MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Handbook 2025 | Swansea

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Introduction

This module involves the completion of a dissertation and allows students to undertake in-depth and applied research on an academic or practical topic.  Students must choose a topic that they are interested in (related to their pathway and specialist field) and conduct an original piece of research that adds knowledge to the field.  

Students are permitted to adopt one of the following dissertation formats: 1) systematic literature review, 2) dissertation (secondary data) or 3) dissertation (primary data).  The systematic literature review requires a detailed and comprehensive review of relevant literature, with a discussion chapter outlining key gaps in the literature, relevant research questions and appropriate methods.  The dissertation format will require students to complete a literature review, methodology, results and discussion. The analysis for this dissertation can be either based on primary data (i.e. that which you collect yourself such as a questionnaire) or secondary data (i.e. data that has already been collected such as statistics and company reports). Students will use knowledge gained during their MSc programmes to complete this dissertation. Topic selection has to be related to the discipline of Business Management.  If you are on one of our pathways listed below, then your topic must be relevant to this pathway.

• Management
• Management (Artificial Intelligence)
• Management (Business Analytics) 
• Management (Digital Business)
• Management (Enterprise and Innovation) 
• Management (Finance) 
• Management (Human Resource Management) 
• Management (International Management) 
• Management (Marketing) 
• Management (Media) 
• Management (Operations and Supply Management) 
• Management (Sport Management)
• Management (Sustainable Business)

Supervisors and module lecturers on your pathway will be able to give you some guidance.   However, they will NOT choose the topic for you. This is an individual decision to be made in consultation with your supervisor. The Research Methods module (MN-M549) may help you to decide upon and refine ideas for your topic. 

This booklet contains: 

• an introduction to the module 
• lecture information and supervisory information
• details of the core textbooks via the reading list
• information on assessment and feedback, including the dissertation briefs 
• an overview of the entire module

Learning Outcomes of MN- D004 MSc Dissertation:

On completion of this module students should be able to:-

• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the literature associated with their research topic, as related to their specialist pathway area.
• Interpret and analyse the strategic environment of a given research topic or company.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the research topic or business problem that all resources are finite and in order to complete a research dissertation trade-off decisions must be made.
• Critically apply theoretical concepts to a real-world business situation.
• Critically evaluate the challenges of working in the real world with operational, organisational and financial responsibility.
• Evaluate the likely outcomes associated with the data collected to determine how this links back to the literature and affects this may have.

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Transferrable Skills

• Problem solving
• Analytical skills
• Communication skills
• Report writing
• Creativity

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Assessment

The assessment for the module is structured as follows: 

Step 1:Submission of Ethics Approval – this is an online process. A pre-recorded video is available to help you with this process.
To be completed no later than Friday 27th June 2025. 

Step 2:100% individual dissertation of no more than 12,000 words 

(Deadline at 14:00pm on Tuesday, 30th September 2025)  

Submission in Welsh

Any written work submitted as part of any assessment or examination may be submitted in Welsh, and that work submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than written work submitted by you in English as part of an assessment or examination. 

Time Limits and Extensions

The expectation is that students will submit their Dissertation within the time-limit laid down by the regulation.

For postgraduate students, the School operates a late penalty system of awarding zero marks for any late and/or incomplete submissions. A submission will be considered in complete if it does not contain a signed declarations and statements form and an ethics form that is completed and signed and dated both by you and your supervisor.

PLEASE NOTE: Students must ensure that their research can be completed in 3 months and should take note of public holidays both in the UK and overseas when drawing up their work plan. 

A candidate's time-limit may be extended by Swansea University in exceptional cases.It is the responsibility of the student to bring to the attention of their supervisor any foreseeable events which may interfere with their work and result in a possible extension request.

Extensions may be granted on compassionate grounds, in cases of illness, serious domestic difficulties, or inordinate professional commitments (part-time students only) which can be demonstrated to have adversely affected a candidate's ability to complete within the stipulated period. A full and reasoned case, supported by appropriate medical or other independent evidence, must be made by the School for the consideration of Swansea University.

Students who request an extension on such grounds must complete the official Extension Request Form in Appendix E. A clear statement must be supplied, showing that the School concerned has evaluated the situation in which the candidate finds him/herself as a result of the illness or other circumstance (including covid-19 related issues) and that it considers the requested extension to be appropriate. Such a statement will, wherever possible, follow contact between the candidate and the School.

