Master of Science by Coursework in Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance

• 1. The Social Sciences Divisional Boardprogramme shall electbe forunder the supervision of the courseGraduate a Standing Committee. The Academic Director(s)Teaching and CourseExaminations DirectorCommittee of the School of Geography and the Environment. 

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• 2. Each candidate will be responsiblerequired to the Standing Committee.

• 2. Candidates must follow a course of instruction in HumanNature, GeographySociety, and Environmental Governance for at least three terms, and will, when entering for the examination, be required to produce a certificate from the Course Director to this effectfull-time.

    

• 3. The examination will consist of:

  • (i) a written examination of one two-hour paper in Research Skills and two three-hour papers in Theory and Analysis and Policy and Governance;

     

  • (ii) two assessed essays based upon elective courses3.  These must be uploaded to the course WebLearn Submissions site by the times and dates specified at the start of the course.  Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate's own work;

  • (iii) a policy brief based upon the fieldtrip undertaken in Hilary Term. The policy brief must be uploaded to the course WebLearn Submissions site by the time and date specified at the start of the course. The submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work;

  •  (iv) a dissertation on a subject selected in consultation with the supervisor and the Course Director and approved by the Course and Academic Directors.

• 4. Candidates must submit tothree theportfolios Courseof Directorwork and a dissertation as detailed below, and also attend two elective courses. 

• Portfolio 1 - Foundations 

• 4. Candidates must submit a 2,000 word annotated bibliography by thenoon endon Thursday of week 8 of Michaelmas term and a 3,000 word written assignment by noon on Thursday of week 0 of Hilary Termterm. 

• Portfolio in2 the– yearTheory inand whichAnalysis 

• 5. theyCandidates entermust thesubmit examination,a the10 titleminute recorded presentation by noon on Thursday of week 8 of Hilary term and a brief3,000 statementword written assignment by noon on Thursday week -1 of theTrinity formterm.  

• Portfolio 3 – Research Skills 

• 6. Candidates must submit a 1,750 word dissertation proposal by noon on Thursday of week -1 of Trinity term, a 1,500 word fieldtrip report by noon on Thursday of week 2 of Trinity term, and scopewill ofmake a 10 minute presentation on their dissertation, together with the name of a person who has agreed to act as their supervisortopic during preparationTrinity of the dissertationterm.
   

It may be (

• aDissertation ) a theoretical argument related to themes in contemporary human geography and/or environmental governance, or (b) a piece of empirically based research, or (c) an extended treatment of an issue which is intended to be the basis for future research for the degree of M.Litt. or D.Phil. In that case (c), it may be part of a proposal and/or application for further degree study.

• 57. TheCandidates must submit a dissertation shall be of ano maximummore lengththan of 1512,000 words and accompanied by an abstract not exceeding 150 words. The maximum word count shall include footnotes, but exclude appendices, references and the abstract. The detailed format and specification of the dissertation shall be approved by the Standing Committee, and published in the course handbook.

• 6. The dissertation must be uploaded to the course WebLearn Submissions site no later than noon on the first weekdayTuesday in September. 

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• 8. Candidates should refer to the Course Handbook for full details of Septemberthe requirements for each assessment.  
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• 9. All assessments must be submitted using the University approved online submission system. Technical information on the requirements for online submissions is provided in the yearCourse Handbook.  
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• 10. Candidates who fail either assessment for Portfolio 1 will have the opportunity to resubmit in whichweek 5 of Trinity term, candidates who fail any of the writtenassessments examinationfor isPortfolios taken.  The2 submissionand must3 bewill accompaniedhave bythe opportunity to resubmit and/or make a declarationfurther indicating that it is the candidate's own work.

• 7. In the written examination the examiners will permit the use of hand-held pocket calculators subject to the conditions set out under the heading ‘Use of calculators in examinations’presentation in the Regulationsfirst for the Conduct of University Examinations.

• 8. The examiners may also examine any candidate viva voce on the candidate's written papers, dissertation, or both.

• 9. Arrangements for reassessment shall be agreed by the Standing Committee and publishedweek in theSeptember. course handbook.

Schedule

• (a) Core courses

  The core courses will be examined under the following heads:

  • 1. Research Skills

    Candidates will be expected to have a knowledge of research methods in social, environmental, and geographical research. These will include qualitative and quantitative methods relevant to contemporary research themes.

  • 2. Theory and Analysis

    Candidates will be expected to have knowledge of relevant debates in human geography and related disciplines concerning the relations between nature and society, science and environmental politics, and global and local political and economic processes.

  • 3. Policy and Governance

    Candidates will be expected to have knowledge of relevant debates and issues concerning environmental policy and governance, and corporate environmental management.

• (b) Elective courses

  Candidates will be expected to show advanced knowledge of twoinformed of the electiveexact coursesdates for re-submissions/further presentations after the exam board has confirmed that reassessment is required. In the case of failure of the dissertation, this may be resubmitted either by noon on offerTuesday of week 1 of Hilary term the following year, or by the deadline in anyclause one7 in the following year.

   
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• 11. Candidates must present themselves for an oral examination if required by the examiners.