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Dissertation: Start Here
This page provides access to information on the Dissertation process and timescales. This guide is organized through a Q&A format. In this guide you will be presented with information on the process, regulations, support systems and assessment of the Dissertation. Simply click on the question below to find the answer, or if you prefer just scroll down the page and view the issues that you may wish to consider.
Where do I start?
Your starting point for the Dissertation is 'Blackboard' and reading the Guidelines booklet provided. Download the Dissertation Guidelines. The Guidelines outline the process and assessment criteria for the final piece of assessment for your Masters programme. Do remember that this is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to undertake independent study. The materials provide you with considerable guidance on how to fulfill the requirements for a Masters programme Dissertation however this is just the starting point for your research - you will need to read beyond the materials provided. Return to the top of the page.
What is the best way to use the support available?
We strongly encourage students to make full use of the support available to them - however students should be under no illusion that this is their piece of research and that a key part of the assessment criteria is the ability of the student to devise and undertake independent study to produce a piece of research which addresses the research questions. To help students to find a path through the dissertation process please find below a series of steps that students should consider:
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Step 1: Reading the Dissertation Guidelines.
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Step 2: Familiairising yourself with issues of method and methodology. Lecture notes and a textbook can be found under 'Research Methods'.
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Step 3: Developing your ideas for a topic. Inspiration can be found from your earlier modules, however most students find that immersing themselves in recent articles helpful to see contemporary issues and debates within the subject areas. You can access the library via the 'The Library' link on Blackboard. Once you have identified a topic area you should begin discussing your research questions and method with the Dissertation Tutor on Blackboard. You can begin this process by using 'Support Forums' or 'Book a Meeting'. Please note you attach yourself to a Dissertation Tutor based upon your research subject area.
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Step 4: After consultation with the Dissertation Tutor. Submit your Proposal Proforma. Whilst you are waiting for your feedback and approval to undertake the project please begin researching your literature review.
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Step 5: Retain contact with the Dissertation Tutor throughout the field work.
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Step 6: Submit your dissertation (one hard copy and one soft copy). Return to the top of the page.
When should I start my Dissertation & how long will it take?
You can start thinking about your Dissertation at any point in the programme. The earlier you start thinking about what is required the clearer you will be about the amount of work involved. Most students start their proposal towards the end of the core modules on the MBA/MSc Marketing or approximately Module 6 on the MSc Finance.
The dissertation amounts to 1/3 of the total credits for your programme and so you should be prepared to invest a considerable amount of time on the preparation, conduct and writing up of your study. The average time between developing your proposal for submission and completion of the dissertation is approximately 6 months.
The Dissertation constitutes 1/3 of your total credits for your award. The actual time involved in developing your proposal and submitting your dissertation will depend on a large number of factors including:
- The type of methodology you adopt.
- The scale of your project.
- The number of organisations involved.
- Your access to the organisations.
- Your willingness to read the support material provided and take on board the advice offered by the Tutors.
We normally expect students to take 6 months from the development of the proposal to the submission of the dissertation. Excepting the maximum period of registration there are no formal deadlines for the Proposal and Dissertation. If you are approaching your maximum period of registration then please apply for an Extension to Study by completing the form. When developing the proposal students should incorporate the marking deadlines for the proposal and feedback times advertised under 'Online Submission'. Please note the deadlines are advertised well in advance and ALL proposals are batch processed on the dates outlined. The Graduation dates are set by the University and these are available to view on the University Almanac. The Almanac can be found on your core module Blackboard site under Programme Information. To be considered for Graduation the following deadlines apply:
- July Graduation: ALL work to be submitted and completed by 1st March.
- January Graduation: ALL work to be submitted and completed by 1st September. Return to the top of the page.
What are the stages in the research process?
In undertaking the dissertation students should be
clear that there are 2 key stages in the dissertation process. 
Stage 1 is the satisfactory completion of the proposal.
Stage 2 is the completion of the dissertation. Stage 2 should not commence until you have received feedback and a 'pass' grade on your proposal. The weighting of the proposal and dissertation is outlined in the programme regulations.
The dissertation proposal should be submitted prior to students undertaking any field research. Proposals should be submitted in the same way as module assignments, further details on this can be found in the “Online submission” section.
Feedback will be provided on the proposal through the AGC Form. Proposals that receive a fail grade will need to be resubmitted. Prior to resubmitting students are advised to discuss their study with the Dissertation Tutors on the Discussion Boards.
Students should only conduct field work once they have received a passing grade at the proposal stage and have read the marker's comments. Should students fail the proposal they are required to resubmit the piece of assessment.
