POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN RESEARCH METHODS
COURSE OVERVIEW
18,146,400 UZS
per course
25,290,000 UZS
per course
1 year - full time
Classes start at 6:30 PM
Course description
The Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences course is aimed at building a viable platform for individuals and industry professionals who wish to gain professional experience in academic research and prepare well for a PhD in terms of research methods. The Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences Course will help to build the research skills of all applicants who wish to obtain and improve their research competencies in social sciences. This includes fundamentals of social science research designs including a review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods; understanding the whole “research cycle” starting from the research idea generation, design of methodology and instrument, analysis, and publishing results; main approaches and software used for quantitative and qualitative data analysis; the review of types of research outputs, the panorama of academic journals and publication cycle. Given the versatile nature of social sciences, students will have excellent opportunities to learn how to conduct real-life research projects, including in their professional areas as well as in interdisciplinary settings.
Based on the unique and balanced structure of the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences course, the learning process will be a life-changing experience for students. It will nourish participants’ engagement in action-based research and promote learner autonomy and life-long learning. It will strengthen the capacity of students to produce high-quality research, teaching, and scholarship activity both nationally and internationally. The course will contribute to fostering the development of professional attitudes toward academic research, understanding industry standards, and mastering important skills for communicating and advocating research findings. The course vision is based on building a favourable research atmosphere, a passion for academic research, and publications, and an enjoyable professional journey. Specific aims of the course include the following:
Equip students with the necessary skills to undertake sustainable, independent, and innovative research, so that students can demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of current approaches in academic research;
Prepare students for the effective and responsible conduct of research in social science areas and practices, enabling them to critically analyse existing problems using data in order to develop research-based solutions and prioritise actions for key stakeholders;
Create a demanding and enabling academic environment within which to examine research best practices and research methodologies based on international standards;
Prepare and equip students for future careers that require graduates with a high level of analytical and communication skills, and the ability to pursue complex tasks in an independent, self-disciplined, and flexible manner
Provide support and enhancement of professional skills with a strong focus on technology-enhanced research, use of software and tools for research, and application of complex and specialised knowledge in social science areas.
How you will study
Learning and teaching process at the PG Course is seen as a partnership between a student, peers, and the course teaching team. It is a mix of timetabled activities, student’s independent study and the applications of research methods into real life. The course design aims to progress the knowledge simultaneously on three pillars: training on hard skills for research, developing soft and transferable skills, and mastering obtained knowledge by immediate application in practice. Students will go beyond the steps of producing high-quality research and cover the publication cycle. Applied research and publications experience at the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences course will ensure that graduates master practical skills of conducting research. The unique feature of the WIUT PG Certificate in Research Methods constitutes broad applications of research methods into industry and market related research. The research is acquired the best through practices; therefore, students’ learning process will consist of the following methods:
- Scheduled lectures, seminars, and workshops;
- Case studies that are used to provide context for and to demonstrate the application of theory;
- Practical classes, invited guest lecturers from leading research industries;
- Research project-based learning;
- Flipped classes, kinesthetic approach designed for deep comprehension of abstract concepts;
- Research Methods Clinic;
- Research site visits to leading research centres;
Course structure
The course consists of three core modules, 20 credits each. The course structure is validated by the University of Westminster (UK) every five years, and it may change by adapting to feedback received from a variety of sources.
- Fundamentals of Social Science Research Methods ;
- Statistics and Data Analysis ;
- Developing Research and Academic Writing;
What are further prospects?
Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences, graduates may continue with MSc in Research Methods for Social Sciences at WIUT, which has 180 credits course structure. Given that the course structure of Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences is based on MSc in Research Methods for Social Sciences one, students continuing with MSc in Research Methods for Social Sciences will be taking the remaining modules worth 120 credits. The details MSc in Research Methods for Social Sciences course at WIUT can be found at: https://www.wiut.uz/research-methods
WHY STUDY THIS COURSE?
Enhance your qualifications in research methods for social sciences
The course will equip you with essential package of “all what you need to know about research”; fundamentals differences in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should normally hold an Undergraduate degree (or equivalent) from a recognized higher education institution with a minimum of a second lower class honors (2:2 or equivalent).
Applicants must have:
Had their first or second degree (or equivalent) taught and assessed in English; or
IELTS with an overall score of at least 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing or another English Language Test recognised by the University of Westminster; or
The required pass level on the WIUT Pre-sessional Academic English Course for PG studies: cad.wiut.uz
We accept the TOEFL (IBT (In person test) for entry to our programmes. We also accept TOEFL ‘My Best Scores’ where it relates to TOEFL iBT test results.
Please note that the TOEFL Home Edition (Online test) is not accepted for entry to WIUT degree programmes.
TOEFL should be 88 overall with a minimum of 21 in Writing
COURSE LEADER
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nargiza Alimukhamedova, Ph.D.
Nargiza received her Ph.D. in Economics from CERGE-EI, Charles University in Prague, in 2014. She is currently Associate Professor at the Westminster International University in Tashkent. Her main research areas include microfinance, applied econometrics, program evaluation, development economics, and environmental economics. Nargiza specializes in the impact evaluation of development programs and the design of new research methods including behavioral and experimental methods.
Nargiza was ranked in the top 10% of researchers in Economics by RePEc, in 2021. She was awarded “The Woman of the Year 2023” (“Yil Ayoli” ) award in the Tashkent city round of the national competition in the nomination “The best idea of the year”.
