LECON6212 Final Project (Economics) Course Descriptor

Course Overview

The Final Project gives students the opportunity to work with a supervisor to produce an extended work of academic research in a particular area of Economics. The Final Project prepares the student for independent research and postgraduate study. Students are supported through the process both by supervisors in 1:1 meetings and through group discussion sessions to reflect on common challenges in the process of choosing a topic, doing the research, and writing up the findings. Students choose their own case studies, examples and contexts, and may choose a local or global case or a mix of the two.

The course is assessed through three elements. The first is a research proposal, which equips students with the skills of identifying a research question and reviewing key literature. The second element is the finished Project itself, which contains a finalised literature review, details on data collection and the chosen methodology, the analysis itself, and a well-written introduction and conclusion; this element requires students to use feedback on drafts and revise their writing accordingly.

The third is Presentation, which is intended to give students the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to express the value of their research not only through the spoken word, but also in a wider range of formats. The presentation could include, for example, a short written piece summarising the research results, or a relevant creative piece that adds value communicatively.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Employability Skills

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a range of resources to orientate the student and provide support for their directed study.

The teaching and learning activities for this course are: 14 scheduled hours.

Indicative example:

• 12 hours of seminars / workshops
• 2 hours of 1:1 or small-group meetings
• Office Hours (up to 4 short meetings)

Faculty hold regular ‘office hours’, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups. 

Students are to attend and participate in all the scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and independent study.

Indicative total learning hours for this course: 300

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.

Summative Assessments

During the course, students are equipped with the skills of identifying a research question and reviewing key literature. The Project element tests the ability to build a meaningful research project, from literature review and methodology to a well-written paper including an introduction and conclusion. The final element tests students’ ability to communicate their research to a range of audiences and through a variety of media, including the spoken word. The presentation could include, for example, a short written piece summarising the research results, or a relevant creative piece that adds value communicatively.

Further information about the assessments can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is for a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

Readings for this course will vary considerably based on the topic chosen by the student.

To enable the student to work effectively, we recommend a “How to do a Project” book, which could include (but not limited to) the following:

• Walliman, N. (2004), Your Undergraduate Dissertation: The Essential Guide for Success, London: Sage.
• Swetnam, D. (2001), Writing Your Dissertation: How to Plan, Prepare and Present Your Work Successfully, Begbroke: How To Books Ltd.

Indicative Topics

Note: Comprehensive and current topics for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative topics provided below are used as a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• Developing a research question/problem
• Defining the scope of the research
• Choosing a research methodology and data
• Writing an academic literature review
• Critically discussing the results obtained