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Optional pathways for MSc in Quantitative Methods for Science, Social Science and Medicine

The programme in 2011-12 will offer optional pathways in

Scientific Research Methods

Whilst all of our modules address different methodological issues in scientific research, this pathway provides an overview of statistical methods, encourages statistical thinking and highlights the basic concepts and statistical issues that researchers need to be aware of when designing a research project. The two modules offered on this pathway include time for discussion of participants own research interests to facilitate a wider appreciation of research carried out in different subject areas within the scientific community. Examples from the literature and media are also discussed.

Crime and Social Statistics

Criminology is an important area of social science and a much debated topic in the media and forensic science has been popularized through current TV shows such as CSI Miami and NCIS. Two of the modules on this pathway are designed to give students firstly, an insight into the collection and study of crime statistics, for example through large Government surveys carried out by the Home Office, and secondly, an awareness into how to quantify and evaluate forensic information that may be useful to the police in criminal investigations or used as evidence in a court of law. The third module shows how to handle social data that is collected over time with repeated observations on individuals.

Statistical Methods for Health Research

Studying health from a social perspective provides insights not only into the distribution and determinants of disease in the population and the relationships to known demographic and socio-economic risk factors, but also implications for policy and practice. Two modules making up this pathway provide an overview of the most popular methods used in health research and the associated statistical design issues when carrying out epidemiological observational studies and clinical trials. Clinical trials in this respect may include not only drug interventions but also any intervention that may improve disease outcome such as diet and exercise, cognitive behaviour therapy or care in the community.

Teaching Statistics

There are many lecturers and teachers who may find themselves teaching statistical courses, either within a higher education setting or in schools, without the background knowledge and experience that they would like. The purpose of this course is to enable such educators to gain the necessary knowledge to deliver statistics material with confidence and to gain insights into different ways of enhancing their teaching. The course will illustrate the usefulness of statistics in solving problems across a broad range of subjects. By the end of the course students will have produced a portfolio of work including teaching plans that can be applied in practice. This course may be taken as a pathway on the MSc in Quantitative Methods, which gives experience of a range of statistical analyses and a wider perspective of the application of statistics in practice, or as a standalone PgCert focusing specifically on teaching statistical methods as part of a syllabus. In both cases the course is best suited to part-time study and is by distance-learning.

The course is run in collaboration with the Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education based at the University of Plymouth. Four away days will be held during the duration of the course, which will most likely take place in Lancaster or London.

by Gillian Lancaster — last modified 2011-01-17 16:30