MASTERS IN GEOGRAPHY

Transcription

1 MASTERS IN GEOGRAPHY COURSE HANDBOOK Page 1

2 Contents Dates To Note 3 Academic Calendar Contact Details 4 Introduction to the Department of Geography 5 Facilities and Support 7 SSiD, English Language 8 Departmental Facilities, and Post 9 Telephone, IT Help and Support, 10 Library Facilities, MUSE, MOLE 11 Equipment 12 Assessment, Marking and Submission of Work 13 E-Marking, Extension Requests 14 Marking Scales, Late Submission 15 Turn-It-In Submission 16 Penalties for Over Length Work, Assessment Feedback 17 Assessment Criteria Submission of (re)assessment, Examination Boards 18 Criteria for Degree Awards 18 Ethics 19 The Use of Unfair Means 20 Academic and Personal Welfare 24 Appeals, Reporting Special Circumstances 24 Leave of Absence, Confidentiality 25 Equal Opportunities, Making a Complaint, Student Welfare 26 Disabled and Dyslexic Students 27 Teaching and Learning 29 Safety Notice 31 Departmental Safety Information 31 First Aid 32 Accident Reporting, Out of Hours 33 Field Classes and Fieldwork 34 Field Classes Abroad 34 Alcohol, Fieldwork Safety Guidelines 35 Laboratory Safety Guidelines 40 Postgraduate Community 42 Beyond a Masters 43 PhD Study 43 Page 2

3 Dates To Note Autumn Semester Monday 29 September 2014 Saturday 20 December 2014 (4 weeks Christmas vacation) Monday 19 January 2015 Saturday 7 February 2015 Spring Semester Monday 9 February 2015 Saturday 21 March 2015 (3 weeks Easter vacation) Monday 13 April 2015 Saturday 13 June UK Bank Holidays during Semester: Monday 4 th May 2015 Monday 25 th May Daylight Saving Hours: Clocks Fall Back 1 Hour On: Sunday 26 th October Clocks Spring Forward 1 Hour On: Sunday 29 th March 2015 Page 3

4 MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN V V V IW V V V V E E FEB MAR APR MAY JUN E V V V E E E V V V SEP 2014 OCT NOV DEC JAN JUL AUG SEP 2015 OCT NOV V V V V V V V V V V V IW MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Semester Week Timetable Week MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Semester Week Timetable Week MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Semester Week Timetable Week Timetabling Support & Room Bookings SEP 2014 to NOV 2015 Key 1 Bank Holidays in England and Wales

5 Contact Details Departmental Office: Department of Geography University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN : Room C15a Head of Department: Professor Andy Hodson : a.j.hodson@sheffield.ac.uk : Room C7 Masters Director: Dr Deborah Sporton : d.sporton@sheffield.ac.uk : Room E16 Masters Course Convenors: MA International Development MPH International Development MSc Environmental Change & International Development Dr Chasca Twyman : c.twyman@sheffield.ac.uk : Room E4 MSc Polar & Alpine Change Dr Felix Ng : f.ng@sheffield.ac.uk : Room E19 Postgraduate Programmes Officer: Miss Laura Wright : l.wright@sheffield.ac.uk : Departmental Office, C15a Welfare & Extension Help: geo-welfare@sheffield.ac.uk Page 4

6 Introduction to the Department of Geography As one of the largest Geography departments in the UK, the Department of Geography at the University of Sheffield has a vibrant community of undergraduates, postgraduates, and post-doctoral researchers. As one of the top ten Geography Departments in the country you will be taught by academic staff who are international research leaders in their field, and as such, your course will introduce you to cutting-edge research and encourage you to engage with the latest developments in the discipline. You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials and will be assessed through a variety of methods including project work, essays, practical reports and presentations. All our Masters courses include a core Field Class which enables you to apply your knowledge and skills to real world field settings. By the end of your degree you will be able to critically engage with complex problems in your field, develop and learn new research skills, and be able to apply theory to practice. We are committed to ensuring that you maximise your potential and make the very most of your time as a student with us. Our postgraduate taught programmes team, involving both academic and professional support staff, will provide you with learning and teaching support as well as help you adjust to life at the University. The Department is housed in an award-winning, purpose-built six-floor building on the edge of Weston Park, lying close to the University Library, the Union of Students and central lecture theatres. The University of Sheffield's Students' Union has also been voted the best in the UK for the third year running in the National Student Survey (NSS) You will have access to dedicated desk space as well as computing and printing resources. The Department also has a state of the art social media suite, a new GIS and Remote Sensing Lab equipped with the latest specialist software as well as laboratories for environmental and geochemical research and teaching. Through regular meetings, your personal academic tutor will provide you with course feedback and help to support your professional development planning. There are four taught postgraduate courses led by the Department of Geography: the MA International Development; the Masters Public Health and International Development; the MSc Environmental Change and International Development and the MSc Polar and Alpine Change. In addition, we contribute substantially to the MSc in Applied GIS and the Undergraduate Masters in Environmental Science. Throughout your course we will equip you with the academic, professional and personal skills so that you can make the most of opportunities you encounter in the Page 5

