REMDISS30: Spatial Planning Dissertation

Module code: REMDISS30

Module provider: Real Estate and Planning; Henley Business School

Credits: 30

Level: 7

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Richard Nunes, email: r.j.nunes@henley.reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module brings together teaching and learning across the programme, incorporating taught and assessed research methods.

The Real Estate and Planning Dissertation module provides a vehicle for an in-depth understanding of a chosen area of planning, real estate, and rural land and business management practice. Depending on the student's interest, the aim of this module is to enable a student to conduct a substantial and in parts original research study on a relevant topic - selected by the student in consultation with the module convenor and later refined with an assigned supervisor.

Module learning outcomes

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

• Conduct a literature review;
• Select the appropriate research methodology;
• Present results so as to be able to formulate defensible conclusions; and 
• Support an argument with citations.

Module content

Topics to be covered in the lecture and class programme include: 

• Introduction to the research process
• Literature reviews and styling academic arguments
• Research design and ethics
• Introductions to qualitative and quantitative research methods

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The contact time for the dissertation consists of one introductory lecture and practical classes on research methods, and one to one supervision over the Spring and Summer terms. Students are: 

• Expected to participate in lectures and practical classes, and to work independently on their research project.  
• Encouraged to apply the skills learned during these sessions to the development of a final dissertation. 

Study hours

At least 36 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.

• Research proposal
• Regular supervisory meetings during the Spring and Summer terms

Reassessment

Additional costs