Economics Capstone
Module Code: ECU44100
Module Name: Economics Capstone
- ECTS weighting: 20
- Semester/term taught: Semester 1 and 2
- Module Contact Hours: 18
Module Learning Aims
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- to develop research skills
- to develop presentation skills
- to learn to synthesize information
- to attain experience of working in a team environment
Module Learning Outcomes
By the end of the year, students will have developed an appreciation of how research is conducted and will have learned how to isolate and address a specific research question. Students will have developed skills in presenting potentially complex material and in writing up their own research output in a professional and formal manner.Module Content
The Capstone provides students with an opportunity to focus on a specific research question for the duration of the year. This will be of particular appeal to those students who are interested in a specific area that is not ordinarily covered in a lecture setting. The Capstone formalises the opportunity to do this. The semester begins with a general introduction to research methods followed by a series of presentations from module coordinators on different research areas. Students are then allocated to a supervisor depending on their research interests and staff availability. The students who are allocated to the same supervisor will belong to the same group. Throughout the rest of the semester, students will meet regularly with their supervisors and the students in their group (2 times in MT and 4 times in HT) to present progress, receive feedback, and give feedback to others. As such, these are collegial in nature.
The structure of the Capstone facilitates students in the identification of a research question and its analysis. For the first semester, the focus is on isolating a specific question and attaining the necessary skills to address it. By the middle of the semester, students will have presented potential research topics and a literature review. The semester culminates with a research proposal in November. Throughout the second semester, students work on their specific topic and present their work-in-progress. At the Capstone meetings, students will receive feedback on their existing work and receive direction on how to proceed. The final project is due in April.
Module Prerequisite
ECU33091 and ECU33092
Assessment Details
The Capstone Project modules are full-year courses examined entirely based on continuous assessment. The broad structure of the assessment is as follows:
1. Research proposal (30%): At the end of Michaelmas term, students must submit a research proposal.
2. Dissertation (70%): This is the final submission and makes up the largest proportion of the marks for this module.
Course Structure
A complete schedule of the workshops will be circulated at the beginning of the Academic Year.