ENMMEDS: Dissertation

Module code: ENMMEDS

Module provider: English Literature; School of Humanities

Credits: 80

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2 / Summer

Module convenor: Dr John Scholar, email: j.m.scholar@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module will prepare and guide you in the research and writing of a dissertation of 15,000 words, on a topic relating to literature in English. Your topic will be arrived at in consultation with staff. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify and develop interests within the field of English studies, leading to a deep knowledge and understanding of certain sub-fields. 
2. Demonstrate advanced research skills, including using archives, formulating significant and rigorous research questions, and addressing these to a range of appropriately chosen texts. 
3. Think critically, and engage questioningly with contemporary conversations about literary texts, and theoretical debates; question their own and others’ assumptions and methodology. 
4. Present the results of research (or reading, or critical thinking) lucidly and confidently, both orally and in writing. 
5. Synthesize an original written argument, locating analysis of particular texts within a broader theoretical and contextual setting. 

Module content

The dissertation will be written on a subject chosen by you, in consultation with the Programme Director and the dissertation supervisor. It is expected that the dissertation will be a distinctive piece of critical work that has been conceived, researched, and written by you. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Supervisors will provide around 4 hours of individual supervision and guidance. In addition, there will be a two-hour seminar to prepare the students for researching and writing an extended piece of scholarly and critical work. 

Study hours

At least 6 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will submit some work in draft form, and they will receive tutorial feedback on these drafts. 

Reassessment

Additional costs