| CODE | ISS5230 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Dissertation | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 70 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Islands and Small States Institute | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Students shall be required to submit an individual dissertation of approximately 30,000 words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board of Studies of the Masters degree. Work on the dissertation may be undertaken at any time during the Course after approval of the research proposal. Each student shall be assigned a supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the period of study. A provisional title for the dissertation and a provisional research proposal of approximately 300 words shall be submitted at the time of application. The title for the dissertation together with a detailed research proposal outlining the proposed project and the main questions to be addressed shall be submitted to the Board of Studies for approval by not later than the end of the first semester. Students shall be required to report to their supervisors as often as the supervisors deem necessary, and at least once every two months. At the end of each semester of study, supervisors shall be required to submit a progress report to the Board of Studies relating to the students under their supervision. Students shall seek approval from the Board of Studies for any substantial modification in the title or content of the dissertation. The Board of Studies shall periodically inform the Board, in writing, on the general performance of each student. Such reports may include recommendations to either (a) extend the period of study in order to enable the student to complete the dissertation; or (b) terminate studies prematurely if the supervisor deems this to be proper in the circumstances, provided that (i) the extension of the study period referred to in (a) shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Principal Regulations; and (ii) the Board may not terminate studies prematurely according to (b) until it has first given the student a chance to be heard. Study-Unit Aims: The main aim of the dissertation is to enable the student to take responsibility for his/her own research, for designing the study and for choosing a method to test a hypothesis or to respond to research questions. The writing of the dissertation typically involves the collection of primary data and/or the processing of secondary data, and another aim of this study-unit is therefore to improve the student's ability to seek appropriate sources or to carry out surveys for this purpose. Another aim of the dissertation is to strengthen the analytical abilities of the student by combining theory with applied quantitative or qualitative methodologies. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to complete extensive research on a topic of his/her choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. During the process the student will learn how to design the study and to choose a method to test a hypothesis or to respond to the research questions. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student should be able to collect primary data and/or to process secondary data, and to combine theory with applied quantitative or qualitative methodologies, and this should strengthen the student's analytical ability. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Roberts, C. M. (2010). The dissertation journey: A practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation. Corwin Press. Louw, G. P. (2013). A guideline for the preparation, writing and assessment of article-format masters dissertations and doctoral theses. Faculty Education: Mafikeng Campus: North-West University. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Study-units: ISS5200, ISS5210, ISS5220 **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. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Dissertation | ||||||||
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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. |
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