7 future. Whether you wish to embark on a future research career, return to your employment or enter a particular profession, we aim to provide you with the best possible training and support throughout your course. We organise postgraduate research events, advertise internship and job opportunities and through our Careers Officer, ensure that you are best placed to make the most of opportunities that arise. Our relationship with you does not end when you graduate but continues through our alumni networks that extend across the globe! Welcome to the Department! Professor Andy Hodson Head of Department Page 6

8 Facilities and Support Staff Office Hours During the teaching semesters, the Department of Geography operates an office hours system. This is designed to: Guarantee students reasonable access to all teaching staff Protect staff time for research and other activities Contact with the Masters Director, Course Convenor, your Personal Tutor Dissertation Supervisors, or the Head of Department is usually during office hours but may be arranged for a time outside these hours in advance. All teaching staff are available in their offices for three one hour periods within normal working hours on at least two days each week. These times are posted on staff doors (and are available on MOLE) and as far as possible they are fixed for a semester at a time. Please note that Geography staff are frequently required to attend urgent meetings at short notice; whilst every effort is made to be available, this is not always possible. If the person you need to see is not around at a designated time, please leave a note or them and they will get back to you. You should always adhere to the office hours of staff when seeking to consult them. If a student has classes that clash with all 3 office hours of a particular member of staff, that staff member will be available by appointment at some other time. Personal Tutors The Department of Geography operates a Personal Tutor scheme for all students. As soon as you arrive in Sheffield you will be allocated a member of the teaching staff who will be your personal tutor throughout your time in Sheffield. In the case of students studying MSc Polar and Alpine Change, your personal tutor will be your Course Convenor. Students studying on the MA International Development, the MPH Public Health and International Development, and the MSc Environmental Change and International Development will be allocated a personal tutor at the beginning of Autumn semester. Your personal tutor will also meet with you at the beginning of each Semester to plan your personal and professional development, help with module choice and feedback on Module results. Your tutor will also play a key role in dealing with any personal or medical circumstances which may adversely affect your health or your ability to study. Please feel free to contact them if you encounter any personal or medical Page 7

9 problems. It is always in your best interest to keep the department informed of anything which might be adversely affecting your health or your ability to study. We can direct you to the appropriate support services which exist in the University (and which are described under Support and Welfare). The department can also make some allowance for situations in which you are unable to study or to submit work. All personal tutors have office hours, but are willing to see students outside these times to deal with serious matters. It is usually easiest to your tutor first to arrange a suitable time to meet. Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) This is located in the Students Union Building and provides a central point for general information on many University services and online access to the University database for updating your own personal records. You can access much of the material by visiting the SSiD web pages. In addition to letting you access your record, SSiD s web pages contain virtually all the information you are likely to need as you progress through your studies. It is well worth spending an hour exploring their pages so that you are aware at first-hand what is there and how to find it. SSiD can deal with queries such as replacing lost UCards, changing module registration, changing degree school, examinations timetables and regulations. Further information: Got Questions? Ask Sheffield! Find answers to the most commonly asked questions about student related issues using the Ask Sheffield FAQ database: English Language The Department has a dedicated member of the University s English Language Teaching Centre staff, Nick Northall (N.Northall@sheffield.ac.uk) who runs academic reading and writing sessions every Monday 2-4pm for our international students for whom English is not their first language. If you are taking one of our 3 International Development Masters courses you will gain credits for taking the course as part of the GEO6803 Professional Skills module. In addition the English Language Teaching Centre offers a range of additional language-related services for students and these include: - One to One tutorial advice (by appointment) - Online language support materials Page 8