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating Circumstances are defined as serious and acute problems or events which are beyond your control or ability to foresee which may have affected your performance and/or may have impeded your ability to complete or submit an assessment on time.

If you feel you are dealing with extenuating circumstances please contact your supervisor, the assessments team (assessment-management@swansea.ac.uk) and the student experience officers (studentsupport-management@swansea.ac.uk) who will be able to discuss the extenuating circumstances process with you. 

If you require an extension to your dissertation please complete the form in Appendix D. 

Non-submission and Re-submissions

Any students who fail the Directed Independent Learning element, will automatically be eligible for one attempt to resubmit (capped) in line with current academic regulations and time limits set out below. Any additional University fees incurred will be waived.

Please see the following link for the Flexible Postgraduate Taught Masters Safety Net Regulations.

Students resubmitting their Dissertation should be given one formal feedback session including written feedback on the reasons for failure immediately following confirmation of the result by the Award Board. Your supervisor should ensure that feedback reflects all comments from the Examiners (Internal and External) and that you are informed of the necessary changes required. 

Students re-submitting their dissertations are only permitted to make minor changes to the title of their dissertation with the permission of their supervisor. Such changes should not require any further original research.

Students resubmitting their dissertation shall be considered as enrolled resubmitting. Full-time students will be expected to be available for supervision during the resubmission period.

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Step 1: Ethics Review

The School of Management and wider University have a Research Ethics Policy that applies to all research undertaken to make sure it complies with ethical guidelines. The policy is intended to cover work completed by undergraduates, postgraduates (taught and research), research staff and academic staff.

What is research integrity: ethics and governance? 

For a more comprehensive overview of the ethical guidelines please see:   

• Research Ethics System

Ethical Review Process

1. Using the video provided on Canvas to help complete the online research ethics form.
2. The Research Ethics Form is accessed through your apps under the name ‘Research Ethics Applicant’. Go to My Applications 
3. The icon will look like this:
4. You MUST include the ethics approval document in your dissertation. 

Ethical Considerations:

• You must have received research ethics clearance via the online system, or if necessary, the school's ethics committee, before engaging in any research activities. 
• FAILURE TO SUBMIT AND GAIN APPROVAL OF YOUR ETHICS FORM WILL CAUSE YOU TO FAIL YOUR DISSERTATION
• You are expected to behave to the highest professional standard that maintains your integrity and the school’s reputation.
• Make sure that your respondents know that you are going to keep their identity confidential. If very sensitive data is involved, the university can establish a three-year ban on public access to your dissertation.

You should not record telephone or online interviews without the explicit agreement of interviewee.

• All data should be anonymised and stored securely.

Students should note that Swansea University is not responsible for any processing by them of personal data for which Swansea University is not the data controller, even if the processing is carried out using Swansea University's equipment and facilities. Students are personally responsible for complying with the GDPR in regard to data for which they are the data controller. 

Student Handling of Personal Data

You may be required to provide your supervisor and the assessment team with a copy of your data should they request.

Deadline for Ethics Form - Friday 27th June at 2pm. 

Once completed this will then be approved. Please DO NOT complete ANY data collection until you have received a notification that your ethics form has been approved. This form then needs to be included in your dissertation. 

FAILURE TO SUBMIT AND GAIN APPROVAL OF YOUR ETHICS FORM WILL CAUSE YOU TO FAIL YOUR DISSERTATION

FAILURE TO INCLUDE A COMPLETED & APPROVED ETHICS FORM IN YOUR DISSERTATION WILL CAUSE YOU TO FAIL YOUR DISSERTATION

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Step 2: MSc Dissertation (Independent Directed Learning Project)

The assessment for this module is an individual dissertation project worth 100% of the overall module mark. 

MSc Dissertation Brief 

The dissertation should be a written report of no more than 12,000 words in length, based on an independent research project relevant to Business Management and the student’s pathway. 

MSc Dissertation Submission:

You must submit one electronic copy of your individual dissertation by 2pm on September 30th 

Please refer to ‘Section 12: Submission’ on page 34 of the module handbook for more detailed submission information.

Key Marking criteria:

Examiners will seek to award good grades to students who design, conduct and present a sustained exploration of a chosen topic in the area of Business Management involving an appreciation of the relevant literature, independent investigation and critical analysis.

