Construction and Representation of Cultural Identity

Final project

General Description

The Dissertation is a research-oriented project that plays a key role within the Master’s curriculum. The Dissertation must demonstrate the candidate’s capacity for research and independent work. Candidates are also expected to put into use the skills, as well as to broaden and deepen the knowledge and concepts, they have acquired on the various Master’s courses. The Dissertation also affords them an opportunity to come into contact with the research groups and projects that the Master’s academic staff takes part in.

The supervisor will provide guidance regarding theoretical, methodological and bibliographical aspects, as well as in connection with layout requirements. With a view to ensuring an adequate academic standard for Dissertations, candidates are expected to take notice of their supervisor's counselling and to submit their work to their supervisor in good time for any necessary revisions to be made.

Methodological resources common to all students are made available on the Master’s Virtual Campus course devoted Dissertations.

Dissertations that are awarded an A or A with Honours will be published in the MA Digital Collection – UB Repository.

Basic Regulation

Outline

Introduction (motivation, hypothesis)
State of the art (research antecedents and intended contribution to the field)
Methodology
Main body of the dissertation
Conclusions (highlighting the contribution made to the field)
Appendices (if required)
Works Cited

Length

60 pages approximately (double spacing, Times New Roman 12).

Style sheets

UB regulations

UB general regulation (in catalan)
Regulation of the Faculty of Philology and Communication (in catalan)

Calendar

GROUP Q1

Students who enroll in Q1 must hand in the work in February or June, according to the following schedule:

February

October-November 2023: the student presents a reasoned proposal for the research they want to carry out (approx. 400 words) to a master's professor. After an agreement has been reached, the proposal must be submitted to the master's coordinator, before December 15, 2023, using the registration request form completed by the student and by the teacher who accepts the direction of the work.
Deadline for submission of work to the relevant director for final review: January 19, 2024. This cover model will be used.
Deadline for delivery through the TFM virtual campus of the final version, already reviewed by the director, and of the authorization: 9 February 2024 at 11.30am. The director will deliver a report on the work to the master's coordinator. Students are advised to use the items included in the report as a guide when preparing the final version of their TFM.
Public defense of TFM: February 23, 2024.

June

February-March 2024: the student presents a reasoned proposal for the research they want to carry out (approx. 400 words) to a master's professor. After an agreement has been reached, the proposal must be submitted to the master's coordinator, before March 15, 2024, using the registration request form completed by the student and by the teacher who accepts the direction of the work.
Deadline for handing in the work to the relevant director for final review: May 24, 2024. This cover model will be used.
Deadline for delivery through the TFM virtual campus of the final version, already reviewed by the director, and of the authorization: June 21, 2024 at 11.30am. The director will deliver a report on the work to the master's coordinator. Students are advised to use the items included in the report as a guide when preparing the final version of their TFM.

Public defense of the TFM: July 4 and / or 5, 2024.

GROUP Q2

Students who enroll in Q2 must hand in the work in June or September (the September calendar is under review), according to the following calendar:

June

February-March 2024: the student presents a reasoned proposal for the research they want to carry out (approx. 400 words) to a master's professor. After an agreement has been reached, the proposal must be submitted to the master's coordinator, before March 15, 2024, using the registration request form completed by the student and by the teacher who accepts the direction of the work.
Deadline for handing in the work to the relevant director for final review: May 24, 2024. This cover model will be used.
Deadline for delivery through the TFM virtual campus of the final version, already reviewed by the director, and of the authorization: June 21, 2024 at 11.30am. The director will deliver a report on the work to the master's coordinator. Students are advised to use the items included in the report as a guide when preparing the final version of their TFM.
Public defense of the TFM: July 4 and / or 5, 2024.
September

It is important to bear in mind that the month of August is not a teaching period and, therefore, the teachers will not be available to the students to review the work.
April-May 2024: the student presents a reasoned proposal for the research they want to carry out (approx. 400 words) to a Master's professor. After an agreement has been reached, the proposal must be submitted to the master's coordinator, before May 17, 2024, using the registration request form completed by the student and by the teacher who accepts the direction of the work.
Deadline for submission of work to the relevant director for final review: September 2, 2024. This cover model will be used.
Deadline for delivery through the TFM virtual campus of the final version, already reviewed by the director, and of the authorization: 13 September 2024 at 11.30am. The director will deliver a report on the work to the master's coordinator. Students are advised to use the items included in the report as a guide when preparing the final version of their TFM.
Public defense of the TFM: September 29, 2024.

Viva

At the viva, which will be open to the public, the candidate will be expected to deliver a summary of his/her work, to refer to the methodology s/he has used and to discuss the results obtained before an examining board composed of three members.

The candidate will be allowed 15 minutes and s/he will be expected to demonstrate his/her capacity for research as well as to refer to possible developments with a view to his/her PhD thesis.

Candidates will finally be asked to respond to the comments, questions and observations made by the members of the board.

The viva will last 45 minutes approximately.