10 For more information please consult their website: Departmental Facilities The Departmental Office (room C15a) is normally open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Any question or query should be directed to the Learning and Teaching team in this office, who will be happy to assist and advise you. We have a dedicated Postgraduate Administrator, Laura Wright who can be contacted via l.wright@sheffield.ac.uk or telephone on Within the Geography Building students have access to the Ron Johnston Research Room (RJRR) and its adjoining Wi-Fi enabled café area. The building also houses a lecture theatre with a capacity of 65 and a computer room with a capacity of 45. All rooms are available to book by contacting the Departmental Office. The allocated Postgraduate office space within the Geography and Planning building is currently undergoing refurbishment; this is due for completion in September / October Further information regarding desk space and rooms for will be made available to you on arrival in your Welcome Talk. The department has a computer laboratory (room GB-B4) equipped with a large number of IBM PC compatible computers, and laser printers. When not in use for teaching, this room is available for Masters and postgraduate research students to use for their own computing work. Students have access to black and white as well as a colour printer. We also have a new Social Media suite on A Floor which can be booked by students through the Departmental Office. When you register with the university, you will be assigned a computer username and password and an address for use throughout your time as a student at Sheffield. It is important that you check your regularly as we use to communicate important information about your course. The Sheffield University address should be used in all correspondence that relates to your course. Please note that the sending of offensive messages is not permitted. They can be easily traced by CiCS and may lead to disciplinary action. Post Postage for research purposes is paid for by the department. Unstamped envelopes should be placed in the outgoing mail trays in the cupboard by the door and the staff Page 9

11 pigeon holes. All mail is sent second class. If you intend to post survey material (e.g. questionnaires), this must be agreed in your dissertation proposal and you must give the office at least one month s notice before the despatch date (this is necessary to ensure sufficient postage funds are released). Telephone If you need to make a work related telephone call you will need to ask permission from your Module Convenor to use their telephone. Telephone based dissertation projects must have been agreed in your research proposal. International calls or extensive use of the telephones must be paid for by you or cleared beforehand by your dissertation supervisor, specifying who is paying for the call. If you are using skype for your research, we have a dedicated social media room which you can book from the departmental office. IT Help and Support If there is a problem with a University computer in the Geography building, please contact Steven Norburn (s.norburn@sheffield.ac.uk) or Peter Bragg (p.bragg@sheffield.ac.uk), our departmental IT officers or come to the departmental office. If you have any problems using any other University computers or your personal computer, contact the CiCS Helpdesk: Tel: (Available Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm) helpdesk@sheffield.ac.uk Use the self-service helpdesk in MUSE Visit the drop-in service at the Information Commons, or at the Residences IT Centres. Bring your laptop or desktop computer and CiCS staff will repair software faults and diagnose hardware faults. Further information: Computing Facilities CiCS provide a full range of documentation on all aspects of computing at Sheffield. The best source of up to date information about computer facilities, documents and courses is the CiCS website: As a University of Sheffield student you will be able to access copies of licensed software from the CICS help desk, available to students on Level 1 in the Information Commons Library during staffed hours. Page 10

12 Library Facilities The University Library has four sites: the Information Commons; Western Bank Library; St George s Library; and the Health Sciences Library. The Information Commons holds the majority of core texts found on reading lists. This 24-hour facility has 1,300 seats, 550 PCs, complete wireless networking, flexible spaces to enable group study, a café and access to all the Library s electronic resources. If you have problems locating material in the Library, accessing electronic resources, or need help with your Library account, Library staff are on hand to offer advice and assistance. Alternatively, you can library@sheffield.ac.uk. Our Faculty Librarians offer subject-specific guidance (see for a full list) and specialist staff can advise with disability and additional support requirements. The Library web pages ( offer extensive information about making the best use of resources and services. MUSE All our departmental information, course information and teaching materials are uploaded on the University s intranet system called MUSE (My University of Sheffield Environment). MUSE will allow you to: Look at the timetable for modules Look at your marks from modules you have taken Update your personal information using myrecord. You should ensure your address and phone numbers are kept up to date in case we need to contact you urgently You can update your details using myrecord in MUSE. MOLE (My Online Learning Environment) MOLE is an online learning environment which allows you to access course materials from anywhere in the world. Developed with different learning and teaching styles in mind, MOLE has over 25 tools, ranging from chat rooms to grading forms, discussion forums to surveys. You can access MOLE by logging into MUSE. You will find a link in your course list to Geography Postgraduates where you will find useful information such as timetables, assessment guidelines, and forms. There will also be a link within each module page to TURNITIN, which is where you should submit the digital copy of your assessed work (see Submission of Work) Page 11

