Postgraduate Module Descriptor

POLM100: Dissertation

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

To enable students to pursue an individual programme of research, applying appropriate research methodologies and drawing on appropriate materials, to a topic approved by the programme director and under the guidance of an academic supervisor

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate knowledge in depth of a specialised subject area 2. Design an individual research programme, incorporating appropriate social science research methods 3. Collate and analyse subject-specific information from a range of appropriate sources
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Assimilate and critically analyse data from an appropriate range of sources 5. Develop cogent argument 6. Communicate complex information and ideas effectively in writing.
Personal and Key Skills	7. Undertake an individual research project 8. Use IT for information retrieval and presentation 9. Manage own work.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
student-led workshops to support pursuit of dissertation	Frequency to be determined by size of cohort	1-9	Verbal feedback

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Dissertation	100	maximum 16,000 words	1-9	Written feedback
	0
	0
	0
	0
	0

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Dissertation	Dissertation (16,000 words)	1-9	Next reassessment period