| Unit name | Dissertation - SPCC Applied Research Project |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM0056 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Christie |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This core unit is the final assessment and will provide students with the opportunity to apply and enhance the knowledge and skills learned during their studies on the Society, Politics and Climate Change programme.
The SPCC dissertation - applied Research Project will have both academic value and high relevance for practice and is an extended piece of written work that provides an opportunity to identify and investigate a particular question, with the help of a Dissertation Supervisor, related to the broad theme of society, politics and climate change, and explore it systematically.
At the end of the dissertation students will be able to:
1. construct a clear, central research question;
2. engage at a theoretical level with relevant approaches within their area of study;
3. Analyse and appraise existing literatures relevant to the research area;
4. Show evidence of independent critical thinking;
5. identify, and adapt and deploy appropriate research methods to address the research question;
6. identify relevant outcomes by way of summary, discussion and conclusion; and
7. convey research to an academic readership, in a clear, well-written grammatically-correct style, and conforming to the conventions of academic presentation.
The dissertation will be supported by a series of lectures and workshops, the Research Design in Practice (RDP) programme, and will make use of synchronous and asynchronous modes of delivery. The lectures and workshops will focus on skill development for developing and writing a long research project, and will include interdisciplinary topics related to climate change, and skills based training specific to researching and writing a dissertation including: SPAIS ethics process; dissertation proposal writing; dissertation structures. Students are assigned an individual academic supervisor, and will receive regular one-to-one meetings.
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. POLIM0056).
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 Faculty 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. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
