This is a core module for the MA in English. It consists of supervised independent research and writing and enables the student to conduct detailed and extensive research into a distinctive area of enquiry and to present that research in a dissertation of approximately 15,000 words.
The curriculum will be devoted to student's research on a chosen topic written under the guidance of their supervisor.
For the most part, this module consists of supervised but independent research and writing. Teaching for this module will be based on one-to-one tutorials with the supervisor to whom the student has been assigned. Students will be expected to prepare for these, and will receive a minimum of five tutorials.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Tutorials | 5 |
| Guided independent study | 595 | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 600 | |
A 15,000 word dissertation or equivalent.*
*The term 'equivalent' is used to denote the possibility of submitting a tape, a piece of creative writing or a video as part of the dissertation. However, it should be noted that normally a 15,000 word dissertation is required of everybody who also wishes to submit in a different format. All divergent dissertation formats are subject to PRIOR approval by the course leader and the external examiner.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Organise and sustain wide-ranging research over a period of time | Dissertation |
| Structure and present a complex argument in a coherent fashion backed up with detailed and extensive evidence | Dissertation |
| Show an in-depth knowledge of a specialised area of research | Dissertation |
| Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of current critical, theoretical, historical and methodological debates appropriate to the selected dissertation topic | Dissertation |
| Use advanced skills to locate and make use of nationally and internationally recognised archives, both physical and electronic | Dissertation |
| Present a sustained piece of work at standards equivalent to those current in published academic discourse | Dissertation |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Dissertation | 100 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
MHRA Style Guide: A Handbook for Authors, Editors, and Writers of Theses (London: Modern Humanities Research Association, 2008)
Browner, Stephanie, Stephen Pulsford and Richard Sears, Literature and the Internet: A Guide for Students Teachers and Scholars (New York: Garland Publishing, 2001)
Coombs, Hilary, Research using IT (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001)
Dunleavy, Patrick, Authoring a PhD (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001)
Fabb, Nigel and Alan Durant, Essays, Dissertations and Theses in Literary Studies (London: Longman, 1993)
Fairbairn, Gavin G. and Christopher Winch, Writing and Reasoning: A Guide for Students, 2nd edn, (London: OUP, 1998)
Fitzpatrick, Jacqueline, Jan Secrist, and Debra J. Wright, Secrets for a Successful Dissertation (California: Sage Publications, 1998)
Lynn, Stephen, Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory (London: Pearson Education, 2005)
Rose, Jean, The Mature Student's Guide to Writing (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002)
Van Emden, Joan and Linda Barker, Effective Communication for Arts and Humanities Students (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2003)
Wisker, Gina, The Postgraduate Research Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave 2001)