Philosophy Dissertation

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• take notes from talks and written materials.
• Undertake, with adequate supervision, independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources.
• demonstrate skills in document preparation incluing the use of footnotes and the creation of bibliographies all through the production of a dissertation that develops a clear and structured argument, appropriately supported by references
• identify and research a topic using a variety of bibliographic aids
• work effectively to deadlines.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• demonstrate philosophical discrimination in selecting a topic and material for discussion

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• of your chosen dissertation topic
• demonstrate an awareness of the place of your topic in philosophy considered more broadly

Students taking this module undertake research on a philosophical topic of their choice (subject to approval by the Department), and write a dissertation of 8,000 words on that topic. Each student will also write a 1500 response to a structured question, a draft chapter, and a two page dissertation plan in Semester 1.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include: group discussion meetings, and individual consultation with your dissertation supervisor.

Learning activities include: Identifying, with guidance from your supervisor, a suitable research topic; Identifying (with guidance from your supervisor), studying and reflecting upon relevant philosophical sources; reflecting upon and responding to written and oral feedback from your supervisor; applying techniques and skills learnt to your reading and writing inside and outside the unit

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Blackboard.

Assessment strategy

Your final mark for the dissertation will be based on four stages of assessment.

(1) A 1500 word written response to a structured, directive question supplied by us. Deadline c. week 4 of semester 1. (15% of double module mark.)

(2) A draft chapter, maximum 2000 words. Deadline c. week 8 of semester 1. (Marked pass/fail; 5 mark penalty for non-submission or fail.)

(3) A dissertation plan, around two A4 pages with no more than 1.5 spacing. Deadline c. week 12 of semester 1. (Marked pass/fail; 5 mark penalty for non-submission or fail.)

Students must hand in their research ethics form with the dissertation plan.

(4) Final dissertation, maximum 8000 words. Deadline c. week 10 of semester 2. (85% of double module mark.)

Your final dissertation can, but need not, incorporate the 1500 words under (1) and/or the 2000 words under (2), or a revision of them.

Formative assessment includes: feedback from the supervisor on your structured question, your draft chapter, your dissertation plan and - should you choose to submit one - your dissertation draft.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External