HIS32840 Dissertation

Academic Year 2023/2024

The dissertation forms the capstone of the History and Politics degree. Building upon the skills, knowledge and methods that have been developed over the course of the programme, students will work directly with academic supervisor within the School of History to create an independently researched dissertation. Having proposed a topic and developed it in the Autumn trimester in the research skills seminar (HIS30550), students will work with primary and secondary sources, and develop and articulate an argument in a substantial piece of polished writing (8000 words).

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, students will be able to:
- Define clear and articulate research questions;
- Construct appropriate and coherent arguments;
- Identify and analyse relevant primary and secondary sources;
- Demonstrate their ability to work independently, under academic supervision;
- Present their work in coherent, polished and professional manner

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Project Supervision

6
Specified Learning Activities

170
Autonomous Student Learning

200
Total

376
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The dissertation naturally demands a substantial amount of independent work to conceive, research, execute and edit the final project. Throughout the process, students will work closely with an academic supervisor who will provide them with structured support during the research and writing phases. In this sense, students will learn to strike a balance between task-based and reflective modes of learning. Students should expect no more than six meetings with their supervisor, three in the first trimester and three in trimester two. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Project: An 8000-word research dissertation, due in week 12 of semester 2. Week 12 n/a Graded No

100

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback is provided individually to students on chapter drafts or on one draft of the entire thesis. Feedback is provided in written form and verbally in one-to-one supervisions. In semester 1, the student will commence work with their assigned supervisor. During pre-arranged one-on-one meetings, the student will discuss specific areas of focus for their research with the supervisor. These will include the drafting of the required assignments for the Research Skills module, which includes a Research proposal, preparation of a literature review, and identification of relevant primary sources. The supervisor will provide individual feedback to students suggesting further avenues of investigation, and the research topic will be refined between the student and supervisor. During supervisory meetings students will be provided with individual feedback on contextual literature and primary sources. During semester 2 students will be given individual feedback on written work provided it is submitted in due time. Students should receive six supervisions in total, the first three linked to the research skills seminar

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 

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