Postgraduate Handbook 2010-11

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Postgraduate GeneralHandbook 2010-11

Cardiff School of European StudiesCardiff University 65-68 Park Place

Cardiff CF10 3AS

Fax: (029) 208 74946PGT Tel: (029) 208 76630

PGT Email: [email protected] Tel: (029) 208 74885

Email: [email protected]


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CONTENTS PAGE

SECTION ONE: General InformationWelcome 1Contact Details 2Useful Web Addresses 4Communication and Access 5Equality and Diversity & Disability Statement 6Health and Safety 7The Welsh Language Scheme 7Enrolment and Induction 9Semester Dates 10Facilities for Students 11Libraries and Resource Centres 12The Graduate Centre 13The Graduate Schools 14Support Services for Students 15Academic Regulations 17Plagiarism and Academic Integrity 20Disclaimer 22Research in the School of European Studies 23

SECTION TWO: Masters Student InformationImportant Dates 24

Teaching and Progression 24Essay Requirements and Submission 25Dissertation 27o Introduction 27o Obtaining a Topic and Supervisor 27o Your Supervisor and You 28o Writing your Dissertation 29o Requirements and Submission 30Personal Development Planning (PDP) 31

SECTION THREE: PhD/MPhil Student InformationResearch Degrees at EUROS 33Supervisor and Student Responsibilities 34Formal Monitoring of Research Students 38Research Training 39Funding Postgraduate Committee 39Online Profile 39Personal Development Planning (PDP) 39Submission of a Thesis 41

APPENDIX 1 Cardiff University Location guide 43APPENDIX 2 Taught Ma/MScEcon Marking Criteria 44


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STAFF CONTACT DETAILS

Head of School Professor David BoucherRoom 1.46, 029 2087 [email protected]

Director of Research Professor Claire GorraraRoom 2.28, 029 2087 [email protected]

Director of Learning and Teaching Dr Peri RobertsRoom 2.03, 029 2087 [email protected]

Director of Postgraduate Taught Dr Peter SutchRoom 2.01, 029 2087 [email protected]

Director of Postgraduate Research Professor Kenneth DysonRoom 1.13, 029 2087 [email protected]

Postgraduate Course Administration

Postgraduate Administrator Miss Anne James& MA Translation Studies Room 0.26, 029 2087 4248

[email protected]@cf.ac.uk

Postgraduate Taught Mrs Lisa Chivers(On Maternity until Jan 2011) Room 0.03, 029 2087 6630

[email protected]

Postgraduate Taught Mr David Gilmour(Maternity Cover) Room 0.03 029 2087 6630

[email protected]

Postgraduate Research Miss Jenny HulinRoom 0.03, 029 [email protected]

MSc Econ Welsh Government & Politics Mrs Lorrae WrightRoom 2.36, 029 2087 [email protected]

IT Support

IT Officer Mr Mark CooperRoom 0.11, 029 [email protected]

Technician Mrs Iris WinneyRoom 0.11, 029 208 [email protected]


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Course Convenors

MA European Studies Dr Gordon CummingRoom 1.47, 029 2087 [email protected]

MSc Econ International Relations Dr Rosanne PalmerRoom 1.25, 029 2087 4564

[email protected]

MSc Econ Political Theory Dr Graeme GarrardRoom 1.24, 029 2087 [email protected]

MSc Econ European Governance Professor Alistair Cole& Public Policy Room 1.06, 029 2087 5068

[email protected]

Politics and Public Policy Dr Hugh Compston

Room 1.18, 029 2087 [email protected]

MA Translation Studies Prof Alexis NuseloviciRoom 1.44, 029 2087 [email protected]

MSc Econ Welsh Government & Politics Dr Richard Wyn JonesRoom 2.37, 029 2087 [email protected]

PhD/MPhil Professor Kenneth DysonRoom 1.13, 029 2087 5636,[email protected]

Research Unit Co-ordinators

European Governance, Identity & Professor Alistair ColePublic Policy Room 1.06, 029 2087 5068

[email protected]

Professor Kenneth DysonRoom 1.13, 029 2087 [email protected]

Histories, Memories and Fictions of Europe Professor Jan BerendseRoom 0.33, 029 2087 [email protected]

Dr Ryan ProutRoom 1.03, 029 2087 [email protected]

Political Theory Graeme GarrardRoom 1.24, 029 2087 [email protected]


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USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES

