Unit information: Dissertation (Trinity & Baptist College) in 2013/14

Unit name	Dissertation (Trinity & Baptist College)
Unit code	THRS30128
Credit points	30
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	In giving approval to dissertation proposals, the course leader and faculty will be guided by the relevance of students' profiles of completed units.
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The proposed title of the dissertation, together with a brief description and initial bibliography, should be submitted to the course leader by an agreed date towards the end of the preceding academic year. The dissertation proposal must be approved by the course leader and by faculty.

The student is responsible for arranging supervisions and for organising his or her work so that it is completed on time. An introductory meeting with the year group will introduce the dissertation, and one towards the end of the process will provide additional input and encouragement.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The unit aims to

1. provide the student with an opportunity to follow up an area of interest in depth;
2. enable the student to develop skills in critical thinking and argumentation;
3. lay the foundations for possible future work at higher degree level.

On completion of the unit students should:

1. possess a basic understanding of the intellectual disciplines and research methods appropriate to the area of theological study within which the dissertation topic falls;
2. develop an extended argument that takes account of different points of view;
3. present to a high standard an extended piece of academic writing that includes subsections, footnotes and bibliography.

Teaching Information

The student is entitled to receive a maximum of three hours of supervision. Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of primary sources. Feedback will include discussion at supervisions and written comments on drafts of the dissertation.

The unit will consist of 3 contact hours in total.

Assessment Information

The dissertation should be 8,000 words in length. The word count includes footnotes but excludes the bibliography and any appendices. Detailed submission instructions are provided for students at the beginning of the academic year in which the dissertation is due to be completed. Examiners shall have the discretion to give students an oral examination on the subject of their dissertation.

Reading and References

Not applicable.