| Unit name | Dissertation: Industrial Placement & Written Element |
|---|---|
| Unit code | DRAMM3019 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Maingard |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Film and Television |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
All MA students are expected to take one of four optional dissertation units. The optional unit will provide a structured and supervised opportunity for MA students to pursue independently an agreed topic of interest within the areas of performance or screen, arising from a placement within an appropriate organization. The student will conduct appropriate tasks under the guidance of a nominated mentor from the host organization and under the supervision of an academic teacher from the Department. It would normally be expected that this project would arise from work already undertaken on individual programmes, creating an opportunity to explore a specialist area in more detail. The title, scale and form of each piece of work will be negotiated through supervision. In every case the work will be expected to meet the requirements of summative masters level work.
Aims:
1. To provide the opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and experience of the discipline through independent work in an appropriate host organization.
2. To enable students to develop and apply appropriate knowledges and skills within a professional setting.
3. To explore a range of possible methodological approaches
4. To gain in-depth knowledge of a specialist area
5. To present the findings in a dissertation.
On successful completion of this unit, students should:
1. Be able to work independently, constructively and creatively in an industrial setting.
2. Have become familiar with existing work on a particular subject and to understand processes in the selected areas of practice.
3. Be able to design a project that is realistic in scope to which the industrial placement is a necessary and integral part.
4. Be able to distinguish between a range of different research methods.
5. Be able to work within the disciplines of relevant professional processes, working to deadlines and within the regulations and budgets of the host organization.
6. Be able to reflect on individual work within an industrial context and with reference to an appropriate range of critical ideas.
7. Be able to communicate that knowledge with clarity appropriate to the determined mode of assessment through reflective and justified application of conceptual, formal and stylistic approaches within the selected field.
8. All the above to be conducted at Master's level.
The placement is supervised by mentor and by academic supervisor. Placements should represent no fewer than 150 hours. The written element is supervised by an academic supervisor.
The placement will be assessed primarily on the basis of the written element by applying the normal criteria for analytical written work, whilst also considering the report supplied by the mentor from the host organization.
For a placement of 150 hours or more the written element will be 7,500 words. For shorter placements the written component will be more extensive (eg 12,500 words for a placement of 50 hours minimum).
As appropriate to individual dissertation, under the guidance of supervisor.
