Master of Science in Biology

The dissertation will describe your scholarly research, results and conclusions. The dissertation will generally be laboratory/field-based in nature, although it would be acceptable for the work to be based on literature research, provided that an original contribution is made. The dissertation must be based on work of a sufficiently advanced nature. The work should demonstrate that you are able to set up a research problem, plan experiments and/or observations, present and analyse data and draw logical conclusions from the results obtained. You are required to give a Seminar to which 5 credits are assigned, consisting of a presentation to be given to an audience that will include the Board of Examiners. The presentation shall consist of your appraisal of a subject area related to the dissertation project but which does not directly form part of the dissertation or include a discussion of the results of the dissertation project. The Research Areas that are currently being offered for potential projects may be accessed here. You are required to write a dissertation based on research work of an advanced and original nature performed during the Course. The dissertation, to which 85 credits are assigned, will describe this research and present results and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The dissertation will generally be laboratory/field-based (i.e. experimental/observational) in nature although in specific cases it would be acceptable for the work to be based on literature research, provided that an original contribution is made (e.g. meta-analysis, modelling etc). The dissertation must be based on work of a sufficiently advanced nature, and should produce results that are publishable in the mainstream scientific literature. The work should demonstrate that through the project, you have gained experience in biological research and are able to set up a research problem, plan experiments and/or observations, present and analyse data and draw logical conclusions from t