Dissertation (MSc in Advanced Social Work Studies (Adult Protection)) (P02763)

? Credit Points : 60 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-ASWD

The Masters’ dissertation offers students the opportunity to develop, conduct and disseminate (with supervision) a research project within their own specialist setting. Dissertations may be on any topic related to social work and social care, subject to the approval of the programme organiser, and should be maximum 15,000 words in length. A member of academic staff with suitable research interests and experience will be appointed to supervise the dissertation.

In order to progress to the dissertation, candidates must pass all the taught courses required for the degree and secure an average mark of at least 50. Candidates securing passes in all courses but with an average mark of less than 50 may graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Social Work Studies in (Specified Subject).

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Science), (School of Social and Political Science, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : To be arranged/Unknown

? Additional Class Information : Please note that as the course is a distance learning part-time MSc, teaching is arranged in blocks of seven hour days. There are also scheduled study days.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion, students should:
• demonstrate the ability to carry out a sustained piece of independent scholarship, involving project and time management;
• demonstrate the ability to frame a coherent and answerable set of research questions, to justify these in relation to existing knowledge and theories, and to demonstrate that answering them would constitute an advance on existing knowledge;
• achieve a command of existing knowledge in their field of research, through a critical review of relevant literature engaging with salient debates;
demonstrate the ability to produce a research design capable of answering the chosen research questions;
• demonstrate an understanding of research methods, appropriate to the research topic and questions, taking due account of any practical, political and ethical issues affecting the conduct of their research;
• where relevant, demonstrate the ability to implement the chosen research design and methods of data collection and analysis;
• where relevant, come up with credible conclusions (e.g. on the implications of a pilot study for a fuller study);
• where relevant, demonstrate the ability to integrate theoretical and empirical elements;
• produce written scholarship in line with research and bibliographic conventions.