PH445
Dissertation Seminar - Philosophy of Science
This information is for the 2020/21 session.
Teacher responsible
Prof Roman Frigg
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Philosophy of Science. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
Course content
The course is intended to develop the ability to construct sharp analytic philosophical arguments and to write structured philosophical essays. It will help students to choose the topic of their dissertation, help with how to go about researching the topic and how to write the dissertation (by presentation and criticism of preliminary drafts). The course starts with reviewing the structure and content of an MSc dissertation in Philosophy, and the grading scheme used for marking dissertations.This is followed by presentations by students on topics intended as possible topics of their dissertations. The presentations will be extensively discussed in the seminar by fellow students and in subsequent private meetings with the seminar leader. In Lent Term each student will read two former MSc dissertations with topics close to the interest of the student, and each student will report in the seminar on the merits and weaknesses of the selected works, trying to understand why the chosen dissertations received the marks they did. In the final part of the seminar students will again give presentations on the progress of their research.
Teaching
10 hours of seminars in the MT. 20 hours of seminars in the LT.
This year, some or all of this teaching will take place online.
Formative coursework
A number of assignments - at least one per term - whose completion will aid the research into and writing of the dissertation will be set.
Assessment
The course is not assessed.
Important information in response to COVID-19
Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.
Key facts
Department: Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
Total students 2019/20: 12
Average class size 2019/20: 12
Controlled access 2019/20: No
Value: Non-credit bearing
