The Master's Degree in Advanced Methods of Research and Innovation in Social Analysis (MIAS) aims to deepen the handling of the main methods and techniques for information gathering and data analysis in the field of Social Sciences. Today's society is dynamic, changing, and uncertain, a product of social, educational, demographic, economic, political, and health-related transformations, as well as major technological changes that are modifying patterns of social interaction, relationships, and behavior that were relatively stable until recently. Economic globalization, market integration, the information society, and the internet, among other factors, have brought about substantial changes in all areas of social reality, which significantly increases the need for specialized knowledge and analytical tools to understand, in all its complexity, the social, political, and economic reality that surrounds us. The progressive increase in scientific and methodological rigor in the social sciences, largely related to the spread of quantitative and qualitative techniques for analyzing social reality, facilitates and improves the results achieved in data production and its interpretation by these disciplines in these tasks. It is particularly worth noting that social analysis processes are occupying an essential space in public debate, in the shaping of policies that regulate our lives, and in decision-making, both in public organizations and private companies.
The Insights Analytics community, resulting from the integration of the two leading associations in the market research sector, AEDEMO and ANEIMO, highlights in its report "The Data Economy in 2020: New Challenges for the Research Sector" that the world of data is currently experiencing an unprecedented period of expansion. New information technologies have enabled the annotation, processing, and analysis of new types of information that were not traditionally used. This situation is leading to the emergence of new companies specialized in specific areas that, without identifying themselves with the word "research," use data to facilitate business and policy decision-making, whether these decisions are mediated by a person or, as we will see later, automated decisions. This report emphasizes that analytical capabilities have become an additional requirement for any role in a company and are increasingly part of the professional skillset in the social sciences field. Thus, it will become increasingly important to have the necessary competencies for collecting and analyzing data and interpreting it from a social perspective, in the same way that computer skills are currently required to work in any company. (https://ia-espana.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/La-Economia-de-los-Datos-2020-version-final.pdf)
In response and in direct relation to this context, the MIAS master's degree emerged in 2022: a technical and professionally oriented master's degree that aims to equip students with key tools and competencies to participate in the aforementioned flexibilization, specialization, and innovation demanded by the labor market and today's societal challenges. The contents of the degree are structured into a set of modules composed of subjects dedicated to the study of the foundations and applicability of social research (understood not only as academic research but as the interpretation of results from social information analysis), the main advances in the field of information gathering techniques, and the most recent innovations in data analysis.
Competencies
CP1. Assess the importance of existing methodological diversity for analyzing social, political, and economic reality, addressing different complex problems of contemporary societies through creative and novel solutions.
CP2. Ethically apply the information-gathering processes and protocols necessary to correctly and respectfully observe and analyze social, political, and economic reality, especially in contexts of high vulnerability or complexity.
CP3. Design and implement research projects in new or unfamiliar environments.
CP4. Develop the ability to apply acquired theoretical and methodological knowledge to professional practice in interdisciplinary settings.
CP5. Be able to work with data sources, methodologies, scientific research techniques, and advanced computing tools typical of the social sciences.
CP6. Develop the ability to thoroughly understand the theoretical and practical foundations of statistical methods, multivariate techniques, and software tools for advanced analysis.
CP7. Develop the ability to generate middle-range theories, and therefore potentially applicable/transferable to society, by interpreting the inputs generated by social analysis techniques.
CP8. Design and execute a research project based on the use of Big Data for scientific purposes, making original contributions to the field of study.
CP9. Obtain, manage, and analyze massive databases using the necessary computing tools and programming languages, especially advanced R language.
CP10. Individually prepare, present, and defend an original professional exercise in the field of research that makes a significant contribution to the state of the art in the study of a complex problem and/or to its practical resolution.
CP11. Gain experience in decision-making and teamwork in interdisciplinary professional contexts by applying the results of social research.
Knowledge
C1. Know in detail the main theoretical and practical advances in qualitative and quantitative research methods and techniques, and their critical, reflective, and contextual application – to understand, define, and explain highly complex and uncertain phenomena associated with current social, economic, and political challenges.
C2. Know in detail the theoretical and practical foundations of participatory action research and the advanced use of social research for intervention in the public and private spheres.
C3. Know in detail the theoretical and practical foundations of prospective techniques and their advanced use to produce well-founded conclusions regarding the future evolution of complex and highly uncertain social, economic, and political challenges.
C4. Know, compare, and creatively and innovatively combine the main research paradigms and designs (quantitative, qualitative, mixed, prospective, participatory), incorporating the main recent advances in each design.
C5. Identify the ethical requirements of social research in different multidisciplinary application scenarios, especially those of great complexity or involving highly vulnerable groups, and the existing tools to meet these requirements at the level demanded regionally, nationally, and internationally.
C6. Handle the theoretical and scientific foundations necessary to carry out quantitative and qualitative social research using advanced technological tools (R).
C7. Recognize the different options for presenting and visualizing research results and their methodological basis to clearly convey research findings to different audiences.
C8. Understand the modes and potential uses of mass data and data mining in the context of the social sciences.
C9. Understand how companies and institutions that carry out research and analysis of social, political, and economic reality operate.
C10. Acquire advanced knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of the challenges facing today's societies through research and social analysis processes.
