MSc in Social Science of the Internet
About the course
The MSc in Social Science of the Internet provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to question and understand the multi-faceted ways in which the internet and emerging digital technologies are influencing and affecting our lives, societies, businesses, and governments.
Learning from the Oxford Internet Institute’s world-leading multi-disciplinary faculty, students of the MSc course will leave with new knowledge on important social science concepts and theories, research methods, technological fundamentals, and how to conduct and communicate high-quality research.
The OII's busy calendar of seminars and events showcases many of the most noteworthy people in internet research, innovation and policy, allowing you to engage with the cutting edge of scholarship and debates around digital culture, internet technologies and AI.
Core Courses
You will take the following core courses.
Internet and Society
An overview of the major findings to date regarding the social implications of the Internet, drawing material from several social science disciplines, including communication studies, sociology, and political science.
Part-time students take this course in their first year of study.
Internet Technologies and Regulation
Exploring the interplay between social and technological shaping of the Internet, and associated policy implications. It outlines the Internet's origins and technical architecture and its embeddedness in a long history of communication technologies.
Part-time students take this course in their second year of study.
Digital Social Research: Methods Core
This course provides students with the opportunity to engage with the methodological, ethical and philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative social science research practices.
Part-time students take this course in their first year of study.
Digital Social Research: Statistics Core
This course introduces students to statistics for the social sciences, with an emphasis on application to research on the Internet and society.
Part-time students take this course in their second year of study.
Thesis Seminar
During the third term, you will attend weekly seminars where you will present and develop your thesis research and receive feedback from fellow students and academic staff.
Part-time students present their research in their second year of study.
Option subjects
You will take three option modules during the second term of the year; one substantive option course, one methods option course, and one further option course from either category.
If you are studying part-time, you will generally take two options in the second term of your first year and one further option in the second term of your second year.
Recent option modules have included:
Substantive Options
- Cultural Analytics
- Digital Capitalism and Its Inequalities
- Digital Era Government and Politics
- Education, the Internet and Society (run in the Department of Education)
- Internet Economics
- Political Economy of Digital Markets
- Law and the Internet
- Subversive Technologies
Methods Options
- Advanced Statistics for Internet Research
- Computational Methods for the Social Sciences
- Digital Interviewing and Qualitative Data Analysis
- Digital Ethnography
Please note that not all Substantive or Methods options run every year.
Attendance
The course can be studied full-time or part-time with both modes requiring attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements. Part-time students are required to attend course-related activities in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year.
The full-time course is studied over 10 months. The part-time course has the same requirements, but is studied over 22 months.
The degree and expectations for both modes of study are equally rigorous: if you study part-time, you will take your classes with your fellow full-time students, but spread over two years to accommodate work and personal circumstances. Whether you choose to apply for the part-time or full-time course, you will be part of a close-knit cohort of students from diverse backgrounds.
If studying full-time, you will be expected to spend around 40 hours studying each week during term and you will also be expected to complete assignments and undertake further study during vacations. During the first (Michaelmas) and second (Hilary) terms, you will be advised to allocate between 10 and 15 hours each week for each course you undertake.
This includes:
- At least six hours per week on reading, preparation and formative assignments for each core/option course
- 10 to 12 hours per week in classes (typically one and a half to two hours of lectures per course, plus a one-hour seminar or workshop on certain core and methods-based courses)
If studying part-time, you will be expected to commit to a proportional workload. The course content for the part-time degree is identical to that taken by full-time students but will be completed in two years rather than one year. You will be expected to attend lectures, seminars and workshops in the department for one to two days a week during term-time, and to participate fully in the life of this friendly and dynamic department.
Employment
Whilst many graduate students do undertake employment to support their studies, please remember that for students on the full-time arrangement of the OII's MSc course, it is not recommended that students take on even part-time employment during term-time.
Within these limitations, some of the OII's existing MSc students have been employed on a short-term basis as research assistants on grant-funded projects, but only with the agreement of their supervisor and the MSc course director.
Part-time students will often have jobs outside their studies at Oxford; part-time graduate students should ensure that any paid work does not interfere with the commitment of time required for their course, and that they have spoken with their employer to ensure that any study leave requirements may be accommodated.
For full information on employment whilst on course, please see the University's paid work guidelines for Oxford graduate students.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.
Our MSc students are provided with hot-desk working space in the department. You will have access to OII’s dedicated computing facilities and IT support, which includes collaborative software, server space, and computing resources, as well as access to ARC, Oxford’s high-performance computing cluster.
The OII library specialises in social sciences, technology and computing, including the texts required for the degree. Additionally, the Social Sciences Library provides valuable additional resources which many students choose to take advantage of.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Oxford Internet Institute and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Oxford Internet Institute.
MSc students can expect to meet with their supervisor 8-10 times over the course of the degree. Students are assigned a general supervisor in their first term who will be the point of contact for keeping an eye on their academic progress. In the second term (Hilary term), students are reassigned to a thesis supervisor in order to ensure that student needs and skills are properly matched. Thesis supervisors are responsible for giving written feedback on at least one complete draft of the student’s thesis prior to submission as well as additional advice on research design, data access, and analysis methods.
Assessment
Assessments will consist of written examination and/or coursework, followed by the submission of a dissertation.
In addition to the options you take, you will write a thesis. The thesis is the capstone to the MSc experience. It provides students with the opportunity to apply the methods and approaches they have covered in the other parts of the course and carry out a substantive piece of academic research, including designing a study, carrying out data collection and analysis, and developing a theoretical framework.
