Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC3040: Dissertation

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

You will be allocated a dissertation supervisor from within the Politics department. You will be responsible for approaching the supervisor to set up meetings about their dissertation. You are allowed 4 supervision meetings of 1 hour at specified times throughout the year. Additionally you are expected to hand in work at various stages so that your supervisor can offer feedback.  It is envisaged that the bulk of your time will be spent on private study, at the rate of 10 hours per week. Supervisors are allowed to see and comment on a detailed plan of the dissertation and up to 3,000 words of the final dissertation.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
122880

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity 44 x 1 hour individual supervision meetings with your supervisor, held throughout the year.
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity84 x 2 hour dissertation skills sessions held throughout terms one and two. Example topics include research proposal design, research questions, literature reviews, structure and submission
Guided independent study288Around 10 hours per week should be spent on planning, conducting and writing up your dissertation. This will include: reading the literature and writing a literature review, collected primary data/sources and analysing them, writing up your research to the required standard. The module handbook outlines when work should be submitted to your supervisor for feedback. Your supervisor will help you plan your time and specific research activities necessary will vary according to research topic.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).