Cardiff School of European Studieshttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/euros/

Enrolmenthttp://www.cf.ac.uk/regis/enrolment/index.html

Contact: [email protected] 029 2087 6211

Postgraduate Finance Divisionhttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/fince/students/postgraduate/index.htmlContact: [email protected]

Postgraduate Admissionshttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/general/procedures/postgraduate/index.htmlContact: [email protected] 029 2087 9999

The International Officehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/inter/study/arrive/Contact: [email protected] 029 2087 4432

University Graduate Centrehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/gradc/

University Health Centrehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/osheu/healthcentre/

University Chaplaincy (multi-faith)

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/chaplaincy/

University Student Advisory Servicehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/advice/

Careers Servicehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/carsv/

Student Financehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/fince/students/index.html

Cardiff Portalhttp://portal.cf.ac.uk

SIMS Onlinehttps://sims.cf.ac.uk/

A Code of Practice for Research Degreeshttp://www.cf.ac.uk/regis/sfs/rdqh/index.html

University Academic Registry Research Degrees Handbookhttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/sfs/regs/index.html

Information Services for Researchershttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/forresearchers/index.html


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COMMUNICATION AND ACCESS

Changes of address or personal circumstances

It is vital that you inform us of change of address, telephone numbers, name, next

of kind etc. This information should be updated on SIMS online(https://sims.cf.ac.uk). You should also inform the relevant PostgraduateSecretary of these changes via email.

Contact between Staff and Students

There are a number of ways in which staff will communicate with students andvisa versa. Key contacts can be found at the front of this handbook but a full list ofEuropean Studies staff contact details can be found at:http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/euros/contactsandpeople/index.html

Email: This will most likely be the most convenient and regular form ofcommunication for both staff and students. Do remember to check your CardiffUniversity email account on a regular basis.

Notice Boards: The Postgraduate notice boards are located outside thePostgraduate Office and in the PGR Suite (Room 2.26). These will be updatedregularly with news of upcoming events and opportunities.

Pigeonholes: Research Students will be allocated individual pigeonholes, locatedin the Porters lodge. Staff pigeon holes are also located here. Whilst personalmail should be directed to your home address whenever possible, howeverstudents should check for and remove items on a regular basis. The schooltakes no responsibility for the safe-keeping of any communicationdeposited in pigeonholes.

Learning Central (formerly Blackboard): Learning Central is a web-basedlearning environment which can be accessed both on and off-campus(http://portal.cf.ac.uk). Information on modules and announcements are regularlyposted. Furthermore the Personal Development Planning (PDP) Module is hostedby Learning Central.

The Postgraduate Office: The Postgraduate Office is located at 66 Park Place(Room 0.03), and is the focal point for contact between students and the School.All general enquiries should be made here in the first instance. The Office is opento students between 10.00am and 3.00pm and will close for lunch between1.00pm and 2.00pm (subject to change depending on circumstances).

STUDENT FORUM

The Postgraduate Student Forum is an open meeting where students are invitedto discuss anything relating to their study and experience at Cardiff University in

an open forum with staff and fellow students. We will notify you of the date for thisforum by e-mail.


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STUDENT REPRESENTATION

Student representatives sit on the Schools Postgraduate and ResearchCommittees to communicate any issues or views you may have to staff. TheResearch in Progress Seminar is also an opportunity for Postgraduate Students to

discuss any issues relating to their study in a student environment. Students willbe asked to elect new representatives to these bodies shortly after enrolment.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

The School is committed to supporting, developing and promoting equality anddiversity in all of its practices and activities and aims to establish an inclusiveculture, free from discrimination and based on the values of dignity and respect.

We have an Equality & Diversity Committee where membership is drawn from all

the Departments in the School, an undergraduate representative from Languagesand Politics and a Postgraduate Representative. It holds 2 meetings a year inNovember and May.

The University has a number of equality and diversity schemes and policies toview these and for further information please go to the following web page:http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/govrn/cocom/equalityanddiversity/

DISABILITY STATEMENT

Cardiff University is committed to providing support for disabled students toenable them to study and work alongside their non-disabled peers. In order toprovide this support, members of the University may need to share informationabout a students needs. It is important that the University has written confirmationfrom you about the level of confidentiality you wish to be assigned to theinformation about your disability and your associated needs.

