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Australian National University (ANU)

  • 36% international / 64% domestic

Master of Social Research (Advanced)

  • Masters (Coursework)

In a world increasingly reliant on data (big and small), a Master of Social Research (Advanced) from the ANU will give you the skills and experience to understand a changing Australian and global society, as well as the political, demographic and economic forces that shape and drive these changes.

Key details

Degree Type
Masters (Coursework)
Course Code
VSRES, 082352G
Study Mode
In person
Domestic Fees
$28,224 per year / $28,224 total
International Fees
$43,344 per year / $43,344 total

About this course

In a world increasingly reliant on data (big and small), a Master of Social Research (Advanced) from the ANU will give you the skills and experience to understand a changing Australian and global society, as well as the political, demographic and economic forces that shape and drive these changes. A Master of Social Research (Advanced) from the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods will equip you with the practical skills to conduct, commission and evaluate research in the social sciences, and give you the opportunity to extend your skills in advanced research methods, and/or apply your skills to real-world policy and societal issues.The program’s expert teaching staff are active researchers who can draw upon their wealth of local and international experience, as well as their connections with government and industry.Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.A Master of Social Research (Advanced) will open up a range of career options within government, research organisations and in the private sector. The solid grounding in research methods at the heart of the program will also leave you well placed to pursue a research career within academia.

Entry requirements

Admission requirements

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6.0/7.0 and the approval of an identified supervisor for the thesis.

Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis in a specified semester one calendar year in advance of the start date of that semester. Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one calendar year in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Social Research.

Cognate disciplines

Anthropology, Criminology, Development Studies, Economics, Geography, Marketing, Media and Communication, Political Science, Psychology, Social Policy, Sociology

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. 

Academic achievement & English language proficiency

The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6.0/7.0. 

However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. 

If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: 

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or

• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency. 

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Diversity factors

As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

 Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Applications for course credit

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 24 units (one semester) of credit.

Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 48 units (one year) of credit.

Students will not be able to receive credit for the introductory methods courses unless equivalent knowledge can be demonstrated through equivalent courses.

Indicative fees Domestic International Annual indicative fee for domestic students $28,224.00

For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees

Annual indicative fee for international students $43,344.00 Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Study locations

Canberra