13 Additional Support The Academic Skills Hub (TASH) provides additional guidance and learning resources to support you in developing many of these skills. Further information: Maths and Statistics Help (MASH) provides face to face support and online learning resources for developing your skills in maths or statistics. Further information: Equipment Fieldwork equipment, including digital recorders and transcribers, as well as video cameras and digital still cameras can be borrowed from the department. Laptop computers are available for two types of use: (1) for fieldwork where frequent data entry or analysis is necessary and there is no alternative access to computing facilities; (2) for periods of up to 48 hours for other departmental work (e.g. word processing, data analysis). In order to borrow equipment, you should contact Alan Smalley to check availability. The Geography Field Store is open and staffed by a technician 10am-12pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in term time. Viewing Past Dissertations A sample of previous Masters Dissertations that achieved a grade of 65 or above can be viewed by students. These will be made available electronically on MOLE. Page 12

14 Assessment, Marking, and Submission of Work Assessment Geography modules will be assessed by the submission of coursework, or by formal examination. The particular requirements for coursework vary across modules. You will find that submission deadlines cluster towards the end of each teaching semester. One of your key tasks is to manage your workload across each semester to accommodate these requirements. Marking Procedures The Department carries out quality control of marking procedures in line with Social Science Faculty policies. In particular Assessed coursework should be identified using your University registration number only (the number can be found on your UCard). This means your work will be marked anonymously. In all formal examinations you will be asked to identify yourself on the examination script solely by means of your university registration number. A sample of the marking on all modules is checked by a second member of staff to ensure consistency of marking standards. All dissertations are independently marked by two members of staff. Marking standards in all modules are subject to a system of independent checks carried out by staff from other universities who are appointed as External Examiners. Submission of Work An assessment outline for each module will be available on the module MOLE page or within the module handbook. Students will usually be issued a written description of the material they are expected to prepare for the module assessment either on the relevant module MOLE page or during the first lecture, and will include: Details of the nature of the work, length, and the proportion it forms of the module assessment Deadline for submission For modules taken within the Department of Geography, students are required to submit assessed coursework to the Departmental Office. One paper copy needs to Page 13

15 be submitted to the office by 4pm. One electronic copy needs to be submitted to Turnitin on MOLE by 11.59pm. Please ensure that you submit both copies by the deadline as failure to do this will result in penalties (as detailed on page 14). When handing in paper copy assignments, you should complete the blue assignment cover sheet (available from the department office) and attach this to their assignment. Please ensure that your registration number is on all pieces of work. The registration number can be found on the student UCard (please do not mistake this for the UCard number). If you are taking a module in another department, the hand in procedure may be different; the relevant department should be consulted for procedural details. Students are reminded that they must submit all assessed work. The staff coordinator of each module will return information to the Department concerning students who have not completed coursework (without satisfactory explanation). Unsatisfactory performance will be indicated by a warning letter from the department indicating the penalties of failing to complete work to a satisfactory standard within the specific deadlines. Details may be passed on to Taught Programmes Office if these deadlines are exceeded (unless a reasonable case can be made by the student for an explanation) and penalties will be recorded. E-Marking The Department is currently piloting an e-marking scheme which means some modules only require an electronic copy to be submitted. All marking will be take place online, and all feedback and grades will be returned online. You will be notified when feedback and grades are ready to view. Please note that e-marking only applies to some modules; the module handbook and the course convenor will outline the modules that this applies to. If E-Marking is not mentioned, you should submit a paper copy and an electronic version through Turnitin as stated in the previous section. Requesting an Extension to a Submission Deadline If medical problems or unforeseen family or personal problems mean that you are unable to submit work by the submission date, you may apply for an extension to the deadline. Extensions will not normally be granted for reasons beyond health and unforeseen family or personal problems. An extension application must be made before the submission deadline. Page 14

16 Students seeking an extension to the deadline for any assignment should complete the Assignment Extension Form (available on the Geography Postgraduates page on MOLE or from the Departmental Office). Applications on medical grounds must be supported by documentation (see pages 23-27). The completed form should be ed to or submitted in person to the Departmental Office. Your extension request will be considered and you will be informed of the outcome by . If you would like to speak with someone in person about arranging an extension please contact Miss Catherine Humphreys Learning and Teaching Team Leader. Note that when working to deadlines you should always allow time for printing your work and ensure that you maintain backup copies. Last-minute computer-related problems are not acceptable grounds for an extension. Marking Scales At the University of Sheffield, all assessments are marked on a scale of The pass mark at Masters Level is 50 (not 40, which is the pass mark at undergraduate level). Distinction Merit Pass Fail 1-49 A mark of 0 is returned for work which is felt to be of no academic merit. Any work not submitted will be deemed Not Completed (NC). A detailed outline of assessment criteria can be found on MOLE. Late Submissions A scale of penalties will be imposed for the late submission of coursework as follows: Day (s) late Multiply Mark by Mark Awarded After Penalty Original Mark 60 Original Mark Page 15