The Disability Representative for Cardiff School of European Studies is Vari Ellin.Please contact her should you have any queries, Tel: 029 2087 0460 Email:[email protected]

For further advice please also contact the Universitys Disability & DyslexiaService at:

Disability and Dyslexia,Student Support Centre50 Park Place,CardiffCF10 3ATTel: 089 2087 [email protected] or [email protected]

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/dyslx/


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HEALTH AND SAFETY

First Aiders in the School

Mark Cooper 0.11 029 208 75591

Steve Roper Reception 029 208 74889

Emergency Telephone Numbers

999 Emergency Services74444 University Security Centre74910 University Safety Services74810 University Health Centre74889 EUROS Reception

When calling for assistance in an emergency, give the following information: Who you are

Where you are (the location and telephone extension)

The nature of the emergency and what service is required

The exact location where assistance is required

Fire plans are displayed around the building to demonstrate the exit and meetingpoint. On hearing the alarm evacuate the building immediately.

First Aid boxes are kept by First Aiders and can be found in reception or Room0.02.

THE WELSH LANGUAGE SCHEME

The University and Cardiff School of European Studies are committed todelivering an equally high quality service in both English and Welsh. TheUniversity sets, publicises and monitors its targets for the provision of servicesand dealing with the public in Welsh.The School conducts its public business inWales in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993 and with the UniversitysWelsh Language Scheme, which can be accessed at

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/welshlanguageservice/index.html. In the conduct of publicbusiness in Wales, the School treats the English and Welsh languages on a basisof equality.

The School has a designated staff member who is the Welsh Language Schemedepartmental contact. This member of staff liaises with staff and students on theimplementation of the Universitys Welsh Language Scheme within the School,and coordinates the Schools Welsh Language Scheme working group, which setsobjectives and develops the priorities for the School in this area.The Welsh Language Scheme departmental contact reports to the SchoolsEquality and Diversity Committee, and is a member of the Schools Equality and

Diversity Strategy Group.


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The Universitys Welsh Language Scheme Facilitator, Ms. Gwen Rice, is amember of the Schools Welsh Language Scheme Working Group and overseesthe implementation of the Universitys Welsh Language Scheme within theSchool.

Cardiff University is committed to the development of its academic provisionthrough the medium of Welsh and has developed a Welsh Medium ProvisionStrategy. Cardiff School of European Studies has a rolling programme for thetranslation of its public-facing and internal documents into Welsh. Thisprogramme is developed in conjunction with, and monitored by, the UniversitysWelsh Language Scheme Facilitator.

The ability to offer modules through the medium of Welsh in Cardiff School ofEuropean Studies is influenced by the available human and material resources.We currently have 3 Welsh speaking staff, spanning academic and administrativeroles, and we are supporting a number of staff learners in developing their Welsh

language skills. When recruiting new staff we actively welcome applications fromWelsh speakers, and for some posts within the School, the ability to speak Welshis an essential criterion.

All students have the opportunity to sit written examinations in Welsh, irrespectiveof whether they have received tuition through the medium of Welsh. Inaccordance with this policy, arrangements are regularly made for assessedcoursework, examination papers and scripts to be translated where Welsh-speaking examiners are not available in the School. All such arrangements aresubject to national degree guidance, regulations and QAA Guidance.

Welsh-speaking students can be allocated to a Welsh-speaking personal tutor,provided there are Welsh-speaking members of the teaching staff in the student'ssubject area. In cases where there are no Welsh-speaking members of theteaching staff, every effort will be made to utilise an appropriate member of stafffrom a related School if the student so wishes. Further, the Advisory andCounselling Services in the Student Support and Development Directorate, whichprovides confidential advice to students on a wide range of personal, financial,academic and general welfare problems, has Welsh-speaking advisers. Thelanguage needs of students are established when appointments are made andWelsh-speaking students can be assigned to Welsh-speaking advisers.

School Contacts:

Prof Richard Wyn Jones (Academic) [email protected]

University Contact :

Ms Gwen Rice [email protected]


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ENROLMENT AND INDUCTION

ONLINE ENROLMENT

Students at Cardiff University must enrol (register and pay fees) online. You will

be contacted by e-mail (or letter where necessary), approximately three weeksprior to the start of your programme, advising you that the online task is availablefor you to complete. The task can be accessed via SIMS online athttp://sims.cf.ac.uk. When possible students should complete this processbefore arriving for School Induction.

