UCL Medieval and Renaissance Studies

UCL Medieval and Renaissance Studies

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• Medieval and Renaissance Studies Staff
• MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MARS)
  • An overview of the degree
  • Students' views
  • Admissions
  • Scholarships
  • Courses
  • Personal tutoring
  • Dissertation
    • Choice of Topic
    • Supervision
    • Contents
    • Argument
    • Presentation
    • Style and the Mechanics of Writing
    • Quotations
    • Footnotes
    • Bibliography
    • Word Length
    • Submission
    • Plagiarism and Non-Originality
  • Assessment
  • Staff / Student consultative committee
  • Start of year
  • Meetings
  • Coursework Guidelines
• PhD Research in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MARS) Centre
• Seminars and Lectures
• Libraries and Resources
• News

Choice of Topic

During the Autumn Term, students should discuss possible dissertation topics with the MARS Degree Tutor, who will suggest a suitable supervisor. They should bear in mind:

• The scope of the thesis; the subject should be neither too wide for a thorough discussion within the word limit, nor so narrow that it fails to provide an intellectual challenge.
• The availability of the resources necessary for completing the thesis successfully.

In consultation with the supervisor, a student should complete a Dissertation Proposal Form, giving a synopsis of the planned research, and submit it to the Postgraduate Administrator by 18th February. The synopsis should be about 100 words long and word-processed. It should indicate the main primary and secondary sources that the student proposes to use.

The MARS Degree Tutor may return submitted Proposal Forms for revision, which should be undertaken in consultation with the supervisor. The Form should be re-submitted within two weeks. A student may begin the dissertation once the Degree Tutor has approved the synopsis.