DEG Undergraduate Dissertation Supervision

Useful links

Set up / Supervisor Allocation

The undergraduate dissertation is launched in week 5 of the Spring term. Students are given an introduction to the dissertation, and they are also given access to the dissertation topics website. This has descriptions of research topic areas and the staff that are able to supervise dissertations within these areas.

By week 10 students are expected to submit the UG dissertation supervisor selection form, where they give their topic area and their agreed supervisor. This should have been agreed by the supervisor and the student. The list of supervisors, students and topics is the 2022/23 UG/MEnv Dissertation -Supervision allocation, and is kept by the module convenor.

Organising Supervisory Meetings

Following this there are two meetings with the supervisor in the Summer term, in weeks 4-6 and weeks 8-10. By Summer week 10 the student should submit the Project Framework to the supervisor. This is formative.

In the Autumn term students have meetings with their supervisor in weeks 1-2, 5-6, and 8-10. They should submit a 4 page research proposal in week 3 to their supervisor, this is also formative.

In the Spring term students have meetings in Spring week 2, and weeks 5-6. They should submit 2 draft sections in week 3 of the Spring term.

By week 10 of the Spring term they should submit a full draft of their dissertation. The final submission is due in the first week of May.

For each dissertation supervision meeting staff should fill out the dissertation meeting form with the student. A copy of this form is emailed to both the supervisor and the student. The student can refer to this to help them remember the contents of the meeting. Supervisors should also fill out this form if they have not heard from the student, or they have failed to attend the meeting. Supervisors should send emails out to the students at each of the meeting times, and send one reminder email if they have not heard from the student. After the second email there is no further need to contact the student for this meeting slot, but the form needs to be filled in to record the absence. The forms will be periodically checked by the module convenor, and non-attending students will be contacted by the convenor in the first instance. Here the convenor will offer the support of the student wellbeing officer, and encourage the student to contact their supervisor. Further lack of communication will be reported to the Chair of the Board of Studies.

Supervisory Meeting Schedule Summary

Second year:

Summer weeks 4-6
Summer weeks 8-10.

Third year:

Autumn weeks 1-2
Autumn weeks 5-6
Autumn weeks 8-10
Spring week 2
Spring weeks 5-6

Process updated January 2023 - Eleanor Jew