Postgraduate Course: Placement-based Dissertation (MSc Global Mental Health and Society) (PGSP11566)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 60 |
ECTS Credits | 30 |
| Summary | The placement-based dissertation is an alternative form of assessment for students who undertake organizational placements as part of the MSc. Placements will be competitive, with employers making the final decision. Students may also set up projects directly, subject to a formal process of approval by the programme director.
Students will undertake a 15,000 word dissertation linked to a placement on a topic related to the field of global mental health to be submitted by a date specified in the University Regulations, usually mid-August. The dissertation will comprise a 12,000 word research paper and a 3,000 word project diary. The placements generally consist of eight weeks of research with a host organization in the UK or overseas, from our network of contacts which includes NGOs, charities, social enterprises, think-tanks and government bodies working in the mental health field.
The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarship in which a student is expected to formulate and sustain a substantive piece of independent research in global mental health. Previous placement students have produced briefing papers, literature reviews, project progress reports, field monitoring reports, grant proposals, annual reports, policy documents, and field based research outputs. The final 3,000 word diary will be submitted alongside the research paper, and fortnightly draft submissions will also be required.
The work is expected to engage critically and analytically with the literature in the field, building upon relevant concepts and theories introduced in the taught elements of the degree and deploying a range of primary and secondary sources as well as appropriate data-analytic and bibliographic skills. Each student will be allocated a research supervisor by the end of the second semester to advise on and oversee her/his research progress.
Will appear on DRPS.
A succinct description of the course providing students with the course aims, outline topics and content and an indication of what makes the course interesting and its relationship to the discipline and/or wider subject and context. Aim for two or three sentences.
For pre-Honours courses that are available as electives, and all courses taken by students from other Schools, the summary course description should be clearly understandable to non-specialist students.
Note: this summary description statement may be used in promotional material for current and prospective students.
The placement-based dissertation is an alternative form of assessment for students who undertake organizational placements as part of the MSc. Placements will be competitive, with employers making the final decision. Students may also set up projects directly, subject to a formal process of approval by the programme director.
Students will undertake a 15,000 word dissertation linked to a placement on a topic related to the field of global mental health to be submitted by a date specified in the University Regulations, usually mid-August. The dissertation will comprise a 12,000 word research paper and a 3,000 word project diary. The placements generally consist of eight weeks of research with a host organization in the UK or overseas, from our network of contacts which includes NGOs, charities, social enterprises, think-tanks and government bodies working in the mental health field.
The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarship in which a student is expected to formulate and sustain a substantive piece of independent research in global mental health. Previous placement students have produced briefing papers, literature reviews, project progress reports, field monitoring reports, grant proposals, annual reports, policy documents, and field based research outputs. The final 3,000 word diary will be submitted alongside the research paper, and fortnightly draft submissions will also be required.
The work is expected to engage critically and analytically with the literature in the field, building upon relevant concepts and theories introduced in the taught elements of the degree and deploying a range of primary and secondary sources as well as appropriate data-analytic and bibliographic skills. Each student will be allocated a research supervisor by the end of the second semester to advise on and oversee her/his research progress.
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| Course description |
1) Academic Description
The dissertation is an extended piece of writing up to 15,000 words on a topic related to the field of global mental health 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. The dissertation is expected to engage critically and analytically with literature in the field, building upon relevant concepts and theory covered in the taught element of the degree and deploying a range of secondary (and in some cases primary) sources as well as appropriate data-analytic and bibliographic skills. Students will be allocated a research supervisor from the end of the second semester to advise on and oversee her/his research progress.
In place of the standard dissertation, students have the opportunity to apply for a number of placement-based projects on which to base their dissertation. Placement-based projects (PBP) are limited and not all students will be able to take up the opportunity. Projects may be within the UK or internationally. It is assumed that students taking up placement-based projects will have at least an average mark in semester one of 60% or higher, and no mark less than 60%.
2) Outline Content
Placement-based dissertations will necessarily consist of the following sections:
The Diary (maximum 3,000 words):
The student will send a progress report to the Academic Supervisor and the Placement Coordinator fortnightly during the placement. These reports will later be compiled into a single document for inclusion in the placement-based dissertation (note, these reports can be edited upon completion of the placement and prior to the final submission of the placement-based dissertation). This is the Diary.
The Diary should be written with the following goals in mind:
- Tracking the development of the placement;
- Commenting in a reflexive and self-critical manner on methodological (e.g. 'positionality,' 'gatekeepers' and access, etc.) and ethical issues arising as the student executes the project placement;
- Reporting on the student's personal development within the placement situation, making reference to the skills being developed.
The diary should include a description of the work undertaken, an analysis of how this fits into the overall aims and objectives of the placement, a description and analysis of any obstacles encountered in fulfilling these aims and objectives, and a description and analysis of the attempts made to overcome these obstacles.