The assessment criteria are based on the detailed marking rubrics provided in both Section 9 and Section 11.For more detail on required content of each section please refer to ‘Section 8 – Systematic literature review Structure and Layout’ and ‘Section

Systematic literature review Structure and Layout

The table below will provide you with a detailed structure of what your systematic literature review might look like. 

The systematic literature review structure provided in this table is linked to the marking rubric in Section 9 and will be used by your supervisor and second marker when marking your dissertation. 

However, it is acknowledged that not every systematic literature review will fit this structure exactly and it may vary dependent on topic.  If this is the case, please make sure that you have consulted with your supervisor.

The number of words is just a suggestion, you are not expected to follow this exactly.

MN- D004 MSc Dissertation Structure and Layout

The table below will provide you with a detailed structure of what your dissertation might look like. 

The dissertation structure provided in this table is linked to the marking rubric in Section 11 and will be used by your supervisor and second marker when marking your dissertation. 

However, it is acknowledged that not every dissertation will fit this structure exactly and it may vary dependent on topic.  If this is the case, please make sure that you have consulted with your dissertation supervisor.

*The number of words is just a suggestion, you are not expected to follow this exactly.

Submission Checklist

DOES YOUR DISSERTATION INCLUDE THESE THINGS?

Please complete this checklist:

• Your dissertation title and student number should be the name of your dissertation submission file. 
• Title Page – including title, word count, name, student number, pathway, month and year of submission
• Declarations and Statements – signed and dated 
• Ethics Approval Certificate
• Acknowledgements
• Contents Page 
• Introduction
• Literature Review
•  Methodology 
• Results (not needed for systematic literature review)
• Discussion
• Conclusion 
• References (and in-text citations of the referenced work)
• Appendices to include the following 
• Consent Form (if relevant)
• Information Sheet (if relevant)
• Debriefing Form (if relevant)
• Dissertation to be submitted electronically via Canvas by 30th September at 2pm.

Digital Submission of Coursework Instructions 

• Log on to Canvas.
• Access the appropriate Course site from your dashboard. 
• Click the Assignments menu button which appears on the left of the screen.
• Click on the relevant assignment for submission.
• In this page you will see a file entitled ‘Submission coversheet’. You need to complete this form and incorporate it as the first page of your coursework (not two separate files). 

Notes on Style and Word Count

Assignments are a critical part of the learning experience and development for scholars at Swansea University.  Practice will pay dividends when it comes to honing your skills in report and essay writing. Students are therefore encouraged to submit the highest quality work they can to reach their maximum potential. Students with concerns about how to present their work can consult with the Module Co-ordinator for guidance in addition to the notes listed below:

Word Count

The word limit is 12,000 words; this is a maximum limit and is for the main text.

The word limit does NOT include: 

• Title page
• Declarations and Statements
• Ethics Approval 
• Acknowledgements
• Contents Page
• List of Tables
• Figures
• References
• Appendices

The word count must be stated in the assignment cover sheet. 

Markers will stop marking once the word count [or time limit] limit has been reached, likely leading to a reduced overall mark as key arguments or conclusions will not be included in the marked work. 

Students who submit work that is below the word limit will not be penalised. This is because students will not have taken full advantage of the word limit available to them, which in itself may constitute a penalty.

Appendices

Appendix A: Supervision Meetings and Milestones
Appendix B: Declaration and Statements
Appendix C: Request for Authorisation of Absence
Appendix D: Extension Request Form

Appendix A: Supervision Meetings and Milestones

You are required to engage with a minimum of three, and normally maximum for four x 30 minute meetings with your supervisor as part of this module. The expected outcomes and topics for discussion at each meeting are outlined below. It is your responsibility to contact your supervisor and agree a suitable time for meeting. 

These meetings should be face-to-face.

Specific requirements for supervision meetings are:

4th June  – 30th September

Appendix B: Declaration and Statements

DECLARATION AND STATEMENTS FORM

A standard statement and the required declarations. 

DECLARATION 

This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree.

STATEMENT 1 

This Dissertation is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated.  Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references.  A bibliography is appended. 

STATEMENT 2 

I hereby give my consent for my Dissertation, if relevant and accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. 

Please Note: Candidates on whose behalf a bar on access has been approved by the University (see Section 9: Bar on Access), should use the following version of Statement 2: 

I hereby give my consent for my Dissertation, if relevant and accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loans after expiry of a bar on access approved by the University.