Postgraduate Course: Dissertation in GIS (PGGE11096)

Course Outline
School	School of Geosciences	College	College of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course type	Dissertation	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	60	ECTS Credits	30
Summary	Regarded as the intellectual pinnacle of the year, the GIS dissertation gives students the opportunity to explore a topic in detail and often to genuinely contribute to knowledge or develop a new innovation within the field. It is a substantial piece of research work which both reinforces the skills learned in the taught component of the course and develop new skills and ideas aligned to the student's particular interests. The innovative dissertation format comprises two parts: a research paper and a technical report. A supervisor is allocated from within the MSc teaching staff, along with an external supervisor, depending on topic.
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Full Year
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 600 ( Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 578 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Submission of dissertation.
Feedback	Not entered
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
The outcomes given are specifically what a student can learn from the core courses of the taught element of the programme, and the dissertation. Optional courses allow students to learn more in related areas. 1) Understand the range of methods used to store and analyse spatial and attribute data in the context of geographical information systems 2) Understand the concept of database management and its implications 3) Critically review available GIS technologies, assessing their merits and shortcomings 4) Predict future developments and understand the implications of standardisation efforts 5) Be aware of a range of applications of GIS 6) Develop intellectual skills in critical analysis and synthesis of information to support research themes. 7) Locate, read and summarise relevant literature, from both traditional and electronic media, to extend your understanding of the topic 8) Develop reasoned arguments, firmly grounded in the available literature 9) Generate new knowledge through experimentation or interpretation of previous studies. 10) Plan and write assignments, within the specified parameters and to a professional standard 11) Take responsibility for your own learning through reading and the preparation of assignments, and reflect upon your learning experience 12) Develop transferable skills in written and verbal communication, group and team work, computing, programming and numeracy, and time and project management