GI7P06 - International Public Administration Project (2024/25)
Module specification | Module approved to run in 2024/25 | ||||||||
Module title | International Public Administration Project | ||||||||
Module level | Masters (07) | ||||||||
Credit rating for module | 60 | ||||||||
School | School of Social Sciences and Professions | ||||||||
Total study hours | 600 | ||||||||
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Assessment components |
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Running in 2024/25(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) | No instances running in the year |
Module summary
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
Syllabus
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
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
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.
Learning outcomes
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]
Bibliography
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.