GV390      One Unit
Government Dissertation Option

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

Requisites

Mutually exclusive courses:

This course cannot be taken with GV398 at any time on the same degree programme.

A dissertation of not more than 10,000 words on a topic to be approved by a proposed dissertation supervisor and the Course Convener. The topic should be chosen from any area within the field covered by the degree course and supported by a member of the academic staff from the Department of Government willing to act as dissertation supervisor. Following the dissertation information session organised by the Department in the second year of the students’ curriculum, candidates should approach their academic mentor during the Winter Term or Spring Term of their second year to discuss the possibility of a proposed dissertation topic. After also having received approval for a topic by a prospective supervisor, students must submit a dissertation form detailing the final title and synopsis/prospectus to the Course Convener for approval. Dissertation approval forms must be submitted no later than the deadline. Please note that any change from what was approved in the dissertation form will require the formal approval of the dissertation supervisor.

In 2025/6 the deadline for submitting Dissertation Approval Forms will be Tuesday 7 October 2025, AT Week 2. It is recommended that students contact potential supervisors in ST of their 2nd year.

Students who fail to submit a proposal approved by an eligible supervisor by the deadline will be unenrolled from the course. Note that there is no automatic right to change topics or supervisor after the form has been approved and submitted so students should complete it carefully.

1.5 hours of lectures and 3 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
1.5 hours of lectures and 3 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.

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

This course provides dissertation-focussed seminars totalling 9 hours over the Autumn and Winter terms. There will be a reading week in Week 6 of each term.

There are two separate tracks for students completing an empirical dissertation (convened by Michael Bruter) and students completing a political theory dissertation (convened by Bruno Leipold).

The teaching involves separate streams for students writing an empirical dissertation and those writing a theory dissertation with students asked to choose which stream they feel will help them most. Four of the six sessions will be taught separately for the two streams whilst two will be common.

King, G., Keohane, R. and Verba, S. Designing Social Inquiry

Bruter, M., and Lodge, M. (eds) Political Science research methods in action

Przeworski A., and Teune, H. The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry

Dissertation (100%, 10000 words) in Spring Term Week 3