SEC8102 Security Dissertation

• Offered for Year: 2025

• Module Leader(s): Professor Ben Farrand (30%), Dr Gethin Rees (70%)

• Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

• Capacity limit: 999 student places

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

To demonstrate relevant research skills to carry out original research in a chosen area of international security; To acquire knowledge in a specialized topic, possibly outside of the scope of the taught modules; To carry out an advanced piece of independent research in a legal or legally relevant topic; to undertake interdisciplinary research appropriate for the award of an MScL qualification.

Outline Of Syllabus

The International Security Dissertation is the dissertation component of the MScL programme, and is intended to be an interdisciplinary research project integrating elements of GPS and Law research methodologies, perspectives, and/or frameworks in the analysis of a discrete security topic. It is conducted on the basis of a student’s independent research undertaken during Semester 3 under the supervision of a main supervisor from one School, with input from a co-supervisor from the other School. In order to proceed to this project, students will be required to have successfully passed the two other core components of the programme.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge pertaining to:

1. A specific example of an international security problem, challenge, or puzzle;
2. Interdisciplinary understandings of that security phenomenon, in a way that is able to integrate elements from distinct disciplinary perspectives;
3. A Masters level familiarity, awareness, and understanding of the key literature pertaining to that topic of study.

Intended Skills Outcomes

At the end of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Cognitive skills – the ability to interpret and apply theories and concepts relating to international security;
2. The ability to interpret, analyse, and apply laws or regulations to international security issues;
3. The ability to critically reflect on the nature of ‘international security’ in an interdisciplinary way;
4. The ability to analyse and synthesise arguments from a range of materials and disciplinary perspectives relevant to their chosen study;
5. Key transferable skills – the ability to think about problems from an interdisciplinary perspective, demonstrate critical reasoning skills, and collect, handle, evaluate, and apply information;
6. The ability to carry out independent research and identify relevant primary and secondary materials of relevance to the subject of study;
7. The ability to manage an independent research project.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Assessment Methods

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The dissertation is intended to test the ability of students to conduct a substantial independent project of postgraduate research. It allows them to demonstrate their skills in organising their work, discovering and evaluating relevant materials, and presenting their findings in a structured and analytical manner. It also allows them to demonstrate that they have acquired specialised knowledge in their area of research. The proposal also prepares the students to begin to develop the skills described here, particularly their ability to find information using effective research techniques.