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Module Content

This is a final year dissertation course for BSc Human Sciences students. The overall aim of this course is to encourage interdisciplinary thinking across the various fields of Human Sciences, developing your independent research and writing skills. This course will enable you to follow up your own interests, and to explore a topic of your own choosing. You will be required to plan your project and work independently to a deadline, and communicate your research/ideas effectively. You must demonstrate your ability to bring several different disciplines to bear on a single topic in a coherent and integrated way.

This course is student-led, with the support of supervisory academic staff. Student projects are usually library-based (i.e., literature review). However, with the agreement of relevant staff members, students may conduct primary/secondary research (e.g., lab work, fieldwork, data analysis).

Indicative Topics

• Human Sciences
• Independent research
• Interdisciplinary thinking
• Project planning
• Communication and presentation skills

Teaching Delivery

Student progress and skills development will be supported by 5 seminars. Students will be required to present their ideas / research progress to the module lead and peers. Students will be supervised by two UCL academic staff members, who must be from different disciplines. Students are primarily responsible for carrying out and completing their project, including finding supervisors who are able to provide suitable academic guidance. Where required, students will receive ad-hoc additional support/advice from the module organiser via individual meetings and/or e-mail.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

• Approach and understand a topic within the Human Sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective
• Plan a project, including developing a research question
• Work independently to a deadline
• Communicate complex topics effectively, via writing and presentations

Additional Information

Students should begin planning their project and looking for their primary supervisor over the summer in their 2nd year.

Students wishing to engage in primary research will require ethics approval from the UCL Anthropology Ethics Committee. The final ethics application deadline is usually at the end of October (Term 1). Consequently, students planning to conduct primary research must secure supervisors and have a clear project plan by the beginning of 3rd year. Note, undergraduate students are not permitted to conduct high-risk research (e.g., research involving vulnerable subjects, illegal practice, human remains, etc.).