Undergraduate Course: Dissertation (MA Politics) (PLIT10030)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | Dissertations are worth 40 credits and are compulsory for students taking single honours politics. They are also open to those taking politics as part of a Joint Honours degree. The dissertation may be on an empirical or theoretical topic. Research can be wholly or largely library-based or can involve empirical data collection. Dissertations can relate to any Politics teaching or research area, although the topic must be approved by the Dissertation Convener. |
| Course description |
a. Academic Description
Dissertations are compulsory for students taking single Honours Politics or single Honours International Relations and are open to all those taking Politics as part of a Joint Honours degree. A number of Joint Honours degrees have a compulsory dissertation project, which students may opt to write either in Politics or in their other subject area.
The dissertation is 10,000 words long and may be on an empirical or theoretical topic related to Politics. Research can be wholly, or largely, library-based or can involve empirical data collection.
b. Outline Content
Students are expected to attend three full-class meetings convened by the Dissertation Convener. These are intended to convey important information necessary to the smooth development and completion of the dissertation, as well as offering the opportunity for an exchange of ideas between the students as a group, and with the Dissertations Convener.
c. Student experience
Students submit short dissertation proposals at the beginning of the academic year and are allocated supervisors by the Dissertation Convener. They are expected to attend the full class meetings, as well as work with their supervisor towards the completion of the project.
Supervisors give advice on practical issues such as: the subject and title of the dissertation, its organisation and structure, on source material and bibliography. Supervisors will comment upon dissertation outlines, chapter plans and timetables, and provide feedback on the components of the formative assessment.
Supervisors are not expected to comment on the final draft: a dissertation is intended to demonstrate a student's ability to work independently.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
We would expect students to:
- deepen knowledge in specific topic
- develop independent research skills
- develop further the ability to think critically
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Plus meetings/workshops |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Benjamin Coulson
Tel:
Email: Ben.Coulson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Ethan Alexander
Tel: (0131 6)50 4001
Email: Ethan.Alexander@ed.ac.uk |
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