Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

Dissertation in Sociology

6 compulsory group contact hours in the third year, and 2 compulsory group contact hours, plus up to 9 hours of additional optional training and access to 4 hours of drop in sessions, and individual supervision in the third and fourth years.

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Entry to Honours Sociology requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over Sociology 2A and Sociology 2B as a first attempt and D3 or better in Sociology 1A and 1B.

None

None.

Three pieces of work contribute to the final assessment of this module:

■ A 1,500 word dissertation proposal, submitted at the end of the Junior Honours year (15%)

■ A 10 minute oral presentation, given in the middle of the Senior Honours year (10%)

■ A 12,000 word dissertation, submitted at the end of the Senior Honours year (75%)

The general aims of the course follow from the departmental aim of developing a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the academic disciplines of Sociology. In keeping with this, the Honours programme as a whole aims to help you develop increasingly advanced conceptual and analytical skills within the disciplines of Sociology. The dissertation option aims to:

■ allow you to integrate different aspects of your previous study of sociology and thus consolidate your grasp of the discipline(s)

■ encourage you to develop intellectual independence and originality by choosing your own subject of study and defining its nature and scope

■ give you a grounding in practical research skills, as well as skills in project management, which will be good preparation for further study and/or research, as well as useful in gaining entry to and succeeding in many other occupations and careers

By the end of this module students should be able to:

■ identify a topic worthy of sociological inquiry

■ critically analyse and evaluate existing knowledge on that topic, through a review of relevant literature

■ formulate a coherent and answerable set of research questions

■ identify an appropriate research strategy and method, taking due account of any practical, political and ethical issues affecting the conduct of their research

■ collect and analyse relevant empirical evidence from fieldwork and/or secondary/documentary sources

■ draw appropriate conclusions from their analysis

■ write up a logically structured and properly referenced research report

Students must meet the guidelines set out in the Faculty regulations.