Students should only submit the dissertation once they have received a passing grade on their proposal. Should the proposal be failed on resubmission, submission should only occur after they have discussed their project with a Dissertation Tutor. Return to the top of the page.
What is a Proposal Pro-forma?
To help students to provide sufficient and satisfactory information on their research ideas which correspond with the marking criteria, students are provided with a Proposal Pro-Forma.
The Proposal Proforma incorporates
- The Proposal AGC Form. You simply need to add your name and programme details to this part of the form.
- The Proposal. Please use this template to outline your research ideas. You can delete the boxes and instructions if you wish but do keep ALL headings. Please follow the instructions provided on the form.
- The Ethics Form. Please see the text below.
The
Pro-Forma is provided in MS Word format. Please download the file to
your pc and insert your text into the document. You can download the Proposal Pro-Forma (AGC) Form here:Student Proposal Proforma AGC Form or from here.
Please do read the Pro-forma very carefully.
Please note that when completing the Ethics Form (Initial Ethical Review Question) students using questionnaires, interviews, ethnography etc should tick Statement 2.
All students that are undertaking research which involves studying people will need to complete the Ethics Approval Form before they undertake any research. We envisage that this will involve the vast majority of dissertations. Accordingly, the Ethics Approval Form has been incorporated into the Proposal Pro-Forma,
ALL proposals received by the University will need to be submitted on this form and the form needs to be completed accurately and fully. Any proposal submitted that is not using this form or filled incorrectly will be returned to the student unmarked which will require you to revise your timings.
We once again politely ask students NOT to save and submit the document in pdf format. Students that do save their document in pdf format may find that the return of their work is considerably delayed. Return to the top of the page.
How do I submit my work?
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Further to the course handbook students need to familiarise themselves
with the online submission system well in advance of the submission
deadline.
Full and detailed instructions on how to sign up for online submission and how to submit your work can be found by selecting 'Online Submission' from the main menu or by clicking here. We also provide a practice submission portal for students to use. Please take special note of the need to register to submit your work and the penalties for late submission outlined in the Programme Handbook.An animated/audio guide is provided which provides an overview of the proposal development and submission process. Please click the play button to view this guide. |
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Where will I find my Dissertation Tutor?
Dissertation
Tutors are charged with supporting students through the research
process. Dissertation Tutors are available via the following forms of
support:
* Dissertation Boards.
* Regular one to one meetings.
* Faculty Visits.
* Summer School
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Support for the proposal and dissertation is organised through Blackboard discussion boards (support forum) and regular workshops. Blackboard enables Distance Learning students to enjoy daily contact with the Dissertation Tutor whilst the appointment based Workshops provide you with the one to one personal meetings that are more customary on the full time programme. Students that do not wish to use the Blackboard system are entitled to use the Workshop system. In addition to these we hold regular faculty visits to support the dissertation plus the annual Summer School. You will notice that the Discussion Forums have been organised to reflect the broad research subject areas within management. Please select a forum that most closely links to your research. A number of the boards are split by student 'surnames', in the case of these boards please post to the appropriate subject and surname forum. The Boards: Marketing & Consumption Surnames A-K Marketing & Consumption Surnames L-Z Finance & Economics Surnames A-K Finance & Economics Surnames L-Z Management of Information Systems
Messages are regularly archived and can be accessed by selecting 'Show All' on the Display icon. Once archived a message can not be replied to. If you wish to continue the discussion please copy and paste the archived message into a new thread. Although we do not currently delete posts, you are encouraged to save any correspondence to your hard-drive for your reference. Return to the top of the page.
I am pursuing an MBA with a subject specialism. Does my dissertation need to be within that specialism?The Programme Handbook reads "Students wishing to graduate with a specialist MBA need to ensure that their dissertation is focused in the specialism area. The nature of the specialism should be indicated by the student on the AGC form." The Electives Handbook refers to "A specialist MBA requires a student to meet both components of thefollowing criteria:
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What are the Dates for Online Submission?
Please find
below the submission deadlines for the proposal (both hard copy and
soft copy). Please note these deadlines are final. All times are UK
(London) time. The work is batch processed on the next working day
following the deadline. Work received prior to the deadline will be
stored until the deadline.
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Can I see titles, proposals and dissertations?
We have assembled a collection of research titles, proposals and dissertations submitted by former students. The students have very kindly given the School permission to use these documents on Blackboard for current students. You may not copy or distribute the documents.
- Examples of Research Titles & Proposals - Project Proposals & Titles
- Examples of Dissertations - Sample Dissertations
Please note the proposals provided were not subject to the proforma. Students wishing to share their proposal/dissertation with fellow students should email their work and a scan of their AGC Form to Dr. M. Higgins (m.higgins@le.ac.uk). Please remember to grant permission to use the document on Blackboard. Return to the top of the page.
