AN497      One Unit
Dissertation: Religion in the Contemporary World

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

The dissertation will address a topic in the social sciences of Religion in the Contemporary World. This will normally be a library-based dissertation, but may be supplemented by minor original research elements in consultation with the academic adviser. The topic should make central use of concepts in the study of religion in the social sciences drawn from approved courses on the programme, particularly from the core course, and should demonstrate a good understanding of those concepts and their implications. The dissertation may draw on empirical topic areas suggested by the taught core and option courses of this programme, but must demonstrate an element of originality in analysis, content or both. The dissertation will normally contain an inter-disciplinary element which may be in the combination of material, the combination of critical, analytical or theoretical concepts, or both. Guidance on standards of presentation etc will be given in the MSc handbook, and will conform to the current standard laid down for the dissertations in MSc social anthropology.

1.5 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.
3 hours of lectures in the Winter Term.
3 hours of workshops in the Spring Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.

1.5 hours of lectures in the AT. 3 hours of lectures in the WT. 3 hours of workshops in the ST.

There will be lecture on note taking and avoiding plagiarism in the AT. In addition to the two lectures in the WT and the dissertation workshop in the ST, students will discuss their projects and receive guidance during meetings with their mentors in AT, WT, and ST.

Dissertation proposal in Winter Term Week 11

In Winter Term students are expected to produce a dissertation proposal including the following sections: 

• a 250 - 300 word abstract
• a one page thesis outline
• a bibliography of key readings

Dissertation (100%, 10000 words) in August

The dissertation must not exceed 10,000 words including in-text citations, footnotes and appendices (but excluding bibliography). It should be submitted to the Department through Moodle in late August.

To ensure the integrity of our dissertation courses, students on Anthropology MSc programmes may be required to take part in an interview about the process of researching and writing their dissertation. The expectation is that approximately 10% of students will be required to attend an interview. The interviews will usually take place online between September and early November. Students who are selected for interview will need to make themselves available before their results can be confirmed.