Analytical section (maximum 12,000 words):
PBP students undertake a piece of research requested by the host organisation or make some other contribution to an identified project. Accordingly, the form of the student's output to the host organisation will vary depending on the nature of the placement and the host organisation's needs. It is the student's responsibility, in consultation with the organisation and their Academic Supervisor, to clarify at the outset the format appropriate to their particular placement. Some examples include a policy report or briefing paper on a specific issue relevant to the work of the host organisation and which makes recommendations for organisational strategy and future action; a research report based on secondary quantitative or qualitative data or data collected on behalf of the organisation, which addresses an issue of specific concern to the host organisation, and which feeds back into the organisation's work; a project evaluation report that looks critically at a specific project established by the host organisation - examining its success in achieving goals and objectives - and which sets recommendations for the future. This list is merely illustrative and should not be treated as an exhaustive or restrictive enumeration of the full range of possible outputs.
Whatever the format in which the student presents his or her results to the host organisation, the Analytical section submitted to the University as part of the placement-based dissertation must be framed critically, referring to and situating itself within relevant scholarly literature and debates. Students should discuss with their Academic Supervisor the best way of meeting the University of Edinburgh's academic standards in their Analytical section. Many of the key skills and necessary tasks are the same as for a standard dissertation, and students should therefore familiarise themselves with those.
Students working on their dissertation in conjunction with an external organisation need to manage their time and topic very carefully. Your placement-based project must not hinder you from fulfilling your academic responsibilities with regard to submitting a dissertation which fulfils all the criteria outlined in these guidelines and those of the Graduate School. As part of your placement you are likely to have other activities to perform and your host organisation may request that you produce work in a different format to your final dissertation. Ensure from the outset that: a) you and the organisation are clear about your responsibilities to the organisation and to the university; and b) that the organisation understands the deadlines and provides you with ample time in the final stages to complete your work.
The normal expectation is that host organisations will request a specific topic/question on which they would like to commission a substantive piece of research (12000 words). Students will also submit to their host a 2 page executive summary of actionable points. This 12000-word analytical section (plus the 3000-word diary) comprise the dissertation submitted to the University of Edinburgh. The 2 page summary is non-assessed and not formally part of the dissertation. It is for the host organisation not the University, so there is no requirement for the student to submit it with the dissertation.
3) Student learning experience
The primary delivery of the course is via:
a) Five 2-hour sessions across semester 1 and 2 addressing specific issues related to the dissertation and supporting students to develop their dissertation proposal. These sessions (complementary to content in the three programme core-courses) will include sessions on: introducing the dissertation; developing research questions; developing research methods; and ethical issues in global mental health research.
b) Meetings with programme director in semester 1 and 2
c) Meetings with academic supervisor (3-4, in-person/over phone/Skype) from the end of semester 2 to submission.
d) Detailed feedback on review of academic literature and policy context
e) Detailed feedback on one chapter.
f) Substantive feedback on, the general structure and organisation of dissertation.
g) Ongoing help with specific queries (email).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 5 (Sem 2) and beyond |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
583 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The 15,000 word dissertation includes a research paper of 12,000 words and a research-based Diary of 3,000 words. Draft diaries must be sent on a fortnightly basis to the academic supervisor and the placement coordinator. |
| Feedback |
The dissertation will be blind double-marked during August/September of the year of the programme. This means that two internal examiners will read and mark the dissertation independently, then meet to agree the final mark. One marker may be the student's Supervisor, the other will be an independent internal marker. All dissertations are marked anonymously. The dissertation may also be reviewed by an external examiner as part of the examination process, and all marks are confirmed at the Board of Examiners in October. Students should be aware that the University Regulations do not allow a dissertation to be referred or resubmitted. Any student who does not pass the dissertation may be eligible to receive the Diploma, provided their coursework marks are sufficient. The degree is normally awarded at the November graduation.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. Plan and execute a significant piece of independent work within the field of Global Mental Health that displays and extends research skills, training and knowledge acquired in the previous coursework
- 2. Demonstrate mastery of a range of techniques of enquiry and/or materials reflecting the current state of their discipline and appropriate to independent research on their chosen subject.
- 3. Employ relevant concepts and theories in presenting a sustained argument/thesis that is developed in accordance with social scientific norms and engages critically and analytically with the significant relevant literature in the field of their specialist interest.
- Exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in time and task management, taking primary responsibility for all aspects of their work.
- Deal self-reflexively with complex ethical and professional/academic issues and make informed judgements on issues arising in the context of independent research.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will develop:
- Professional skills in critical analysis;
- Professional skills in presenting complex information in accessible ways;
- Ability to work with others to debate complex issues and prioritize approaches.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sumeet Jain
Tel: (0131 6)51 1463
Email: Sumeet.Jain@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Beth Richardson-Mills
Tel: (0131 6)51 1659
Email: brichar3@ed.ac.uk |
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