Unit information: Dissertation / Work-Based Project in 2023/24

Unit name	Dissertation / Work-Based Project
Unit code	SPOLM0027
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Macdonald
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	N/A
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	N/A
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

This Unit gives professionals in children and families social work an opportunity to contribute to the development of evidence-based practice, and to be part of a developing field of enquiry. The Dissertation, a piece of work, of up to 12,000 words, is the culmination of the student's progress through the programme and the opportunity to build on the learning about research methods previously undertaken, and to apply appropriate practical, methodological and intellectual skills to an extended piece of research, service development or evaluation, or other equivalent practice-focused study. It allows the student to select a field of inquiry relevant to social work and to carry out independent study over a sustained period. Student learning will be supported by regular individual supervision sessions with an assigned member of academic staff, though the expectation is that the dissertation is primarily an individual piece of work. The Unit aims to:

• Provide the student with the opportunity to investigate a topic of their own choice (within the broad framework of social work with children and families).
• Enable students to explore the conceptual and theoretical issues associated with their chosen topic.
• Enable the student to apply relevant research skills
• Enhance the practical and transferable skills of locating and using knowledge and information, conveying ideas in written format, and planning and managing their time.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of the Unit, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the appropriate uses, strengths and limitations of a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Critically appraise and synthesise primary and secondary research.
• Identify a question or issues suitable for a Masters-level dissertation, and to plan and execute an appropriate study.
• Evaluate and explain the conceptual and theoretical concerns associated with their chosen topic.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of, and ability to apply an appropriate research methodology to investigate their chosen topic.
• Critically analyse data and draw apposite conclusions which are integrated with wider academic debates.
• Demonstrate the capacity to plan and carry out a sustained piece of independent study at Masters level.

How you will learn

• Students will be expected to prepare a research proposal,,, after which they will be assigned a dissertation supervisor.
• Thereafter, supervision will be arranged on an individual basis to support the planning and execution of the proposed study/research project and the writing of the dissertation. Supervision will be provided in line with expectations in place for existing taught Masters programmes within the School for Policy Studies and will take place either on line and/or in person as the circumstances allow.
• Students must submit an acceptable research ethics proposal to the programme director before beginning their research.

How you will be assessed

A Dissertation of 10,000 to 15,000 words.

Students will research a relevant area of literature and undertake either an empirical or theoretical study or practice-based project that addresses a topic or issue within the broad field of social work with children and families. They will be expected to demonstrate subject matter expertise in that topic through the research work undertaken.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOLM0027).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.