Course Resources Archive

The Dissertation is a sustained and intensive investigation of one topic relevant to the course and the student’s interests.  A scholarly document of up to 12000 words is presented in accordance with academic conventions, demonstrating achievement of high level cognitive and intellectual skills.   A poster presentation to a postgraduate conference demonstrates skills of delivering complex material to a broader audience, both academic and professional.

The content of the dissertation will vary according to the individual interests of the student and will be based upon a proposal approved via a formal process. 

The dissertation will have clear objectives, deploy appropriate methodologies in pursuit of those objectives, and draw conclusions which are set within the context of existing knowledge and theoretical frameworks in the field. 

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Demonstrate mastery of a chosen subject area, including a familiarity with existing knowledge within the field, and  a critical understanding of theoretical perspectives;
2. Formulate research questions which address gaps in understanding and challenges for achieving sustainability in real-world settings; 
3. Choose, justify, conduct and evaluate methods for investigating a topic including data collection and analysis, with due regard for ethical and professional standards;
4. Present findings in registers appropriate both for scholarly publication, and for broader audiences including professional or commercial clients.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.