SO496      One Unit
MSc in Human Rights Dissertation

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

The dissertation is an extended piece of written work that is your own independent research investigation of a human rights issue or problem, undertaken with the guidance of your dissertation supervisor. In the dissertation, you will critically appraise evidence, arguments and debates to reach a conclusion your research question. The key requirement is that the dissertation should demonstrate a high level of independent critical ability. You must show your ability to organise your material clearly and logically and to sustain a reasoned and cogent argument from beginning to end. Where appropriate you should explain clearly the research method(s) that you have applied and the reasons for your choice of approach. You should show awareness of any shortcomings of your study in relation to methods employed and where relevant, quality or quantity of the data, and disciplinary approach.

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

There will be an expected 6 hours of lectures or seminars dedicated for students on your programme as well as one-to-one meetings with your supervisors in WT and ST.

There will be two sessions during AT for ALL MSc students based in the Sociology department. One of these will be offered in conjunction with LSE Library and provide basic guidance about planning your dissertation, such as selecting a suitable topic, designing the research and reviewing the existing literature.

Annotated bibliography

Students are required to submit an annotated bibliography in WT.

Alan Bryman, Social Research Methods (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004)
Clive Seale, The Quality of Qualitative Research (London: Sage, 1999)
Clive Seale (ed), Researching Society and Culture (London: Sage, 2012)
Howard Becker, Writing for Social Scientists (Chicago:  University of Chicago, 1986)

Dissertation (100%, 10000 words) in August

An electronic copy of the dissertation, to be uploaded to Moodle, no later than 4.00pm on Thursday 13th of August 2026.

Dissertations may be up to and no more than 10,000 words, must be word-processed and be fully referenced using a recognised citation system.

Attendance at all classes and submission of all set coursework is required.