17 Penalties apply to late submission of both electronic and paper versions of the assessment: Copies submitted EITHER one copy is submitted on time and the other late (but within five working days) OR both copies are submitted late (and both within five working days). One copy is submitted on time or within five working days AND the other is submitted after five working days or not at all. Both copies are submitted after five working days. Penalties applied The standard penalty is applied, based on the later of the two submissions. Strict application of the rules would mean a mark of 0 for the assessment. However, since one copy has been submitted, a 25% penalty is applied. A mark of 0 is awarded. Neither copy of work submitted at all. Module deemed Not Completed (NC). For paper copies, working days do not include weekends, but do include days within vacation periods. For example, if a submission day falls on the last Friday before the Easter vacation, penalties for late submission of the paper copy would be applied from the first Monday of the vacation period. For electronic copies, every day counts as a working day, including weekends and vacations. Late work MUST be submitted to the Department Office (C Floor) and NOT directly to any staff member. Proof of Turnitin Submission You must keep your Turnitin receipt as proof of electronic submission for each piece of non-invigilated coursework. The receipt will confirm that you have successfully submitted your work. If the electronic copy of your work is not submitted onto Turnitin, and you cannot provide a receipt to evidence that you made a submission, late penalties will be applied. Note that the system can sometimes take a couple of hours to generate a receipt, so do not leave it until the last minute to submit the electronic copy of your work. In case of any problem with Turnitin, you should contact the departmental office immediately (geography@sheffield.ac.uk). If a problem occurs after 5pm on the day of submission, you should the departmental office the electronic copy of your work. To avoid any late penalty, the work must be received by by the electronic copy deadline. Page 16

18 Penalties for Over-Length Work The length limit for each piece of non-invigilated assessment work associated with a particular module will be issued to each student at the start of the module. The length limit varies between modules. There is normally an allowance for the main body of the document, and an additional allowance for pages of diagrams, tables, references, etc. It is your responsibility to check what is required for each module. Length limits will be specified by word limits. The table below shows the penalties that will be imposed on over-length work. Words Over Limit Multiply Mark By Mark Awarded After Penalty Original Mark 60 Original Mark % over % over % over % over % over > 50% over In order to standardise the number of words on a page, the material should normally be formatted as follows (unless otherwise stated): A4 paper 2.5cm top and bottom margins 12-point Times New Roman font 2cm side margins 1.5 line-spacing Assessment Feedback Students will be ed when feedback on marked assignments becomes available to collect from the Departmental Office. Please note that if students fail to submit both paper and electronic copies, no feedback will be available until both copies of the work are received in the Departmental Office and penalties have been applied. Page 17

