ÂÒÂ×Ðã

8.1 What students can expect in terms of academic and personal tutoring

Academic and Personal Tutoring

ÂÒÂ×Ðã is committed to providing all students with the academic guidance and personal support that they need to flourish as members of our active learning and research community. As part of the wider support infrastructure provided by a programme, every undergraduate or taught postgraduate student will be assigned a member of staff who can provide constructive academic and personal development guidance and support.

At the start of the year, students will be provided with the name of their personal tutor, and information about how meetings will work. Students are encouraged to be proactive in engaging with their Personal Tutor: make sure you reply to emails from your personal tutor in a timely manner and always let them know if you can’t attend a meeting. It’s important to build a relationship with your tutor so that you feel comfortable approaching them, should problems arise. Your personal tutor can also provide academic references for you, which is an important reason to build a professional relationship with them.

References

Your Personal Tutor or an individual course tutor may also be able to provide you with job or academic references for your applications. In such cases, you should obtain their permission before naming them. Requests should be made at leastÌý10 days in advanceÌýof the date required, by sending an email with the subject header: 'Reference Request + Surname' and attaching an up-to-date curriculum vitae as well as your latest transcript of marks and details of the job or course that you are applying for.

Further information:

• Personal Tutors

8.2 Pastoral Tutoring at SSEES

The ‘ÂÒÂ×Ðã Personal Tutoring Strategy’ requires that all students:

• are given the opportunity to reflect on their learning and academic progress and to discuss and formulate appropriate strategies to fulfil their potential during their studies at ÂÒÂ×Ðã;
• are equipped with a lifelong approach to learning enabling continuing personal and intellectual growth;
• are provided with pastoral support which is tailored to their needs, enabling them to take full advantage of their time at ÂÒÂ×Ðã to develop and maintain a healthy and happy outlook on life;
• develop an awareness of the need for professional and career development and receive guidance on the planning and recording of skills development throughout their studies in order to realise their career aspirations;
• experience the benefits of working with peers and academic tutors within a supportive atmosphere.

For undergraduates, students are required to meet with their PT as follows:

For undergraduate studentsÌýthe Personal Tutor (PT) role are allocated to Lecturers.ÌýPTs will normally be allocated within Programme Areas, but some variation may occur to take account of student numbers and staff resources. HPE students will be allocated across all programmes, taking into account existing personal tutor workloads.Ìý

For postgraduates, students are required to meet with their PT five times during each academic year: early in Term 1; later in Term 1 (for discussion of the dissertation proposal); and three further meetings.

Students may, of course, meet with their PT more frequently than the above required meetings, as and when the need arises.

For postgraduate taught students (MA, IMESS, MRes), where possible the PT role are allocated to Lecturers from across the School.

8.3 UG Dissertation

The free-standing dissertation (SESS0053) is a 10,000 word assessment worth one course unit. It is taken in the final year. Students plan, research and write up a project on a topic of their choice. Each student is assigned a supervisor, an academic who usually has research and/or teaching interests in the dissertation topic area. The supervisor will give advice about the project, particularly in the early and middle stages.

Different programme areas (History, Economics and Business, Politics and Sociology, Languages and Culture) have slightly different expectations and each has its own section on the Moodle site. Programme Coordinators share responsibility for organising the SESS0053 module. General sections of the Moodle page are maintained by the Head of Education.

The usual SSEES/ÂÒÂ×Ðã rules about extensions, late submissions, word counts and plagiarism apply: please consult the SSEES Undergraduate Student Handbook. On style and referencing (expectations about which differ slightly between programme areas) see the SSEES Study Skills Guide. Both handbooks are available on the main SSEES website under 'Current Students'.

Your dissertation has to be the result of independent effort. Your supervisor can provide general feedback (NOT detailed commentary on style and argument) on a draft of no more than 2000 words if submitted by 26 January 2024. (The number of words might be different for Economics)

8.4 PG Dissertation

The SSEES MA/MRes Dissertation Preparation module (SEES0092) isÌýcompulsoryÌýfor all students on aÌýone-yearÌý(or two-year part-time)ÌýMAÌýprogramme at SEEES and must be registered together with other course choices on Portico.

IMESSÌýstudents andÌýMResÌýstudents are also strongly encouraged and expected to attend the 2 library sessions and the 2 discipline specific dissertation meetings outlined below.Ìý

Separate introductory information sessions on dissertation preparation will be held for IMESS and MRes students.

