Dissertation (Literature and Culture 1800-present)

• Credit value: 60 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Dr David McAllister
• Assessment: a 15,000-word dissertation (100%)

The dissertation is designed to test fully the critical reading and writing skills, research methodologies and reflexivity that you will have developed throughout your MA programme.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand the intellectual, socio-cultural and aesthetic contexts of your chosen topic or issue
• demonstrate substantial knowledge of that subject area
• understand a well-defined aspect of literature and culture
• analyse a range of cultural materials
• demonstrate techniques in critical reading
• demonstrate skills in close reading and analysis of primary and secondary cultural materials
• demonstrate new ideas
• identify an existing critical body of work with which to engage in a critical debate
• construct and present a position and a sustained line of argument in writing
• locate and utilise various sources of materials, including research libraries, museums, archives, and a variety of media
• produce an extended piece of discursive writing
• undertake an individual course of research.