19 CLASS OR GRADE % DISTINCTION 86 and above MERIT PASS EXAMINATION (ESSAY) An outstanding piece of work that demonstrates independence of thought originality and critical insight; shows evidence of extensive and critical reading, is extremely well written and presented, often with some flair and originality. Work demonstrating an excellent level of understanding of complex issues and methodologies at the forefront of the subject; the work displays independent critical thought, and a strong and well organised argument; using a wide range of sources including key primary sources and recent research. Goes beyond simply answering the question. Provides a perceptive argument and focus, which is backed up with reference to good body of material. Evidence of originality, good structure of argument and independent critical evaluation of a well referenced literature. Evaluates relevant examples where appropriate. A well argued piece of work that is logical, well structured and demonstrates understanding of the key concepts, theories, and literature; includes evidence of critical reading and uses this material or examples to support the student's own arguments; shows some critical abilities and originality, though lacks the level of originality or insight of distinction level work; is written in good English and neatly presented. A reasonable piece of work that reveals a limited awareness of the literature; little or no critical insight; provides a reasonably COURSE PROJECT/ESSAY An outstanding piece of work that is worthy of retaining for future reference and application to teaching or research. Comprises excellent work based on a critical appraisal of a high volume of material that makes an original contribution to the subject. Work of high quality which shows clear evidence of a deep understanding of and insight into the full range of ideas, principles, themes and/or techniques in question and independence of thought. It demonstrates a full and systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, at or informed by the forefront of the discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice. Demonstrates evidence of deep understanding of and insight into the range of ideas, principles, themes and/or techniques in question and independence of thought. It demonstrates a full and systematic understanding, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, at or informed by the forefront of the discipline or field of study, Demonstrates very good understanding of the main ideas, principles, themes and/or techniques in question coupled with some insight and the expression of some independent thought. It demonstrates a systematic understanding, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the discipline or field of study, Demonstrates some evidence of appropriate study, presented clearly and adequately marshalled to DISSERTATION An outstanding piece of work that may be publishable as a journal paper with minor editing and/or revision, and certainly worthy of retaining for future reference. A dissertation gaining this mark will unambiguously demonstrate the ability to pursue research at doctoral level. Excellent work that demonstrates originality in conceptual understanding; critical insight; hypotheses; use of methodology, or application of knowledge. Includes evidence of attainment in some or most of the following areas: (1) subtlety of interpretation, (2) power of critical analysis, (3) critical evaluation of current research, (4) understanding of research methodology and its implications, and (5) mastery of a significant body of data. Such work will be written and presented to high academic standards. A dissertation gaining this mark indicates very strong potential for pursuing research at doctoral level Demonstrates a professional research approach, and full completion of task as well as achievement of stated objectives and awareness of shortcomings. Includes evidence of attainment in one or more of the following areas: (1) subtlety of interpretation, (2) power of critical analysis, (3) critical evaluation of current research, (4) understanding of research methodology and its implications, and (5) mastery of a significant body of data. A dissertation gaining this mark indicates potential for pursuing research at doctoral level Demonstrates a clear programme of study supported by evidence of hard work in pursuit of worthwhile objectives. A highly satisfactory piece of work, but with identifiable unfulfilled potential. Includes evidence of attainment in one of the following areas: (1) subtlety of interpretation, (2) power of critical analysis, (3) critical evaluation of current research, (4) understanding of research methodology and its implications, and (5) mastery of a significant body of data. A dissertation gaining this mark suggests at least some possibility of pursuing research at doctoral level Diligent execution and sound outcome but modest intellectual framework and lacking critical insight. ORAL PRESENTATION An outstanding presentation. Very wellproduced slides/overheads. Timing good. Questions answered clearly and well. Comparable to a good research or subject-specific presentation given by an early-stage doctoral student at an academic conference. An excellent presentation All component parts presented and explained with an exceptional degree of clarity. Very wellproduced slides/overheads. Timing good. Clear engagement with the audience. Questions answered clearly and well. Indicates clear potential for presentation of research material to an academic audience. A very good presentation with clear background and rationale; showing a thorough understanding of the wider context of the work. Methods are explained very clearly and results interpreted fully and succinctly. Discussion approached with some flair. Very well-produced slides/overheads. Timing good. Questions answered clearly and well; perhaps suggesting wider knowledge. Indicates potential for presentation of research material to an academic audience. Good presentation. Background and rationale well explained within the immediate context of the work. Methods explained well. Results presented clearly. Discussion covers main aspects of study clearly. Slides/overheads well produced.timing is most likely to be good. Questions answered well and clearly. Reasonable presentation. Background and rationale presented in an understandable manner.

20 FAIL <40 structured account but shows some signs of confusion or a lack of understanding of key concepts/theories/literatures; possibly contains errors of fact or interpretation; weak writing style and/or presentation. Does not address the task set; is short and irrelevant; shows little or no sign of reading; shows signs of a lack of understanding of concepts/theory/ literature; contains errors; is un- or-poorly structured; has bad spelling and grammar. This is a clear fail. This is for work which fails to meet or in significant ways does not approach the criteria described for a pass. There may be some attempt to answer the question, but with little grasp of material or appropriate skills awareness of the subject and with major errors, omissions, or misconceptions. illustrate the most significant of the main ideas, principles, themes and/or techniques in question and to demonstrate a sound grasp of them. It demonstrates a good understanding, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the discipline, field of study. Work that is lacking in some respects or contains flaws (in argument, approach, use of literature and critical thinking) which are noticeable and serious enough to undermine the project/essay. This work displays obvious omission or an error in the choice material used and is either incomplete or obviously unbalanced in judgement. A weak structure, limited argument and conclusions are likely. Often scrappily presented with inadequate citation of sources. Objectives may not have been fully achieved. Programme of work relatively unambitious, of limited scope and not innovative. Deficient in effort or arguments/discussion poorly resourced. Over reliance on an existing literature. Little depth or grasp of analytical technique. Programme of work unclear, incomplete or absent. Objectives inadequately framed. This work displays minimal knowledge of the subject. It shows major errors or omissions, or substantially irrelevant material. It lacks overall structure, and is characterized by unsupported assertion. It lacks critical appraisal of material, and does not acknowledge its sources, Methods and Results explained adequately and presented reasonably. Discussion limited. Slides/overheads adequate. Timing reasonable. Questions answered adequately. Weak presentation. Some aspects of presentation missing or inadequate. Background and rationale not clearly explained. Methods and Results not presented well and may be unclear. Discussion very limited. Overheads/slides inadequate. Timing and answers to questions weak. A very poor presentation. Inadequate argument, structure content and delivery. Little or no discursive or critical content apparent. Poor use of visual aids. Extremely short or over-long in duration.

