BA Arabic and Spanish / Course details

This course unit is a guided research unit, in which the student submits a 12,000-word dissertation on a subject of her or his own choosing that relates to the Middle East (subject to approval by course convenor). The student will be expected to identify and develop a dissertation topic appropriate to the scale of the project. They will shape a central research question that should provide scope to explore sophisticated and critical issues and undertake complex research and analysis.  

Following three initial lectures on key issues related to undertaking and designing a dissertation project, the convenor will allocate the student a dissertation supervisor, who will provide guidance with relevant research methods, writing skills and analysis of data. Thus, this course unit affords the student the opportunity to design and undertake a large research project, and will involve significant independent research. 

IMPORTANT: Students are reminded that they should seek formal ethical approval before undertaking any research for their dissertation that involves third parties (e.g. interviews, questionnaires, etc.). This includes any preliminary research that students may wish to undertake during their year abroad or the summer prior to their final year. They should contact the dissertation convenor for guidance on how and when to apply for such approval.

Students should be mindful of the fact -- and formal requirement -- that the total yearly hours that supervisors are supposed to spend on advising students directly (via face to face or office hour) is 6 hours. Please understand that academic staff cannot work more than 100% (most of us anyway work much more than that) and that MEST 3000 dissertation is chiefly an independent study. 

An average mark of 60% at Level 2 is required for admission onto this course unit.

Medium of Language: English

• To develop a better understanding of the Middle East.
• To explore an aspect of the politics, cultures, language and/or histories of the MENA in greater analytical depth
• To develop critical thinking, conceptual reasoning and analytical skills
• To place an analysis in its social, political and/or cultural context

• Show an in-depth knowledge of an important aspect of the MENA region
• Show familiarity with key scholarly debates and literature about their chosen topic  

• Define a topic for research
• Write and revise a key research question
• Write analytical plans for extended pieces of work 
• Develop a written argument of depth and complexity, using primary sources and critical literature, with a standard of scholarly presentation of the material produced appropriate to Level 3 study.  

• Use the library, electronic and/or online resources
• Engage in significant independent research
• Design a large-scale research project appropriate to Level 3 study
• Organize and synthesise a large volume of information 

• Manage time effectively, self-motivate and work to deadlines
• Communicate a coherent and critical argument of depth and complexity in written form 
• Use information and communication technology (ICT)
• Assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others
• Demonstrate powers of analysis
• Display good literacy skills in English
• Show awareness of and responsiveness to the nature and extent of intercultural diversity.

Suggested further readings

• Chambers, Ellie, and Northledge, Andrew, The Arts Good Study Guide (Milton Keynes: Oxford University Press, 1997)
• Reardon, Denis, Doing Your Undergraduate Project (London: SAGE, 2004)

Enrolment procedure: Students must submit their dissertation topic proposal form to the dissertation convenor by the end of the first Friday of September. It is expected that in most circumstances students will have already undertaken preparatory research, especially taking advantage of sources available during the period of residence abroad (if applicable), before beginning the unit. Following submission of the proposal form, the dissertation convenor will then evaluate the topic, decide whether it is feasible and, if so, whether there is sufficient expertise within the subject area to supervise the project. Students will be offered the chance to change their topic in cases where approval is not forthcoming.  

If an appropriate topic cannot be finalised by the end of Week 2 then a student will be required to choose alternative units. If approved, the convenor will allocate a supervisor based on 1) staff expertise and 2) fair distribution of workload among staff. If due to workload distribution, it is not possible to allocate students to the supervisor whose expertise is most appropriate, students will be offered the choice of changing their topic. In cases in which particular expertise is highly popular, students may be allocated a supervisor based on their second year average mark or based on the strength of their proposal. Allocation of supervisors will be finalised by week 4. In cases in which a supervisor has more than one student, there may be a group-work component to the course unit. Any such groups will normally be 3-6 students, who will meet to discuss research findings and review each other's work, under the guidance of their supervisor. Additionally, students will have one to one meetings with their supervisor.