BSc Environmental Management / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Dissertation (UG)

Course unit fact file
Unit code PLAN30000
Credit rating 40
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Full year
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Students  on the Bachelors  (BA)  and undergraduate  Masters  degree  programmes  are required  to prepare  a dissertation  of 12,000  words  on an agreed  topic.   There  is also  the  option  of submitting a design  dissertation, as an alternative to a conventional dissertation. Both dissertations and design  studies  should  contain  an element  of original  research. 

Aims

Provide students  with an opportunity to plan, manage  and conduct a programme of research on a relevant  topic related  to City and Regional Development, Environmental Management or Town and Country Planning

Further students' knowledge of a relevant body of literature

Develop students' writing, presentation and bibliographic skills 

Provide students  with the opportunity to apply in a research context  skills and techniques developed in other course units.

Teaching and learning methods

Two lectures, 4 workshops, plus individual/group sessions with a dissertation advisor.

Knowledge and understanding

A deeper understanding of a particular topic related to Environmental Management, Urban and Regional Planning, Real Estate and Planning or Urban Studies

Intellectual skills

The ability to undertake an effective programme of research

Practical skills

Knowledge of the ways in which a range of research methods can be applied

Transferable skills and personal qualities

The ability to produce a well-written, clearly presented and properly formatted dissertation

Assessment methods

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

LENGTH REQUIRED

WEIGHTING WITHIN UNIT

FEEDBACK

  Dissertation

12,000 words

100%

Feedback will be provided by email within 15 working days of submission.

 

Feedback methods

Combined lecture and seminar sessions. Self-directed reading.

Recommended reading

Berry, R. (2004) The Research Project: how to write it, fifth edition, Routledge, London.

Bryman, A. and Burgess, R. (1994) Analysing Qualitative Data, Routledge, London.

Creswell, J. (2003) Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Method Approaches, second edition, Sage, London.

Frankfort-Nachmias, C. and Nachmias, D. (2007) Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Arnold, London.

Moser, C. and Kalton, G. (1985) Survey Methods in Social Investigation, Gower, London.

Parsons, T. and Knight, P. (2005) How to do your Dissertation in Geography and Related Disciplines, second edition, Routledge, London.

Robson, C. (2011) Real World Research, third edition, John Wiley, London.

Yin, R. (2013) Case Study Research: Design and Methods, fifth edition, Sage, London.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 24
Tutorials 24
Independent study hours
Independent study 352

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Nuno Pinto Unit coordinator

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