Aims and objectives of the dissertation

TheÌýaimsÌýof the Dissertation are:

• To provide an opportunity to pursue independent research on a subject of your choice
• To provide experience in identifying a clearly focused research question and developing a thesis around it, over an extended period.
• To enable you to test your skills in producing a substantial piece of written work of potentially publishable quality (high level of analysis, judgment and clarity of expression);
• To develop and showcase your academic development achieved during the MA programme;
• To contribute one third of the assessment for the MA degree (more for the MRes degree);
• To prepare you for MPhil, PhD or any research project you might do in your future career.

TheÌýobjectivesÌýof the Dissertation are:

• To choose an original topic for your research and to identify a relevant and appropriate research question within that topic;
• To search for and understand existing literature on the subject (including classic works, up-to-date publications, periodical and internet sources);
• To demonstrate knowledge of secondary sources on the chosen subject as well as your ability to assess critically other authors' views and to structure your own argument;
• To take into account, as appropriate, relevant historical background and theoretical frameworks;
• To develop your organizational, analytical and stylistic skills;
• To work towards making an independent contribution on a particular subject

Objectives of the Dissertation Preparation Module

The Dissertation Preparation module is designed to support and help you to fulfil the above aims and objectives to the highest standard. It will review and update your library and information management skills (essential for undertaking good research) and provide you with a detailed, subject specific dissertation briefing, as well as introduce you to ethical considerations within original research. As well as providing general guidance on the dissertation process, it will also clarify what you can expect by way of dissertation supervision.

Summary of the Dissertation Preparation Module

During this module you will receive specialist tuition in obtaining and managing sources and resources for research from a senior SSEES librarian and discipline specific guidance from highly qualified and experienced academic staff appointed as Programme Coordinators. During the course you will also be allocated a Dissertation Supervisor relevant to the area in which you wish to undertake your research. The supervisor will provide you with further qualified advice and guidance during the early stages of planning and designing your work.

NB –ÌýMResÌýstudents should note that supervision for MRes dissertations follows a different format from the supervision of MA dissertations.

Copyright of Masters Dissertations

The current Student Intellectual Property Rights Policy states that the copyright in a student’s work usually rests with the student and it follows that students do not need to ask permission of anyone if they choose to reuse their dissertations elsewhere. For full details of the policy seeÌý/current-students/guidelines/intel_prop_rights/#guidance.Ìý

Supervision (one year MA)

(Note: IMESS and MRes students will receive separate information on supervision arrangements)

Provided that you submit your proposal form by the deadline at the end of term 1, your supervisor will be allocated to you early in term 2. Due to demand we may not be able to place you with your favoured supervisor, but we will always do our very best to provide you with the one most appropriate to your area of study or topic.

Your dissertation has to be the result of independent effort. Your supervisor can provide general feedback (NOT detailed commentary on style and argument) on a draft of no more than 3000 words if submitted by 26 June 2024. (The number of words might be different for Economics)

The 26 June 2024Ìýdeadline will be strictly observed.

Students writing economics dissertations should provide a draft of their dissertation introduction, which should be in near final form by this date. Feedback will be provided within three weeks,Ìýeither in person or by phone, Teams or email.

Advice may also include consultation in respect of research questions, design, research methods, the plan, structure and focus, and bibliography. Supervision will consistÌýof a maximum of three meetings, so please ensure that you are well prepared for the meetings and use this time wisely. It is your responsibility to email your supervisor and arrange these meetings,Ìýwhich should take place during term-time over the second and third terms.

Students should not have expectations of unrestricted email access to academic staff during the long vacation. Staff availability at that time will depend on their commitments to research activity. All students are therefore strongly encouraged to provide a detailed research plan and meet your advisor onceÌýBEFOREÌýthe end of the second term and provide a 500 words summary of the dissertation before the end of Term 3 (7ÌýJune 2024).

Finally, make sure you familiarise yourself in good time – before you start writing – with the relevant guidance on style, referencing and presentation as described in theÌý‘MA Style Guidelines for the Presentation of Dissertations and Assessed Essays’, available on the Moodle page for SEES0092.

8.5 Transition Mentors (First-year UG Only)

Transition Mentors

The ÂÒÂ×Ðã Transition Programme supports new first-year students at ÂÒÂ×Ðã, helping them to settle in quickly and achieve their potential. Each first-year student is assigned a Transition Mentor for their first term. Transition mentors are later-year students within each department who work with small groups of students on a weekly basis to help them settle in to ÂÒÂ×Ðã and London as well as focussing on academic issues and topics specific to their degree programme. First-year students meet their Transition Mentor during the first week of term at their department’s ‘Meet your Mentor’ session.

Further information:

• ÂÒÂ×Ðã Transition Mentors