Intro
Students on the Games Engineering MSc at Warwick University in the UK are kicking off their dissertation work this month. This year I’m supporting a number of them as well as undergrads at UWE on the BSc Games Technology.
Its great work partly because you get to study several super interesting topics and also its nice to see the students rise to a higher level as they approach graduation.
Bachelors Level Dissertation
For completion of a Bachelor’s degree with honours in the United Kingdom there are some key aspects the student has to demonstrate:
“a systematic understanding of key aspects of their field of study, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of a discipline”
“an ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within a discipline”
“to devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of a discipline”
“to describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in the discipline”
“the ability to manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the discipline).”
Page 21 - The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies
What this means for a Bachelors Dissertation
There are ways of achieveing this for yourself which more or less involve:
- Reading and understanding some research (peer reviewed academic journals or conferences) papers on the topic you want to investigate
- Analysing then developing arguments based on this reading
- Developing a scientific or at least quantitative inquiry of some kind
- Analysing the results of your study and drawing a conclusion
Masters Level Dissertation
The standard for Masters is as you might expect higher. Still a similar engagement with forefront of their area, but this time a more critical understanding is required.
“a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study or area of professional practice”
“a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship”
“originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline”
“conceptual understanding that enables the student:
- to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline
- to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses.”
Page 24 - The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies
What this Means for your Masters Dissertation
This means the dissertation at Masters level requires similar output to the Bachelors. Except:
- the proportion which is adjacent to the forefront of your field should be greater
- the understanding of the topic should be deep or fundamental
- you should be able to critique what you learn
- finally propose new ideas based on this work
This requires more reading and a considering with an analytical and critical mind to discover the limits of, or flaws in, what has been done.
Curated entry points into some popular research areas for dissertation students
Here are some student facing notes, intros to the research areas they are looking into: