MSD Thesis -Semester Long (25 Points)

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

Independent study; regular meetings with a supervisor. Student is resposible for negotiation a supervisor within the first two weeks of semester and for arranging supervisory meetings.

Completion of the first 150 points of the MC-URBDES Master of Urban Design including the following subject:

OR completion of the following subject (or equivalent):

ABPL90067 Research Project B

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website : http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

ABPL90067 MSD Thesis - Semester Long (25 points) is designed to produce a 10,000 word ordered, critical exposition of knowledge gained through the student's own efforts which demonstrates a sound understanding of a topic of their choice. Regular meetings will be held with a supervisor to allow students to obtain advice on the study topic and help guide their independent study. Material prepared in any of the following subjects is expected to form an integral part of the final research report:

ABPL40041 Research Methods (Honours)
ABPL90070 Research Methods (Masters)
ABPL90135 Analytical Methods

This subject aims to develop the student's ability in:

• Critical thinking and analytical ability;
• Ability to seek out, evaluate and retrieve information, using appropriate research methods, from multiple sources;
• Ability to comprehend complex concepts and express them lucidly, orally and textually;
• Ethics associated with knowledge acquisition and usage; and,
• Report writing skills.
  

• 1 x research proposal (1,000 words), due fourth week of semester (15%)
• 1 x oral presentation based upon research proposal, fourth week of semester (hurdle requirement)
• 1 x minor thesis (10,000 words), due end of semester (85%)

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Critical thinking and analysis;
• Ability to seek out, retrieve and evaluate information from multiple sources;
• Understanding and lucid expression of complex concepts in written and oral form;
• Time management skills;
• Appreciation and implementation of the ethics associated with knowledge creation and usage;
• Report writing skills.