Curriculum Information

The core of the project will be an ‘implementation’ typically taking one of the following forms:
• The design and creation of a piece of software, software testing and user testing where appropriate.
• The design and execution of an experiment and an analysis of the experimental results.
• The design and execution of a primary data gathering activity and an analysis of the data.
• The production of a policy or strategy document for a specific context and evaluation by relevant stakeholders.
All projects will include a literature review and an appropriate evaluation of the ‘implementation’. In general, a successful MSc project should demonstrate the following features:
• The project topic must be within context of the particular MSc award for which a student is enrolled.
• The project will show a mastery of a topic area requiring the integration of the award within an application area.
• Relevant literature has been identified; the issues analysed, discussed and referenced.
• Legal and ethical issues have been identified, considered and handled appropriately.
• The problem solved is of the appropriate order of complexity.
• The problem is analysed in sufficient detail and design decisions are clearly elaborated.
• Conclusions are reached and defended with evidence.
• The decisions made in the project (for example design decisions, decisions about software tools, decisions about methods, decisions relating to implementation) have been described and justified.
• The dissertation is coherent and clearly presented.
• The completed work is compared and contrasted with previous work in the field.
• The project is critically appraised and has been reflected upon.
• The main arguments of the project are presented, critiqued and defended orally.