centres looking for a structured external credential.
Career-changers from teaching, social work or the civil service moving into applied research.

Career Pathways

The Advanced Diploma in Social Research Methods supports progression into senior applied-research and community-practice roles. Typical roles include:

Community Development Officer (local authority, NHS partnership, charity)
Social Researcher (research consultancy, government social research network)
Local Authority Officer (policy, performance, scrutiny)
Charity Programme Manager (evaluation, impact, design)
Public Engagement Lead (regulator, public body, university)
Insight Analyst (think tank, NGO, foundation)

Graduates progress to a UK BA in Social Research or Community Development through a top-up year, or to a Master's in Applied Social Research.

Entry Requirements

A UK Diploma (Level 4) or equivalent in a related subject, OR completion of secondary school plus one year of relevant work experience.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with three years of relevant work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.