Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE CHN5099

 
TITLE Dissertation

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 80

 
DEPARTMENT Oriental Studies

 
DESCRIPTION By the end of the course, students are expected to have written and submitted for examination a dissertation of 35,000 words, exclusive of notes, bibliography, and appendices. The chosen topic must be in the field of Chinese philology and literature without excluding the possibility of drawing in relevant materials from Classical Chinese texts.

Study-unit Aims:

The dissertation is intended to train students in the following:
1. To analyse and use critically original Chinese sources;
2. To evaluate critically the secondary sources in light of the primary evidence;
3. To conduct substantial and rigorous research of literary and/or philological nature within the field of Chinese Studies;
4. To write, discuss and defend in front of a board a sustained piece of work bringing forth innovative ideas and analytical thinking.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. use critically original Chinese sources and evaluate them within a larger philological and cultural context;
2. demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the topic chosen and its relevant historical, cultural, synchronic and diachronic context in Chinese Studies.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. identify a suitable and manageable research question;
2. identify and use literary, historical and cultural sources;
3. develop and refine a research topic and strategy;
4. read critically primary and secondary literature in Chinese;
5. demonstrate an understanding of how research techniques have been applied to the topic chosen.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

The supervisor will guide the students to draw up a solid bibliography relevant to their chosen topic.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES **September Assessment Session: Students who fail to obtain an overall pass mark will be re-examined in the Dissertation. However, the resit availability for the Oral Examination is at the discretion of the Board of Examiners.

Pre-Requisite qualifications: BA Hons in Oriental Studies (Chinese) or equivalent

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Dissertation

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Dissertation and Oral Examination (See Add. Notes) SEM2 ** 100%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit