Postgraduate Course: Dissertation (MSW) (PGSP11039)

Course Outline
School	School of Social and Political Science	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
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	The dissertation course is an independent programme of study in which students are engaged throughout their degree programme which culminates in the submission of a 13,000 word dissertation. Students are expected to take responsibility for identifying their chosen topic, carrying out all the necessary work and producing the dissertation. Input on dissertation preparation is provided through three workshop sessions and students will be encouraged to keep a learning log or diary detailing their developing knowledge of their topic. In addition, individual support and guidance in the form of written feedback work is available at key points through the process, and students may request additional help if needed. The MSW dissertation is not designed as an empirical study. Instead, its focus is an investigation of a social work topic through two fields of enquiry: firstly, a critical appraisal of written sources (research and literature, legislation, policy documents relevant to the topic etc) and secondly, an analysis of material from discussion with key informants (e.g. practitioners, researchers, service user groups, managers from social work and social care settings). Students are expected to bring together these two sources into a series of implications for social work policy and practice.
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	Students MUST have passed: Social Work in Context (PG) (PGSP11033) AND Social Science for Social Work (PGSP10001) AND Research and Evaluation in Social Work (PGSP11083) AND Learning for Practice (PG) 1 (PGSP11036)	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered

Learning Outcomes
Ability to work independently Ability to think and write creatively Ability to carry out a literature search (through library and internet research) and identify relevant reading Ability to examine a topic in depth, critically analysing sources and producing a balanced review of evidence Ability to set up meetings and interview key informants purposefully Ability to write at length coherently and to purpose Ability to identify implications for social work policy and practice Ability to work to and meet deadlines