Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Dissertation 14,000-15,000 words topic. Deadline usually first Wednesday in September - See Handbook for further information | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
The learning outcomes are fourfold: first, the student will develop an expertise in their specialist area of study; second, the student will develop their analytical capacities; third, the student will develop their ability to express their ideas on paper; and fourth, the student will develop their research skills.
Brief description
Aims
The aim of the Dissertation is to assess a student's ability to analyse a large body of material, organise it, and write it up in a manner that sustains a persuasive argument. The requirement is not to produce original work; it is to write a piece of research that demonstrates a strong capacity for independent thought. Students are allocated a member of staff as their advisor who provides guidance on the structure and argument of the thesis.
Content
The contents of the Dissertation will be different for each student. Students propose a topic for their Dissertation and this is approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. To pass, a Dissertation must meet its objectives which should be set out at the beginning; sustain a coherent and well-developed argument; and be presented in a scholarly manner.
Transferable skills
- Setting of achievable goals with respect to the choice of subject
- Research skills in collecting secondary literature and, in some cases, primary sources, in relation to the particular subject chosen.
- IT skills in the use of information technology during the process of research (especially internet-based research) and the use of word-processing in the course of writing the dissertation
- Time management skills in the establishment of a research and writing plan and in the subsequent competition of the dissertation by a fixed deadline
- Analytical skills in the construction of the argument and the development of an analytical framework
- Academic writing skills in the writing of the dissertation, including the compliance with regard to formal aspects of academic writing such as footnoting, referencing and the compilation of a bibliography.
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7