Teaching

Each of the 4 taught modules is made up of 11 weeks of learning materials.  Materials are released on Fridays in term 1 (Sept-Dec, modules GISc 01 and GISc 03) and term 2 (Jan-Apr, modules GISc 02 and GISc 04). Each week you will download a weekly topic from the VLE and take part in a structured discussion of the topic, moderated by the topic tutor.  At the end of the term, you will submit your topic discussion contributions in a discussion board portfolio for assessment. Periodically you will download a practical, and put into practice some of the concepts discussed in the topics, with a corresponding discussion board thread for discussions. For each taught module, you will also download an assignment concurrent with other learning materials, and have approximately 4 weeks to complete and submit a 3000-word (max) submission for assessment. At the end of each academic year, for each taught module, you will also be assessed through a seen written examination paper (at an agreed examination centre).

As part of module GISc 05, the research module, you will complete a design development project (DDP) in which you evaluate the research work of others and create a dissertation proposal of your own.   By 1 October of your final year, you will submit your dissertation, an empirical or theoretical piece of research in GISc consisting of 8,000-10,000 words.

If you are studying the MSc over two years, the diploma (2-year duration) or the certificate (1-year duration), you will study one module each term, and thus one topic each week.