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School for Cross-faculty Studies Liberal Arts

IP302 Dissertation

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Module Overview

This Final Year core module centres on the design, development, and production of an extended independent research project on a topic of your choice. Through a combination of group workshops and individual supervisions, you will be supported to undertake original research that draws on interests, skills, and expertise developed across your studies in Liberal Arts.

Module aims:

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

  • understand how to design a feasible research project
  • plan and manage independent working
  • demonstrate in-depth understanding of your chosen topic
  • effectively mobilise evidence in support of your ideas
  • undertake close analysis of key concepts, works, or ideas
  • situate your approach within broader scholarly contexts
  • construct and sustain persuasive arguments
  • reflect on your research practices and experiences

Students heading into final year can submit a request for a dissertation supervisor before 18 June 2025 using the form below.

Dissertation supervisor request form

This is a Final Year Liberal Arts core module.

Module Leader: Dr William Rupp

30 CATS

Terms 1-3 | 22 weeks

Not available to students outside Liberal Arts.

Please note: Module availability and staffing may change year on year depending on availability and other operational factors. The School for Cross-Faculty Studies makes no guarantee that any modules will be offered in a particular year, or that they will necessarily be taught by the staff listed on these pages

Dissertation Formats

In Liberal Arts, your dissertation can be in any of the following formats:

  • Critical Research Project: the 'traditional' dissertation format, comprised of 10,000 words of written work, organised into chapters.
  • Creative Project: research findings are communicated through the creation of an 'object' (an artwork, a resource, an app, etc.) and an extended research essay. The specific scales of the object and the essay will be agreed with your supervisor prior to submission.
  • Community Project: research is produced in conjunction with a community organisation, with findings communicated through a practical 'object' (a report, resource, database, etc.) and an extended research essay. The specific scales of the object and the essay will be agreed with your supervisor prior to submission.
Assessments

There are two assessments on this module:

Assessment Weighting Description
Dissertation 80% extended research project, in a format agreed with your supervisor
Viva 20% verbal discussion of, and reflection on, the research dissertation

These assessments are designed to develop key academic and transferable skills, such as:

  • independent research
  • critical analysis
  • persuasive argumentation
  • project management
  • creative thinking
  • problem-solving
  • communicating with different audiences