Dissertation, MA Philosophy

• Credit value: 60 credits at Level 7
• Convenors: your supervisor and the MA tutor
• Assessment: a 10,000-12,000-word dissertation (100%)
  

The dissertation is the central component of the MA programme, and an opportunity for you to examine a philosophical topic of particular interest to you in depth. Dissertations are normally around 10,000 words (with a strict maximum of 12,000).

Your dissertation may be on any philosophical topic, so long as the Department has the expertise to supervise and examine it. We recommend that you choose a topic that interests you, and one specific enough that you can treat it adequately within the word limit.

In order to help us assign an appropriate supervisor, you will need to tell us the general area of philosophy in which you wish to work. Once you have a supervisor, you will have an initial consultation at which you will settle on a precise topic, put together a reading list and agree a rough plan of study. In your subsequent three supervisions you will normally begin by making a plan or outline and end by focusing on a full draft.