21 Re-Submission of Failed Work If you receive an overall mark of a fail (less than 50) on a module this will be classed as a FAIL. Within the regulations, you are allowed to resubmit the piece of work once only to achieve a PASS. If you do not pass the re-assessment, you will carry a FAIL through to the final exam Board. If you pass the re-assessment, you will carry a mark of 50 forward. If you fail a module, you will be contacted by the Postgraduate Programmes Officer with instructions on how to re-submit your assessment for that module. You should expect to receive these instructions after the internal examination boards have met, (usually around March and July). More information regarding Postgraduate re-examination and re-assessment, including the fees to be paid for this can be found here: Examination Board An external examination board will take place at the end of the Graduate Year (usually October) where final marks will be approved and degree recommendations sent to Faculty for approval. Final Statements of Results are posted out to students in late November on completion of the degree. Please note that all assessment marks remain provisional until you receive your statement of results. After this, you may also request a formal copy of your transcripts from the following web link: Criteria for Degree Award Students are only awarded credits in those modules where they have achieved a pass (50 or above). A candidate who is awarded 180 credits shall thereby pass the Examination for a Master s Degree. A candidate who is awarded 120 credits shall be eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma, and a candidate who is awarded 60 credits shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate.* *Please note that Polar and Alpine Change students will be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate and not the Postgraduate Diploma upon successful completion. Page 18

22 The University offers three categories of degree: Distinction, Merit, and Pass. The Examiners may in their discretion recommend the award of a mark of distinction or merit to a candidate for a Master s degree, such that: a) a candidate who obtains a weighted mean grade of not less than 69.5 in the Examination as a whole and a grade of not less than 70 in units to the value of not less than 90 credits, including the dissertation, may be recommended for the award of the Degree with distinction; and b) a candidate who obtains a weighted mean grade of not less than 59.5 in the Examination as a whole and a grade of not less than 60 in units to the value of not less than 90 credits, including the dissertation, may be recommended for the award of the Degree with merit. Dissertation research takes place over the summer and the deadline for the submission of dissertations is in September. Students will be notified of their dissertation mark and overall degree result in late October when the final examination board has met. Ethics All research involving human subjects must be carried out under ethical principles and is subject to ethics review. For further information please see the University Ethics Policy at: Dissertation supervisors will also discuss this with students. The ethics form is available for download on MOLE. Page 19

23 The Use of Unfair Means Assessment, whatever form it takes, is the means by which the University tests whether a student has achieved the objectives of a course and the standards of an award. It is fundamentally important that students are assessed fairly, and on equal terms with each other for the same award. Any attempt by a student to use unfair means to gain advantage over another student in the completion of an assessment, or to assist someone else to gain an unfair advantage, is cheating. Cheating undermines the standards of the University s awards and disadvantages those students who have attempted to complete assessments honestly and fairly. It is an offence against the values of the academic community of which students and staff are both part. The basic principle underlying the preparation of any piece of academic work is that the work submitted must be your own original work. Plagiarism, collusion, double submission (or self-plagiarism), submitting bought or commissioned work, and fabrication of results are not allowed because they go against this principle. Rules about these forms of cheating apply to all assessed and non-assessed work, including essays, experimental results and computer code. Cutting and pasting from web sites would also be considered unacceptable. What constitutes unfair means? 1. Plagiarism (either intentional or unintentional) is the stealing of ideas or work of another person (including experts and fellow or former students) and is considered dishonest and unprofessional. Plagiarism may take the form of cutting and pasting, taking or closely paraphrasing ideas, passages, sections, sentences, paragraphs, drawings, graphs and other graphical material from books, articles, internet sites or any other source and submitting them for assessment without appropriate acknowledgement. 2. Submitting bought or commissioned work (for example from internet sites, essay banks or mills ) is an extremely serious form of plagiarism. This may take the form of buying or commissioning either the whole assignment or part of it and implies a clear intention to deceive the examiners. The University also takes an extremely serious view of any student who sells, offers to sell or passes on their own assignments to other students. 3. Double submission (or self-plagiarism) is resubmitting previously submitted work on one or more occasions (without proper acknowledgement). This may take Page 20

