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Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


AR50336: Dissertation

Click here for further information Credits: 30
Click here for further information Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Click here for further information Period: Dissertation period
Click here for further information Assessment: CW 100%
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites:
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
The Dissertation provides students with an opportunity to pursue, in depth, specialist study within the field of historic garden and cultural landscape conservation and provides students the opportunity to design and complete a research project undertaken under the supervision of an appointed personal tutor. This major piece of individual work provides the student with the opportunity to consolidate, reflect, apply and evaluate the knowledge gained through the taught elements of the programme working on a strategically orientated project and enables them to focus and develop their own research interest, skills and methods.The dissertation will be a work of 15-20,000 words.

Learning Outcomes:
Students successfully completing this unit will have:
* Practiced and developed skills required to pursue independent learning, with limited supervision.
* Undertaken primary research relevant to the chosen field of study.
* Developed a comprehensive understanding of research methodologies and their application, and the ability to interpret and evaluate archival material.
* Demonstrated an ability to develop a level of conceptual and theoretical analysis commensurate with a Master level degree.
* The ability to provide accurate specialist assessment in the historic environment especially the links between specialists to ensure holistic evaluation and recommendations.
* Critical awareness and the ability to identify, assess and analyse the historic landscape and its significance from reports, plans and on-site surveys and to produce or assess landscape reports prepared by others.
* Analytical and practical skills and a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of garden and cultural landscape conservation and management, covering both designed and evolving organic landscapes and complex cultural landscapes.

Skills:
The skills the unit will develop are:
* Advanced research skills in identifying, locating and exploiting a wide range of descriptive, evaluative and theoretical literature.
* Intellectual skills of conceptual, original and independent thinking, critical analysis, synthesis and reasoned judgement.
* Skills of assessment and judgement in relation to the soundness of competing arguments and scenarios including the reporting and assessing of qualitative and quantitative data.
* Generic and transferable skills related to the oral and written presentation of ideas.
* Skills of self direction, self-evaluation and time management.
* To devise and sustain arguments and proffer a coherent case for the conservation, management and maintenance of historic landscapes, buildings and sites and to offer solutions that may solve associated problems.
* To apply methodologies to identify, retrieve and evaluate available information relevant to the area being studied and to interpret the results of findings and make sound judgements in the absence of complete data.
* To make critical evaluations, cohesive arguments and judgements, frame appropriate questions and communicate clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
* To deal with complex historic and environmental issues systematically and creatively and demonstrate self direction and originality in tackling and solving problems linked to the individual's specialist knowledge, understanding and practical skills.
* To exercise initiative in either carrying out or commissioning research and analysis and recording of the historic environment and demonstrate the ability to evaluate the methodologies used, and develop critiques of them and/or offer alternative strategies.
* To contribute to advances to the body of knowledge in the field of historic garden, cultural landscape and historic building conservation practice.

Content:
The study is of an agreed selected subject from an area related to the scope of programme: History and Theory, Survey and Assessment, Conservation and Management and the Legislative Framework.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

AR50336 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering
  • TEAR-AFM06 : MSc Conservation of Historic Gardens and Cultural Landscapes (Full-time)
  • TEAR-APM10 : MSc Conservation of Historic Gardens and Cultural Landscapes (Part-time)
  • TEAR-APM11 : MSc Conservation of Historic Gardens and Cultural Landscapes (Part-time)

NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.