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SO5909: DISSERTATION IN SOCIAL RESEARCH (2023-2024)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 10:43


Course Overview

Students wishing to complete the MRes in Social Research must submit a research dissertation.  The MRes training courses are designed to assist students in identifying an area of study and in writing a proposal to carry out work on s supervised piece of independent research of their own.  The dissertation is 14,000 words in length with a 500 word summary.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Third Term Credit Points 60 credits (30 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Professor Bernadette C. Hayes

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Students wishing to complete the MRes in Social Research programme must submit a research dissertation. The research training and theory courses are designed to assist students in identifying an area of study and in writing a proposal to carry out work on a research topic in that specific area under supervision. The research dissertation can take two forms. Students who plan to proceed to advanced study use the MRes dissertation to develop the topic of their doctoral research, clarify their research question and review the appropriate literature. This may also include explaining and defending their research approach, and analysing and describing preliminary findings from a pilot study as preparation for doctoral study. However, students cannot submit an MRes dissertation in this format without the permission of the Co-ordinator of the MRes in Social Research programme, and also, acceptance by the Department of Sociology to undertake subsequent ‘+3’ PhD study. For students who plan in the first instance to complete their studies with the MRes in Social Research, the MRes dissertation will report on a completed piece of independent and original research, in other words, a ‘stand-alone’ study. However, students who then wish to proceed to PhD, after undertaking the MRes dissertation in this second format as a ‘stand-alone’ study (i.e., completed piece of independent research) are expected to achieve at least the commendation level in the MRes in Social Research, and including at least commendation level (CAS 15+ on the Common Assessment Scale) in the MRes in Social Research dissertation.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Project Report/Dissertation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

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