24 the form of copying either the whole assignment or part of it. Normally credit will already have been given for this work. 4. Collusion is where two or more people work together to produce a piece of work, all or part of which is then submitted by each of them as their own individual work. This includes passing on work in any format to another student. Collusion does not occur where students involved in group work are encouraged to work together to produce a single piece of work as part of the assessment process. 5. Fabrication is submitting work (for example, practical or laboratory work) any part of which is untrue, made up, falsified or fabricated in any way. This is regarded as fraudulent and dishonest. How Can I Avoid the Use of Unfair Means? To avoid using unfair means, any work submitted must be your own and must not include the work of any other person, unless it is properly acknowledged and referenced. Turnitin allows you to check your piece of work for plagiarism before you submit it. It is the responsibility of all students to check their work through Turnitin before submitting a final version. As part of your programme of studies you will learn how to reference sources appropriately in order to avoid plagiarism. This is an essential skill that you will need throughout your University career and beyond. You should follow any guidance on the preparation of assessed work given by the academic department setting the assignment. If you have any concerned about appropriate academic practices or if you are experiencing any personal difficulties which are affecting your work, you should consult the Module Convenor or Course Convenor. The Library provides online information literacy skills tutorials: The Library also has information on reference management software: The English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) operates a Writing Advisory Service through which students can make individual appointments to discuss a piece of writing. This is available for all students, both native and non-native speakers of English. Page 21

25 The department runs English language courses once a week throughout each semester in conjunction with the ELTC. Students will be informed of the arrangements for these seminars at the beginning of the Autumn semester. What happens if I use unfair means? Any form of unfair means is treated as a serious academic offence and action may be taken under the Disciplinary Regulations. Where unfair means is found to have been used, the University may impose penalties ranging from awarding a grade of zero for the assignment through to expulsion from the University in extremely serious cases. Detection of Unfair Means and Penalties The University subscribes to a national plagiarism detection service which helps academic staff identify the original source of material submitted by students. Academic staff have access to specialist software that searches a database of reference material gathered from professional publications, student essay websites and other work submitted by students. It is also a resource which can help tutors to advise students on ways of improving their referencing techniques. Your work is likely to be submitted to this service. Cheating in examinations During closed book examinations, candidates are expressly forbidden to copy from another candidate or from notes. They are also forbidden to communicate with anyone other than the invigilators. During open book examinations, students are allowed to use reference material such as notes but they must not communicate with anyone other than the invigilators. Use of Material from the World Wide Web The World Wide Web represents an extremely useful source of information for your studies. It is a useful source of online data and of reports from major organisations, such as the European Union and the United Nations. It is also a useful tool in undertaking initial research into a new topic, which will be necessary for some pieces of coursework. However, there are two dangers associated with the use of webbased material: 1 It is easy to be tempted to cut-and-paste text from web pages into your own work. If this is done without proper attribution of the source, it represents plagiarism, which is viewed very seriously (see above). Even when the source is properly attributed, it is not good practice to use large sections of text taken Page 22

26 directly from other people s work and if you do this too much you will lose marks. 2 Information on the web is not always reliable. The quality controls which exist for printed material, such as peer review and editing, do not always exist on the web. It is best to regard web-based research as a useful first step to obtaining an overview of a subject and pointers to other reading in books and journals. The department expects that the majority of reading on which the final work is based (and which is therefore cited within the work itself) should come from reliable, academic sources. Typically this will mean academic books and articles in peer-reviewed journals. Citations to web-based material within the final piece of work should only be used when this is the only or the most appropriate source of the information being referenced. For example it is appropriate to use web references in the following situations; When the web is the simplest way of obtaining a copy of something which is also available in printed form. For example, much of the material produced by central and local government and various NGOs is made available this way. To refer to material from newspapers. When the information on the webpage is itself the focus of the discussion e.g. when considering the views expressed by pressure groups via their web pages. Examples of inappropriate use of web-based sources include: The use of material from sites with no control on the quality of the information. The best current example is Wikipedia, which can be freely edited by anyone. Such sites are useful to obtain background information, but this should always be verified from a more reliable source. To refer to research work from people s homepages. Seek out a publication on the work in a refereed journal. The inappropriate use of web-based material is likely to lead to a loss of marks. Page 23