Dissertation
Dissertation - Year 2
The purpose of the dissertation is to ensure that you have a good understanding of research practice and study design. The dissertation content is designed to assess you on your academic ability, critical thinking, originality and your understanding of the pragmatics of research.
At the beginning of the second year of the course you will be assigned a Dissertation Supervisor and you will have supervision for one full academic year whilst undertaking your dissertation. Your supervisor's task is to support and guide you through your dissertation and the governance of your research activities, and to provide critical and constructive feedback.
You are required to complete the dissertation of up to 10,000 words. This is a substantial piece of work and accounts for 40% of the total marks awarded for the MSc degree.
A list of dissertation projects and potential supervisors will be provided in Michaelmas term (October), year two, of the course. Dissertations may be based on data analysis, literature review, a small primary research project or pilot for a larger piece of research, or an extended essay (for example, on ethics, or clinical trial design in precision medicine).
Dissertation timeline:
| October to December | Prepare and submit dissertation proposal |
| March to August | Undertake research and write up findings |
| August | Submit dissertation |
Oxford based laboratory projects: A limited number of laboratory projects based in Oxford will be available. It is expected that these projects will require a full-time block of study (12 weeks) to accommodate the requirements of laboratory based research. A small number of bursaries will be available to assist with the cost of travel to Oxford and accommodation costs.