I need additional help with my studies - who should I contact?
We anticipate that students will find the Tutors on Blackboard helpful in their progress through the module. In some instances however, we know that students require additional support. This might be advice to cope with studying at a distance, discussion of the expectations of assessors at Masters level or simply a chat with a Tutor to identify problems with core study skills such as referencing, structuring your essay etc. The School of Management provides regular 'academic helpdesks' at the UK Workshops, Residential School and Faculty Visits however throughout the year we have a Study Skills Tutor that is available via email and also through an appointments system (face to face, telephone & webcasts). To contact the Study Skills Tutor please send an email to Kay Bowring. If you require a telephone or webcast meeting please send an email to Kay and she will provide you with a date and time. Return to the top of the page.
How do I pass the Dissertation?
The University Awards regulations were amended in October 2005. The School of Management introduced a new suite of programmes in May 2008. The May 2008 programmes provide for a different scheme of assessment for the Dissertation.
For students who joined prior to May 2008 the dissertation consists of (a) a proposal and (b) the dissertation. The proposal constitutes 15% of the overall marks.
A pass grade for the Dissertation module occurs if:
1). The student passes the dissertation at 50% or more.
2). The student receives 50% or more overall from the proposal and dissertation. In the event that the student fails the dissertation but passes overall the matter will be referred to the Examination Board and treated as an Exception. Return to the top of the page.
Will a Tutor read a draft of my work before submission?
No - the Tutors wish to assess YOUR work and whllst they are happy to provide guidance and support they will not review work prior to submission. Tutors cannot read a draft of your proposal or dissertation prior to submission. Students can discuss elements of their proposal and dissertation with the Tutor via Blackboard (note: 500 word limit for messages) and through the Face to Face/Telephone meetings. Some Tutors will allow students to send work in advance of their meeting, however this is at the discretion of the Tutor and should you wish to do this you should raise it directly with the Tutor concerned. Return to the top of the page.
Who marks the Proposal/Dissertation?
Proposals and the Dissertation are marked by the Dissertation Tutor plus the Internal Examiner. To assist our administrative team with processing your dissertation, it would be helpful if students could identify the subject area of their dissertation. We suggest that students could helpfully provide this information on the title page of the dissertation below the text which reads:
"Dissertation submitted to University of Leicester in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of….."
You simply need to insert:
Subject Area: [select one area from the list below]
Management of Information Systems
The Management of Quality
Finance & Economics
OB, HRM & ER
Marketing & Consumption
Thank you for you help with this small administrative matter.
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Why do I need to submit a hard copy and a soft copy of the dissertation?
A student needs to submit the following when submitting their dissertation:
- 1 x hard copy version of their dissertation.
- 1 x soft copy version of their dissertation.
The hard copy of the dissertation is sent to the markers. The soft copy version of the dissertation is assessed for plagiarism. The soft copy version of the dissertation needs to be a single document and is submitted via Blackboard. Due to the probable file size of the dissertation we encourage students to save their soft copy version of the dissertation in txt format - use the 'save as' command in Word or consider using Notepad. The removal of the formatting/images etc is inconsequential for the purpose of the soft copy submission. Students can still submit a word doc. formatted file if the file size is below 9mb. You do not need to attach an AGC Form to the soft copy version of your dissertation. The remainder of the contents should be the same. The AGC Form should be attached to the front of the hard copy of the dissertation by a single staple. The special electronic AGC Form can be downloaded from here or you can request a copy from the University/Resource Partner. Return to the top of the page.
Can I change the Project?
It is possible to change the project at any stage of the dissertation process however we do encourage students to carefully consider the implications of changing their project at the various stages. It is also important to appreciate that the research project will change (become more refined) through the research process and this is normal and expected. Being aware of the degree of change is useful when reflecting on your project in writing up your dissertation. If you find your project is changing considerably discuss this with your Dissertation Tutor.
Changing your project before submitting your proposal. This is the most common stage for change. Discuss changes with your Dissertation Tutor and devise the proposal.
Changing your project after submitting your proposal and receiving a pass grade. You can not submit your proposal again but you should for your own benefits draft a new proposal and complete an Ethics Form. Providing you receive automatic Ethics clearance you can continue with your project. Do discuss the reasons for the change with the Dissertation Tutor. A change at this stage of the process is usually caused by the collapse of access.
