Focus on the Master's level Dissertation
Activity 1
Before you start, take 5 minutes to jot down up to 10 questions you might like to ask about writing a dissertation at Master's level.
These could be about:
- the process - what is involved in researching and writing a Master's level dissertation
- the product - what the finished product looks like
- the system - any questions about what your role is as 'supervisee', and what kind of support you might expect from your supervisor
After you have decided what concerns you most, then have a browse through the materials below.
Activity 2
We held a panel Q/A discussion with a group of students and staff from the School of History and Cultures, based on six questions sent through from our History MA students. While these students may not be following the same MA programme as you are, you will no doubt find the film-clips and commentary useful.
- As you browse around these short clips, listen out for answers to your questions, as well as any other interesting snippets you pick up along the way.
- Make a checklist as you go of things you need to remember: what you must do, what you can choose to do, and what you want to avoid doing!
- If your dissertation will be written for a different department, make a note of the questions you would like to ask your supervisor, now that you have heard the advice given to History and Cultures MA students,
Please note
The panel session lasted an hour and a half. We have split the footage into short extracts so that you can choose what to focus on, and to help you navigate around the discussion. You will be able to hear that this was a live discussion, as there is some external noise as students walk along the corridors outside, and some interference from the tech desk in the lecture theatre where we were filming, but we hope you don't find this too distracting.
Introduction to the panel
*Please note, the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage (IIICH) is also known as the Ironbridge Centre for Heritage (ICH).
Introduction to the session
Contents
The activity is split into five sections, as set out below:
The Process
The Product general questions of style
The Product ii) structure, sample dissertations, and assessment
Some sound advice - what not to do
Top Tips
It is not necessary to work through the pages in order, or to complete the whole activity at once. These materials are designed so that you can come back to them at any time to review and refresh your understanding of what is required of you as you write up your final research project for your master's degree.
Fuller commentary on questions from Masters students in other discipline areas will no doubt be available in the future, but meanwhile, whatever your topic, you should find the comments made by these CAL academics useful.