Part-time students will write their dissertations in the third term of their second year, but will be encouraged to start planning their dissertation from their first year.
Graduate destinations
Employers recognise the value of a degree from the University of Oxford. OII MSc graduates have secured excellent positions in industry, government, NGOs, or have gone on to pursue doctoral studies at top universities. For example, non- academic destinations of recent graduates have included large Internet companies such as Google or Meta; dynamic technology start-up firms like Academia.edu, Spotify, TikTok and Bumble; consultancy and other professional service functions; and positions with regulators or government agencies globally. MSc alumni have progressed to doctoral study at institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, Princeton, Sciences Po, and LSE.
The OII Alumni Page features interviews from both MSc and DPhil alumni about their time at the OII and career paths after Oxford.
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
We know that factors such as socio-economic circumstances and school performance can make it difficult for students to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class undergraduate degree with honours in any subject.
In exceptional circumstances, applicants with a distinguished record of workplace experience or other relevant achievements may be accepted with lower grades at undergraduate level. It is nevertheless strongly encouraged that any applicants from industry should include at least one reference from an academic or someone in an academic-related field.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.7 out of 4.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
Academic research related to the internet or experience working in internet-related businesses is not required, but may be an advantage.
MSc applicants are not expected to have published academic work previously, although publication may help the assessors judge your writing ability and thus could help your application.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced* | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency† | 191 | 185 |
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Applicants for the MSc in Social Science of the Internet are not typically interviewed, except in exceptional circumstances where the admissions team need additional context from the applicant. If an interview is required, it is normally held three to six weeks after the application deadline. There is usually only one interview held, which lasts up to 30 minutes and can be held via video conferencing software. You will typically be asked to speak about research interests, reasons for applying, future career plans, and why you think this degree course is the best way to continue your studies. It is more akin to a conversation than a test.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Evidence of ability to study for employed part-time applicants
If you are applying for part-time study and are currently employed, you may be asked to provide evidence that your employment will not affect your ability to study and that you can commit sufficient time to fulfil all elements outlined in the course description. You may be asked to provide details about your pattern of employment and provide evidence to show how you will fulfil your commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Oxford Internet Institute
The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) is a dynamic and innovative department for research and teaching relating to the internet, located in a world-leading traditional research university. The multidisciplinary OII offers the opportunity to study academic, practical and policy-related issues that can only be understood by drawing on contributions from many different fields.
The OII is the only major department in a top-ranked international university to offer multidisciplinary courses in the social sciences dedicated to understanding the impact of the internet, data, and information technologies on society. The department offers masters and doctoral level education across several degrees focused on social data science or the social science of the internet and technology.
The department prides itself on providing a stimulating and supportive environment in which all students can flourish regardless of gender identity, sexuality, physical mobility, ethnicity, or racial background.
Digital connections are now embedded in almost every aspect of our daily lives, and research on individual and collective behaviour online is crucial to understanding our social, economic and political world. As a fully multi-disciplinary department, the OII offers students the opportunity to study academic, practical and policy-related issues and pursue cutting-edge research into the societal implications of the internet and digital technologies.
The academic faculty and graduate students are drawn from many different disciplines: the OII believes this combined approach is essential to tackle society’s big questions and to positively shape the development of our digital world for the public good.
Funding
For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.
If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the institute's website.
Costs
Annual fees for entry in 2025-26
Full-time study
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £27,600 |
| Overseas | £36,250 |
Part-time study
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £13,800 |
| Overseas | £18,125 |
Information about course fees
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.
Additional information
Full-time study
There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, as part of your course requirements, you may need to choose a dissertation, a project or a thesis topic. Please note that, depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Part-time study
Please note that this course requires that you attend in Oxford for teaching, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Further, as part of your course requirements, you may need to choose a dissertation, a project or a thesis topic. Depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Living costs for part-time study
Your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you will still need to cover your cost of living on a full-time basis for the duration of your course, even if you will not be based in Oxford throughout your studies. While the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student living in Oxford is between £1,425 and £2,035 per month, living costs outside Oxford may be different.
Part-time students who are not based in Oxford will need to calculate travel and accommodation costs carefully. Depending on your circumstances and study plans, this may include the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge (assuming that student visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs, which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
Full-time study
The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:
Part-time study
The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
Improving access to graduate study
This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.
Socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Referees:
Three overall, academic and/or professional
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Your references will support intellectual ability, aptitude and outstanding academic achievement.
Professional references are acceptable, particularly if you have been out of education for some time, but should focus particularly on your intellectual abilities rather than more narrowly on job performance.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Personal statement:
A maximum of 500 words
Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford. You should explain the specific areas that interest you and/or you intend to specialise in. You should also include details of any relevant experience in engaging in research on social aspects of the internet.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for evidence of academic potential for study of the many social aspects of information and communication technologies as well as the alignment of your areas of interest with the availability of supervision, as all students will be assigned a supervisor to guide their research.
It will also be assessed for your ability to commit sufficient time to study and fulfil all elements outlined in the course description if you are applying for part-time study.
Your statement should focus on your motivations to undertake rigorous academic research on the social aspects of the internet rather than solely on personal achievements, interests and aspirations.
Written work:
One essay, up to a maximum of 2,000 words
An academic essay or other writing sample from your most recent qualification, written in English, is required. An extract of the requisite length from longer work is also permissible.
If you have not previously written on areas closely related to the proposed research topic, you may provide written work on any topic that best demonstrates your academic abilities. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for academic potential, particularly insofar as the work demonstrates analytical rigour and clear thinking and writing.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
Apply - Full time Apply - Part time Continue application
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.