Spanish MA
Applied Dissertation with Placement in Spanish HISP4125P
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Modern Languages and Cultures
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Runs Throughout Semesters 1 and 2
- Available to Visiting Students: No
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
This course will provide students with the opportunity to engage in a collaborative placement project with an
external partner within/relevant to their field of study. Students will produce an individual project on a topic agreed
with the subject area/supervisor/placement provider, alongside a developed piece of academic writing
contextualising their research and its relevance in the context of the curriculum/relevant professional arena.
Timetable
Regular supervision sessions will take place during the year with an appointed supervisor.
Excluded Courses
Spanish Dissertation HISP4117P
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
Two possible modes of assessment are available for the Applied Dissertation with Placement. You should discuss which of the two options you will use with your supervisor and/or placement provider in advance.
Option 1:
■ Detailed outline of proposed project completed in GENERAL9129 (Junior Hons Applied Dissertation core course), (950 words) - 10%
■ 3 x 350 word Placement Journal entries, each describing a different occasion where students have demonstrated and developed specific skills, linked to GU Graduate Attributes (1050 words) - 15%
■ Project Output. FLEXIBLE - to be agreed with supervisor/placement provider at proposal stage. Examples include: exhibition; catalogue; film; installation; performance; database; business report; consultation project; policy briefing - 25%
■ Academic write-up, incorporating analysis of project and critical/theoretical framework (3000 words) - 50%
Option 2:
■ Detailed outline of proposed project completed in GENERAL9129 Junior Hons Applied Dissertation core course (950 words) - 10%
■ 3 x 350 word Placement Journal entries, each describing a different occasion where students have demonstrated and developed specific skills, linked to GU Graduate Attributes (1050 words) - 15%
■ Academic write-up, incorporating analysis of project and critical/theoretical framework (4000 words) - 75%
If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:
■ There is no alternative to the dissertation, but an extension to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).
Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.â¯
Main Assessment In: April/May
Course Aims
This course aims to:
■ engage students in a collaborative placement project with an external partner, within/relevant to their field of study;
■ enable students to develop an individual project on a topic agreed with the subject area/supervisor and external placement provider;
■ build students' planning and time-management skills for a programme of independent research and placement activities;
■ develop students' capacity for independent research and writing;
■ engage students with theoretical and practical knowledge of the chosen area of inquiry / relevant professional arena;
■ develop Graduate Attributes and enhance students' perspectives on their graduate employability.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
■ discuss and evaluate a particular topic at an advanced level in terms of subject-specific context/theories;
■ employ skills learned within the academic curriculum as part of a placement in the practical and professional arena;
■ plan for, and carry out, an efficient programme of well-managed independent research and placement activity/output;
■ synthesise and write up independent research findings and material;
■ analyse crucial terms of discussion and incorporate relevant critical and theoretical approaches into the written and practical components of their project;
■ analyse the findings/outputs of their chosen project within the context of their relevant academic field;
■ comment on their individual Graduate Attributes and ways in which these have been developed on placement.