Skills/Abilities
H1. Evaluate and select the appropriate methodological paradigm (quantitative, qualitative, mixed, prospective, participatory) to formulate judgments based on incomplete or limited information about phenomena associated with social, economic, and political challenges.
H2. Adopt appropriate measures to preserve the fundamental and advanced ethical principles of social research, as well as for the proper protection of collected data.
H3. Develop applied research for intervention purposes related to a complex societal challenge.
H4. Convey the results of basic and applied research, as well as the most relevant foundations on which they are based, clearly and unambiguously, considering the diversity of contexts, audiences, and needs, using different presentation and visualization options.
H5. Carry out qualitative and quantitative research in R.
H6. Develop the ability to plan research, correctly choosing the phases and procedures that guarantee maximum rigor and that are appropriate for different contexts within the public or private sphere.
H7. Acquire the ability to continue deepening research and analysis methods in a manner that will be largely self-directed and autonomous.
H8. Develop sufficient ability and autonomy to work in interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams, and to offer proposals that contribute to environmental, economic, political, and social sustainable development.
H9. Develop an advanced ability to evaluate the quality and results of research processes.
Social Data Production and Analysis
The MIAS Master's degree prepares graduates for a wide range of
professional roles that require advanced skills in social research, data
analysis, and evidence-based decision-making. Graduates are equipped to
work in private companies, where they can lead the analysis of social,
economic, and market realities to support strategic decisions, as well
as in social and market research and consulting firms, applying both
qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including Big Data and
advanced R programming. The program also opens doors to the public
sector, enabling professionals to engage in policy guidance and
development at regional, national, and international levels within
public administrations. Additionally, graduates are well-prepared for
roles in non-profit organizations, focusing on program evaluation,
social impact assessment, and intervention design, as well as for
academic research in universities and research centers, including access
to doctoral programs.
The technical and professional orientation
of this master's degree ensures that graduates are not only skilled in
designing and executing rigorous research projects but also in
interpreting and visualizing complex data for diverse audiences. With
the growing demand for analytical capabilities across all sectors MIAS
graduates are positioned to fill emerging roles that blend social
science expertise with cutting-edge data analysis tools. Whether in SMEs
or large corporations, in automated or human-mediated decision-making
environments, or in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams, this
degree provides the competencies needed to address today's most complex
social, political, and economic challenges while contributing to
sustainable development and ethical research practices.
The Master's Degree in Advanced Research and Innovation Methods in Social Analysis (MIAS) at the University of A Coruña, offered in both face-to-face and distance learning modes, consists of 60 credits distributed across 7 compulsory subjects (each between 4.5 and 6 credits), 4 elective subjects (each 4.5 credits), plus compulsory External Internships and a Master's Final Project. These subjects are organised into four modules focused on the fundamentals of social research, research techniques, and analysis methods. The training received in these modules is complemented by a regulated placement in a company, non-governmental organisation, public body, research centre or group, or an administrative, economic, or professional institution. Completion of the master's degree culminates in the preparation of an original research project (Master's Final Project), in which a problem is defined and the key methodological considerations characterising the work are highlighted.
The masters are organized by modules. Click on a module for more information.
| Guide | Type | QTR. | credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive and Inferential Statistical Analysis | Elective | First Quadmester | 4.500000000 ECTS | |
| Process and Design in Social Research | Compulsory | First Quadmester | 4.500000000 ECTS | |
| Foundations of Social Research using R | Compulsory | First Quadmester | 4.500000000 ECTS | |
| Qualitative, Prospective and Participatory Research Techniques | Compulsory | First Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS | |
| Quantitative and Mixed Methods Research Techniques | Compulsory | First Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS | |
| Innovations in Qualitative Data Analysis | Compulsory | First Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS | |
| Advanced Statistical Analysis | Compulsory | Second Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS | |
| Big Data for the Social Sciences | Compulsory | Second Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS | |
| Seminars of Applied Research I: Gender, Population and Migrations | Elective | Second Quadmester | 4.500000000 ECTS | |
| Seminars of Applied Research II: Tourism, Urbanism and Environment | Elective | Second Quadmester | 4.500000000 ECTS | |
| Seminars of Applied Research III: Economy, Technology, Risk and Socio-Cultural Changes | Elective | Second Quadmester | 4.500000000 ECTS | |
| Work Placement | Work Placement | Second Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS | |
| Master`s Dissertation | Master's Dissertation | Second Quadmester | 6.0 ECTS |
The study is taught by the following teachers:
The masters are organized by modules. Click on a module for more information.
UDC holds student mobility agreements with universities and other third-level institutions across four continents. Students are offered several opportunities each year to apply to study abroad in one of these centres (for a single term or for a whole year), with the guarantee that all credits obtained will be duly recognised in their academic record upon their return.
For each round of applications, the University publishes the list of exchange options available to students and, where relevant, the specific conditions associated with each. Students may also apply to the University for funding for international work experience placements and internships.
Work experience placements are accredited in the student's academic record and the European diploma supplement. Students are free to decide in which host company or academic institution within the EHEA they wish to carry out their placement. To assist them in their search, the University has created an online noticeboard with jobs postings and other news.
Work-study placements in A Coruña are arranged by the International Relations Office (ORI) of the UDC in collaboration with the international relations coordinators in the student’s home university. The general entry criteria, rights and obligations of students, and admission and acceptance procedures for the programme, are regulated by the UDC Mobility Policy.