Dissertation (MSc/Dip European and Comparative Public Policy) (P00840)

? Credit Points : 60 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-ECPD

All students will undertake a 15,000 word dissertation on a topic, related to a topic in European and Comparative public policy to be submitted by a date specified in the University Regulations. The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarship in which a student is expected to formulate and sustain a substantive piece of research in this area of scholarship.

The dissertation is expected to engage critically and analytically with the literature in the field, building upon relevant concepts and theory covered in the taught element of the degree and deploying a range of primary and secondary sources as well as appropriate data analytic, comparative and bibliographic skills. Each student will be allocated a research supervisor in the second semester.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Studies), (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

- To test the ability of students to undertake a sustained piece of supervised but independent work in the area of European and Comparative public policy, displaying the research skills, training and knowledge acquired in the previous coursework.
- to test the ability of students to demonstrate an ability to engage critically and analytically with the literature in the field of their specialist interest.
- to develop and test the ability of students to employ relevant social science concepts and theories in formulating a thesis.
- to examine the ability of students to manage the conduct, presentation, and timing of an independent research project, employing appropriate data analytical, comparative and bibliographic skills.