GD307

Professor Cathia Jenainati Module Leader

Core - Final year only

Terms 1, 2 and 3

30 CATS

8 lectures

8 supervision sessions

23 weeks duration

Not available to students outside GSD

Moodle Platform

Principal Aims

The module requires you to demonstrate your acquisition of a range of intellectual and practical skills for engaging with a topical issue related to any area of Global Sustainable Development. You are expected to bring together theoretical concepts and practical approaches to address a specific problem, and to demonstrate your ability to think across disciplines and produce an original intervention (a concept paper, a practical project, a film production, a long essay, an advocacy campaign etc…) in the field of sustainable development. Furthermore, the module encourages each student to design a strategy for disseminating their findings (present at a conference, publish online, publish in a journal, hold a public meeting) in the public space. Group submissions may be allowed if the supervisors deem it appropriate.

Principal Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module you will have:

• Learned to design a feasible research project;
• Planned, implemented and managed a research project;
• Produced a piece of original research that is based on a topical issue related to Global Sustainable Development;
• Designed a public dissemination event to showcase your findings;
• Presented the findings of your research project in a public forum.

Syllabus : This module commences at the end of year 2

Year 2 Term 3

• Lecture : The Dissertation Proposal (online access here)
• Lecture: Generating original ideas and deciding on a project; Selecting a Supervisor, Project Management
• Supervision 1 (group)

Students on study abroad (including the Monash Exchange) will have access to the content of the 2 lectures.

Year 3 Term 1 (weekly schedule)

1. Supervision 2 (group)
2. Lecture : Deciding on the format of your project
3. Independent work
4. Lecture : Writing the proposal
5. Supervision 3 (group)
6. Independent work and Submission of the proposal
7. Independent work
8. Supervision 4 (individual) : feedback on proposal and action points for consideration
9. Lecture : Using Evidence and constructing an argument
10. Independent work

Year 3 Term 2

1. Supervision 5 (format to be agreed with the supervisor)
2. Lecture : Components of the dissertation
3. Independent work
4. Lecture: Referencing and Citations
5. Independent work
6. Supervision 6
7. Independent work
8. Supervision 7
9. Lecture: Editing, Revising, Presenting your findings
10. Supervision 8

Year 3 Term 3

1. Optional Supervision 
2. Dissemination
3. Submission

Assessment

Coursework

Proposal (1,000 - 1,500 words) (10%) Dissemination (format varies) (20%) Dissertation (8,000 - 8,500 words) or Project (+2,000 words) (70%)