Changing your project after submitting your proposal and receiving a fail grade. It is quite common to interpret a fail grade as a rejection of your project topic, this is not always the case and you need to read the feedback you receive carefully. Frequently a fail grade on a proposal is due to an aspect of the overall project rather than the project itself. It is possible to change the topic after receiving a fail grade on your proposal but this will mean that you essentially start from scratch again.
Changing your project after submitting your dissertation. This is very rare and you should follow the advice provided under 'Changing your project after submitting your proposal and receiving a pass grade'. Return to the top of the page.
Which Support Forum should I use?
The forums are organised by subject area - so assuming that you are clear on your topic and which literature you will be using you should select the forum which most closely matches your area of interest.
Most students will find that their research will fit comfortably in more than one forum, in such cases you have a choice of which Tutor to use. Please do not post to more than one forum.
Marketing & Consumption Surnames A-K - Dr. N. Dalziel
Marketing & Consumption Surnames L-Z - Dr. I. Combe
Finance & Economics Surnames A-K - Dr. C.B. Tse
Finance & Economics Surnames L-Z - C. Ribeiro
OB, ER & HRM Surnames A-K Dr. D. Price
OB, ER & HRM Surnames L-Z Dr. W. Smith
Management of Information Systems - Dr. C. Price
Management of Quality - Dr. W. Smith
If you remain confused about your subject area, provide a very brief overview of your topic in the non-subject specific support forum and the Tutor will advise on which forum your project is most suited to. Return to the top of the page
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How many documents do I submit?
You need to submit the following documents through the various stages of the research project:
- The Proposal.
- The Dissertation.
The Dissertation is submitted in hard copy format AND soft copy format. The hard copy format should be sent to your agency partner or directly to the Distance Learning Office, School of Management, University of Leicester. Leicester. LE1 7RH. The Dissertation is not returned to students - you will receive a copy of the AGC Form as feedback. The soft copy can once again only be ONE document.
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What guidance is offered on the binding of the dissertation?
The binding should simply be sufficient to protect the work and keep the document in one piece during the transportation and marking processes. Staples, plastic wallets and A4 ring binders are not recommended. Students are advised to consider perfect, comb or sewn binding with a hardcover for durability. Leather binding is not required. There is no formal regulation on the colour of the cover. Return to the top of the page.
Do I need to use the Harvard referencing style?
Yes. You will find further information on this referencing style at the following webpage http://www.le.ac.uk/li/research/harvard.html
Why do I need to submit my proposal in the appendices of my dissertation?
When reviewing a dissertation a Tutor will be examining the degree to which your original project plans were fulfilled and your reflections on change in the project. Within your appendices of your dissertation you should include your Proposal Proforma, this should include the marked AGC Form, the original Proposal and the Ethics Form (if an ethics form was completed at the time). If you failed your original proposal you should only include the resubmitted proposal. If you failed your resubmission proposal you should include the failed resubmission proposal and explain how you have responded to this feedback.
What line spacing should I use?
The guidelines stipulate the minimum line spacing. We generally encourage students to use 1.5 line space or more - with a maximum line spacing of 2. The margins sizes are also outlined in your guidelines and students should leave sufficient space around their text to allow the Tutor to comment and to avoid the incursion of bindings.
Is there any help on submitting my proposal/dissertation online?
The School of Management has provided a series of detailed and easy to follow instructions on how to submit your work. You should refer to these. The instructions provide information on how to prepare for submission, how to submit and how to recover your submission receipt. Please read these carefully before attempting to submit. You will find these instructions by clicking here.
What is the maximum period of registration for my programme?
The maximum period of registration is 60 months (5 years).
I have been informed that my CFS will lapse shortly - what do I need to do?
The programme registration is for 2-5 years. After 2 years the University will contact you via your cfs email account informing you that your CFS registration will lapse. You should contact your Programme Administrator asap to ensure your CFS is extended.
I have not received my feedback from the proposal/dissertation!
If you have not received the feedback by the date advertised under 'Online Submission' on Blackboard - please contact the Programme Administration Team (click here for a list of their email addresses).
I am considering undertaking a study with the National Health Service - what do I need to be aware of?
Prior to developing your research ideas further, you are strongly advised to approach the NHS to discuss their internal ethics review service. Student projects within the NHS are normally required to undergo formal review by a NHS Committee prior to gaining permission to undertake the study. In addition, the review may require you to approach a Dissertation Tutor to seek their permission to be a sponsor or Chief Investigator. Please do appreciate that this arrangement often places onerous legal, financial and administrative obligations and responsibilities on the Tutor and the University which are not supportable for a Masters dissertation. You should discuss this matter with your Dissertation Tutor at the earliest possible opportunity.
