module specification

 The Project/Dissertation is a major part of the MPA course and for this reason it carries three times the weight of a normal module. It allows students to conduct an extended investigation into a topic of their choice within a chosen field of study that falls within public administration/management or public policy. 

This module, therefore, has the following objectives:

to test the student's ability to undertake a sustained investigation into a particular topic or issue within the field of international public administration;
to enable the student to formulate a project proposal justifying selection of methodologies;
to test the student’s ability to plan, organise and write a lengthy prose work;
to test the student’s ability to undertake a sustained investigation into a particular topic or issue within their chosen field of study.
to test the student’s ability to use empirical research in testing a theory in the field of public administration

 The module provides students with a 3 hours Dissertation workshop prior to them commencing their individual research and prior to supervision allocation. The workshop is designed to familiarise students with the nature of master degree dissertation work, with the requirements of a dissertation at this level of study, and with the relationship between supervisor and supervisee.

The workshop also clarifies the remit of the MPA dissertation, especially the international focus of the project. The project should fit with the following remit:
• A comparative study of practice - examining practice in Britain and another country selected by the student;
• A study of the role of supra-national institutions and their relationship with the practice of public administration in a selected country; 
• A study of public administration reform in a transitional country taking account of reform in Britain. All LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

It is up to the students, in consultation with their supervisor, to formulate the programme of study.  This needs to take account of student’s personal circumstances and the nature of the project that they intend to undertake
There will be a 3 hour dissertation workshop conducted by the Dissertation module convenor prior to the start of the module. The workshop will introduce the students to the dissertation process, and make formal arrangement regarding supervision and submission of project proposals.

 In fulfilling these objectives, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to conduct a substantive piece of research within their chosen field of study [LO1]
2. Select and justify chosen methodologies demonstrating systematic understanding of their merits [LO2]
3. Conduct a literature search and write up a critical literature review [LO3]
4. Demonstrate and apply appropriate skills in research analysis and effective communication of research evaluation [LO4]
5. Demonstrate systematic understanding of and ability to integrate theoretical and empirical approaches in answering a research question [LO5]

 Formal requirements:
1. Students are required to submit a Formal Proposal Form.
2. Students are expected to have at least four meetings with their supervisor.  At these meetings they will be expected to review progress and to plan future work and set an agenda for future meeting(s).  The supervisor will keep a record of these meetings.
3. Students are required to submit two copies of the Dissertation by the relevant deadline.
4. The submitted Dissertation should comply with the following conventions:
• it should be between 12,000 and 15,000 words (excluding the bibliography and appendices).  Work exceeding the limit may be penalised.
• it should be typed on A4 paper using double spacing, page numbers and adequate margins such as those defined by the defaults of major word-processing programmes.  Hand-written work is not acceptable
• it must include a title page including the title of the Project, your student identity number but not your name, the date of submission, and the course name;
• it must include a statement of the originality of the work.  It should read as follows:
The international focus of the project is to be characterised by one of the following:
• A comparative study of practice - examining practice in Britain and another country selected by the student;
• A study of the role of supra-national institutions and their relationship with the practice of public administration in a selected country; 
• A study of public administration reform in a transitional country taking account of reform in Britain. 

“This Project is the work of {your student identity number} and has been completed solely in fulfilment of a Project for the MA in Public Administration at London Metropolitan University.”

 Core:
O'Leary, Zina, (2017). The essential guide to doing your research project / London: SAGE Publications Ltd. CLASS NO   300.72 OLE.

Thomas, Gary, (2017), How to do your research project: a guide for students / London : SAGE Publications. CLASS NO   300.72 THO.

Davies, Martin, (2014), Doing a successful research project: using qualitative or                 quantitative methods / Martin Davies and Nathan Hughes. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, CLASS NO  001.42 DAV.

Bell, Judith, (2014) Doing your research project: a guide for first-time                researchers / Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education, ADD.CLASS    370.72.

Walliman, Nicholas, (2011), Your research project : designing and planning your work / London: SAGE. CLASS NO    001.42 WAL.

Additional:
Hart, J (2004), Doing Your Masters Dissertation, SAGE

Punch, K.F. (2006), Developing effective research proposals, 2nd edn, SAGE

Vaus, D (2012), Surveys in Social Research, 6th edn., London: Routledge.

Yin, R K (2008), Case Study Research, London: 4th ed, Sage Publication

Fetterman, D M (2009), Ethnography: Step by Step, 3rd ed, London: Sage Publications.

May, T (2011), Social Research: Methods, Issues, Problems, 4th edn., Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

Parsons W (1995), Public Policy: an introduction to the theory and practice of policy analysis, Aldershot: Edward Elgar

Avebury. Silverman, D (2011), Interpreting Qualitative Data, 4th ed, London: Sage Publications.