| Unit name | Dissertation (MSc AAS) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ACFIM0052 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Morales |
| 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 of Accounting and Finance - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The dissertation is a significant component of the MSc Accounting, Accountability and Sustainability programme. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, you will identify and analyse a research question within the field of accounting, accountability, and sustainability. As sustainability poses great challenges to accounting, organisations and societies, you will have the opportunity to focus on one of these challenges and how organisational participants have responded. Questions of sustainability and accountability are multi-faceted and often debated. Having the possibility to undertake a study in depth will be crucial to develop a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced and the complexities of the answers offered. This process is therefore an opportunity for you to investigate an original problem, collect and process relevant data, conduct a thorough analysis, and form well-founded conclusions around a topic that matters.
How does this unit fit within your programme of study?
The dissertation unit will be a culmination of the main concepts and ideas encountered in the course, applied to a specific project which you will chose. The objective of the dissertation project is to gain expertise on a specific topic and to get to learn more about cutting edge research on this topic.
An overview of content
The dissertation is an extended report of an independent study that identifies and investigates a particular question and explores it systematically over a sustained period of time. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to read extensively and apply research skills to a chosen area of study selected from a range of projects. Your learning is supported by regular individual and/or small group supervision sessions, although the expectation is that the dissertation is primarily an individual piece of work. It builds on other units. You will learn various research methods in TB1 and discuss various theories in the other units of the programme, which you will be able to apply during the dissertation. With the guidance of an allocated dissertation supervisor, you will develop a research project that you will lead yourself to produce an extended report based on your own research of the topic selected.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will produce and critically appraise research on a topic in accounting, accountability and sustainability. You will build an understanding of the challenges surrounding research projects, including data collection, identifying the relevant academic literature and writing up a report in academic style. You will also have autonomy and be able to develop a more comprehensive and systematic understanding of the complexities of a topic of your choice. This experience will sharpen your analytical skills, enhance your ability to synthesise information, and refine your academic writing style. You will also develop vital project management skills, such as independent work, time management, and adhering to deadlines – competencies that are crucial both in academia and the professional world. You will gain confidence in both analysing empirical research and criticising the assumptions stated by academic researchers. You will also develop applied problem-solving skills, being able to collect, analyse and critically assess empirical material, as well as discuss the theoretical assumptions made and frameworks used by others to appraise and debate questions of validly, epistemology and paradigmatic incommensurability. More broadly, this unit will foster your critical thinking and analytical problem solving.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. Identify and critically review literature relevant to a topic;
2. Discuss and apply an appropriate research methodology to investigate the chosen topic;
3. Analyse data and discuss how they contribute to wider academic debates;
4. Explain the economic, social and philosophical interpretation of empirical findings;
5. Develop practical skills in undertaking research.
The dissertation builds on the research methods unit as well as on all the other units. You will also receive guidance from allocated supervisors. However, learning during the dissertation project will be mostly independent.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will receive regular feedback and guidance from allocated supervisors.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The final dissertation project of 10,000 – 15,000 words (100% of the final mark) covers all ILOs.
When assessment does not go to plan
If you fail the dissertation and are able to resubmit, a revised version of the original dissertation will be reassessed.
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. ACFIM0052).
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.
