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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Politics

Postgraduate Course: Dissertation MSc by Research Politics (100 credit) (PLIT11008)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Social and Political Science CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeDissertation AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits100 ECTS Credits50
SummaryThe dissertation is an extended piece of independent scholarship in the field. It is the main work in which students demonstrate achievement of crucial learning outcomes for the MSc by Research, drawing on relevant material covered in the taught element of the degree and through supervision. The dissertation can be up to 23,000 words in length.

The nature of a dissertation for the MSc by Research may vary. For students proceeding to a PhD or MPhil, it will normally take the form of a full research proposal. In this case, it will contain an extended review of the literature, establishing the research questions, plus an extended discussion of the likely research design and any methodological issues. Alternatively, the dissertation may comprise a discrete piece of (usually empirical) research, possibly a pilot study for the eventual doctoral research. This will usually incorporate literature review, research questions, research design and methodology, data collection and analysis elements, and conclusions.

In this 100 credit dissertation, the dissertation will normally include a more comprehensive review of relevant literature and/or some pilot research as well as the full proposal. In addition, some of the elements required for 60 credits will normally be more developed: eg, additional specific canonical bibliographic data relevant to the research topic; more advanced engagement in salient debates, concepts or theory; more detailed treatment of ethical and methodological issues.

Course description Not entered
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2014/15, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 1000 ( Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 5, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 20, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 975 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) up to 23,000 words
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
Summary of intended learning outcomes
Students should:

- demonstrate the ability to carry out a sustained piece of independent scholarship, involving project and time management
- demonstrate the ability to frame a coherent and answerable set of research questions, to justify these in relation to existing knowledge and theories, and to demonstrate that answering them would constitute an advance on existing knowledge
- achieve a command of existing knowledge in their field of research, through a critical and (where relevant) comprehensive review of relevant literature engaging in salient debates
- demonstrate the ability to produce a research design capable of answering the chosen research questions
- demonstrate an understanding of research methods, appropriate to the research topic and questions, taking due account of any practical, political and ethical issues affecting the conduct of their research
- where relevant, demonstrate the ability to implement the chosen research design and methods of data collection and analysis
- where relevant, come up with credible conclusions (eg, on the implications of a pilot study for a fuller study)
- where relevant, demonstrate the ability to integrate theoretical and empirical elements
- produce written scholarship in line with research and bibliographic conventions


Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Juliet Kaarbo
Tel: (0131 6)50 4252
Email: J.Kaarbo@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Andrew Macaulay
Tel: (0131 6)51 5067
Email: Andrew.Macaulay@ed.ac.uk
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