Dissertation in Sociology/Social Policy/Criminology
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| SOCI3001 | Sociology and Social Policy | 3 | 40 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- SOCI3001
- School
- Sociology and Social Policy
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 40
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
Students undertake independent research on a topic of their choice under the supervision of a designated supervisor and write up the results of their investigation in an extended piece of writing, the dissertation. Students are responsible for planning, designing, carrying out and writing up their research with the advice and support of their supervisor. They are free to choose any subject matter that interests them, but their chosen topic must be relevant to the student's Honours subject, or to one or both of those subjects in the case of students taking Joint Honours and be approved by the supervisor. Wherever possible students will be allocated to supervisors with expertise in the broad subject area of their research (sociology, social policy or criminology) and in line with the methods they intend to employ (quantitative or qualitative) but supervisors are expected to provide general advice and support to students working independently rather than provide detailed guidance, for example on reading, or the wording of survey questions and interview guides. The study may be based entirely on the analysis of secondary literature, or it may involve the collection and analysis of primary data, including documentary or textual data, on a scale appropriate to the time available.
Target Students
Available only to Final Year UG students on programmes in the School of Sociology and Social Policy.
Classes
This module is taught through a combination of lectures, workshops and seminars.
Assessment
- 90% Dissertation: 10,000 words excluding appendices and bibliography
- 10% Coursework 1: 1,000 word outline plan and literature review
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The aim of the module is to give students the opportunity to apply the subject knowledge and practice the research skills they have acquired by carrying out independent research on a topic of their own choice, and to communicate thefindings from that research appropriately in the form of an extended piece of academic writing.Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the module successfully will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
- Analyse, evaluate and apply knowledge at the forefront of sociology and/or social policy and/or criminology in an area of special interest to them.
Intellectual Skills
- Apply theories in sociology/social policy/criminology in making sense of the social world and/or social institutions and/or social problems.
Professional/Practical Skills
- Select, design, implement and document a research strategy appropriate to the investigation of a particular topic.
- Present an extended piece of academic writing in an appropriate way using specialist terminology as required and following the relevant scholarly conventions.
Transferable/Key Skills
- Plan, design, carry out and write up a piece of research independently with the support of a supervisor.