Postgraduate Course: Empirical Dissertation (CLPS11050)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social 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 | This course within the MSc Psychology of Mental Health (Conversion) programme provides students with the opportunity to design, conduct, analyse, and present a substantial research project. |
| Course description |
Students will be supervised in small groups of around 4-6 students on a research project chosen from the Clinical Psychology Research Projects Handbook / Wiki. Group supervision is designed to foster peer learning and social support, with supervision combining on-campus meetings and formative feedback. This collaborative approach allows students to participate in authentic, larger-scale projects while still submitting an independently written dissertation report for assessment.
Dissertation formats may include empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods) using primary and/or secondary data, or meta-analyses (where data is being analysed). Workshops held throughout the academic year will provide general guidance on key aspects of dissertation work.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Research Methods in Applied Psychology (CLPS11066) AND
Psychological Research Methods: Data Management and Analysis (CLPS11056)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | To progress to dissertation:
Students must pass at least 80 credits with a mark of at least 50% in each of the courses which make up these credits and attain an average of at least 50% for 120 credits of study. Students must also achieve a combined average mark of 50% or more for the two research methods courses: Research Methods in Applied Psychology (RMAP) and Psychological Research Methods: Data Management and Analysis. This is a BPS requirement for conversion programmes.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2025 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
578 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Dissertations should be 8,000-9,000 words and follow the structure and format of the sample dissertation pro forma provided in the course handbook.
Dissertations will be marked using the University of Edinburgh marking guidelines.
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| Feedback |
Supervisors will provide formative feedback in one set of comments on each of the following elements of the dissertation: Abstract, Introduction, Methods and Results. No formative feedback will be provided on the Discussion section of the dissertation.
Summative feedback will be given once the dissertation mark has been ratified by the Board of Examiners. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe, explain, and evaluate relevant empirical and theoretical literature to create a rational justification for a research project.
- Conduct a research project using appropriate design, data collection methods, and ethical procedures, showing logical links between research questions, design, and data collection.
- Collect and analyse data using suitable methods and relevant approaches, employing relevant software if required.
- Provide critical and contextual interpretations of findings, reflecting upon the strengths and weaknesses of the research conducted, and discussing implications in relation to current research, theory, and future research directions.
- Communicate a research project clearly and succinctly in a well-structured written dissertation, adhering to the relevant professional standards ; Demonstrate substantial autonomy and initiative in managing time and project tasks, ensuring successful completion of the research project.
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Reading List
Readings related to the research topic recommended by supervisor
Bell, J. (2005). Doing your research project. Buckingham: Open University Press. (4th ed).
Dunn, D. (2011). A short guide to writing about psychology (3rd ed). London: Longman.
Field, A., & Hole, G. (2003). How to design and report experiments. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Forshaw, M. (2004). Your undergraduate psychology project: a BPS guide. Oxford: Blackwell.
Heffernan, T.M. (2000). A Student's guide to studying psychology. Hove: Psychology Press
Landrum, R.E. (2008). Undergraduate Writing in Psychology: Learning to Tell the Scientific Story. Washington, DC: APA.
Sternberg, R.J. (2003). The Psychologist's companion: a guide to scientific writing for students and researchers (4th ed). Cambridge: CUP (especially Chapter 3, 7 & 8).
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Develop your research knowledge that will enable you to discuss, share, present and analyse data and information in various formats and from a range of sources
Develop your research methods and data analysis skills
Develop your critical reflection and writing skills |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Emily-Marie Pacheco
Tel:
Email: epacheco@exseed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Yuke Duan
Tel:
Email: yduan@ed.ac.uk |
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