MA Politics with Quantitative Methods
About this course
Politics with quantitative methods at Edinburgh is a degree that takes seriously both the substance of political science and the methodological demands of rigorous empirical research. Political science is concerned with understanding power, institutions, and political behaviour, asking how governments are formed and how they govern, why people vote the way they do, how international organisations work, and what drives political change. Quantitative methods add a particularly valuable dimension to this inquiry: the ability to analyse large datasets, test hypotheses rigorously, and draw conclusions about political phenomena with statistical confidence is increasingly central to professional political research and policy analysis. At the University of Edinburgh, you will study over four years of full-time study, with a year abroad included in the programme. The politics curriculum covers political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and public policy, developing both your substantive knowledge of political systems and your capacity for critical analysis. The quantitative methods strand introduces you to statistical analysis, data management, and the use of software for empirical political research, and develops the ability to read and evaluate quantitative research critically as well as to conduct it. The year abroad broadens your political and methodological horizons, giving you exposure to different academic traditions and political contexts. Edinburgh's politics department is one of the leading research environments in the UK, and the programme benefits from engagement with scholars working at the frontier of empirical political science. Graduates who combine politics with quantitative methods have a particularly strong profile in a competitive graduate labour market. The ability to work rigorously with data alongside deep knowledge of political institutions and processes is valued in political research, policy analysis, public sector data roles, think tanks, international organisations, and the growing field of political data science. The civil service, government communications, political parties, and advocacy organisations are further destinations. Academic research in political science, public policy, or political sociology is a natural route for those who want to pursue empirical political research professionally. The degree also provides a strong foundation for careers in finance, economics, and commercial analytics, where quantitative skills combined with contextual knowledge are valued.
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