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Module

MCH8599 : Research Dissertation

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Dora Merai
  • Co-Module Leader: Dr Antonio Gonzalez, Dr Emma Coffield
  • Lecturer: Mr Alistair Robinson, Dr Bruce Davenport, Professor Christopher Whitehead, Professor Rhiannon Mason, Dr Katie Markham, Mr Iain Wheeldon
  • Owning School: Arts & Cultures
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 5
Semester 3 Credit Value: 55
ECTS Credits: 30.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

The aim of the module is to provide an opportunity for a sustained piece of research that relates to issues raised during the taught modules of the programme.

Outline Of Syllabus

The students are required to attend briefings, lectures and a workshop. In addition, students will have regular meetings with their allocated supervisor.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion1200:00200:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture81:008:00On-campus lectures
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops81:008:00On-campus and online live writing group sessions
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops12:002:00Group workshop on campus
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDissertation/project related supervision61:006:00On-campus meetings as and when required, by arrangement with supervisor (online if necessary).
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study1372:00372:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesScheduled on-line contact time21:002:00Drop-in online sessions to support proposal preparation and ethics submission.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesModule talk21:002:00Module introduction and assessment briefing
Total600:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture: On-campus structured guided learning to help students on the module to plan the various stages of the dissertation, from formulating a research question to developing a research strategy and writing up research findings.

Drop-in/surgery: Synchronous online drop-in sessions to clarify any questions about the project proposal and the ethics form.

Workshop: There are two types of workshops: One group workshop to support student to develop the research question/aims/objectives of their project and on-campus writing group sessions to support students to develop their writing skills and maintain a regular writing pattern.

Dissertation-related supervision: 1:1 individual supervision meeting to support dissertation development.

Assessment preparation and completion: This category enables students to complete their dissertations.

Guided independent study: This broad category refers to independent student activity and covers the range from reading and preparation through to situations where students are required to work without staff supervision or where students are required to undertake very specific pieces of work.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Dissertation3A10012,000 – 15,000 words
Zero Weighted Pass/Fail Assessments
Description When Set Comment
Written exerciseMEthics approval form
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Research proposal2Moutline proposal
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

A Masters-level academic dissertation must be an original piece of work and not simply a synthesis of existing knowledge.

It requires the gathering and analysis of new material, the development of original arguments and the presentation of conclusions and recommendations.

To be successful the dissertation will need careful planning and preparation.

Reading Lists

Timetable