| Unit name | Dissertation Global Health Policy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOLM0089 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Vicky Sharley |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The dissertation is your opportunity to investigate a topic of your own choice at length within the context of global health policy. This extended piece of independent work enables you to demonstrate to future employers and/or academic institutions (for those considering a PhD) that you can successfully complete a self-guided, substantive piece of social research. With the support of a dissertation supervisor and insights gained through the unit workshops, you will deepen your capacity to critically interact with existing academic research and evidence, and gain the vital opportunity of practicing how to write in academic journal article style. This unit enables you to develop practical and transferable skills of locating and using evidence and information, executing an empirical research plan and operationalising your own research questions, and conveying ideas in a structured and well-recognised academic format, while carefully planning and managing your own time.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit enables you the opportunity to directly apply what you have learned across other units to a dedicated piece of extended research. Composing your final written assessment in the style of a draft journal article extends and strengthens your academic writing experience. While we do not anticipate or expect that all final pieces will be of publishable quality, this assessment is an important part of your learning as it enables you to gain insights into what journal article formatting is required and how writing for a journal-reading audience may differ than writing for other audiences.
An Overview of Content
The dissertation is an opportunity to carry out original independent study enabling you to select a field of inquiry and carry out research in depth over a substantial period. It is also an opportunity to apply some of the theoretical perspectives and research skills gained during the programme to your chosen area of study. You will be supported by regular individual supervision sessions and workshops, though the expectation is that the dissertation is primarily an individual piece of work. Dissertation workshops will support you to better understand the practical requirements of undertaking data collection, analysis and writing up.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will gain experience in learning and inquiry through application, research, and interpretation, developing research skills like critical thinking, information management, data collection and analysis, and an understanding of important issues relating to research ethics and GDPR alongside the development of other important transferrable skills in teamwork and time management.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the unit, successful students will be able to:
Individual study will be supported by regular, one-to-one negotiated academic supervision meetings.
Dissertation workshops on different types of dissertation projects as well as project management skills and writing tips, will be delivered to support your dissertation progress. In particular, you will gain specialised support on writing in the style of an academic journal article during workshop sessions that are dedicated to this format of writing up.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare for your summative tasks (formative)
You will be expected to submit a short description of your intended project early in the academic year. You will also submit an ethics application for supervisor and ethics committee approval. Any project that proceeds without appropriate ethics committee approval contravene the University’s academic regulations. As such a project without ethics approval risks being failed, or the student being suspended in order to retake the unit in a subsequent academic year.
The supervisor will read some draft elements and offer written and/or verbal feedback.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Dissertation plan (10%) - up to 800 words.
Dissertation up to 10,000 words (90%) The dissertation will be in the style of an academic paper for a journal relevant to the field of global health policy.
This assessments cover all of the Learning Outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, unsuccessful students may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. If you are eligible to resubmit and where appropriate, you may submit a revised version of your previous assignment or complete an alternative assessment in the same format as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOLM0089).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