SCHOOL INDUCTION

The Postgraduate Induction Programme will take place on Thursday 30thSeptember 2010 starting at 11:00 in room 2.18, 65-68 Park Place and will finishwith a drinks reception and social event. A provisional timetable of events isprovided below.

ApproximateTimings

Activity Room

11.00-11.30 Welcome to the Graduate School - Prof DavidBoucher and Dr Peter Sutch

2.18

11.30-12.30 Introduction to Cardiff University Library Service Sonja Haerkoenen

2.18

12.30-12.45 Presentation by the Graduate Centre 2.1812.45-13.45 Research Culture in EUROS Prof A Cole

2.18

13.45-14.30 Lunch Break-

14.30 -16.30 Programme Induction Meetings:

MPhil/PhD P Sutch1.17

MScEcon International Relations R Palmer2.18

MA Translation Studies A NuseloviciH0.45

MScEcon European Governance and Public

Policy A Cole

0.40

MScEcon Political Theory G Garrard0.39

MScEcon Politics and Public Policy H Compston0.42

MA European Studies G Cummuing0.22

MA Welsh Government and Politics R W Jones0.41

16.30 Drinks ReceptionFoyer

All PGR Students who have joined the School in the past year are also expectedto attend a meeting with Professor Kenneth Dyson, Director of PostgraduateResearch, on Wednesday 6th October 2010, 14.00 16.00 in Room 0.22.


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STARTING OUT INDUCTION EVENTCompulsory for all 1st Year PhD/MPhil Students

2010: Friday 8 October, Thursday 14 October, Tuesday 26 October 9.30-15.452011: Thursday 20 January, Monday 11 April, Thursday 21 July 9.30-15.45

An induction event designed to introduce students to research at Cardiff Universityas well as to provide personal and professional networking opportunities. Advancebooking is essential and will be available on-line from Monday 13th September forthe October workshops. Details and booking Information can be found athttps://rssdp.cardiff.ac.uk.

The aims of the workshop are for you to:

Gain a better understanding of the nature of the PhD

Become familiar with University regulations and systems

Develop an awareness of sources of help and support Gain an understanding of the background and requirements of the Joint Skills

Statement and how this affects you

Understand the importance of monitoring your personal and professionaldevelopment

Gain an overview of the training and development opportunities available

SEMESTER DATES

AUTUMN SEMESTER:

TERM DATESMonday 4 October 2010 - Sunday 30 January 2011

CHRISTMAS RECESSSaturday 18 December 2010 - Sunday 9 January 2011

EXAMINATION PERIODMonday 17 January 2011 - Friday 28 January 2011

SPRING SEMESTER:

TERM DATESMonday 31 January 2011 - Friday 17 June 2011

CHRISTMAS RECESSSaturday 16 March 2011 - Sunday 8 April 2011

EXAMINATION PERIOD

Monday 16 May 2011 - Friday 17 June 2011


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FACILITIES FOR STUDENTS

DISSERTATION AND THESIS LOAN:

Dissertations (MA, MSc Econ) and PhD theses that have been written by former

EUROS students and have passed are available for loan to all postgraduates fromthe PG Office.

COMPUTER FACILITIES:

School of European Studies

There are three open access computer facilities in Park Place for use byundergraduate and postgraduate students (Rooms 1.22, 2.22 and 2.24) In additionto this there is wireless access throughout the EUROS building. Please seehttp://www.cf.ac.uk/insrv/it/network/wireless/index.html for further information on

how to connect to the Universitys wireless network facility.

Arts and Social Studies Library (ASSL)

Dedicated postgraduate computing IT facilities are located in the ASSL library.There are also courses provided by Information Services (INSRV) that students willbe encouraged to attend to improve their computing skills.

The Graduate Centre

The Graduate Centre houses a computer room with 43 networked computers for

individual work. There is also photocopying, colour printing and scanning available.All the postgraduate student organisations have a base within the Centre andreceive support from the Union and the management team. The IT room isspecially designed for the postgraduate student community. The 43 PCs provideaccess to the entire campus network, including word processing, email, andgraphics software, statistical tools, databases and internet. There are also six highquality laser printers and a black and white photocopier. It is specifically designedfor quiet individual work and group work is not permitted.

There are eight additional networked computers in the Coffee Lounge, if you justneed to collect email or surf the internet. These are also suitable for group work,when you need access to a computer. You can now connect to the Universitywireless network anywhere in the Graduate Centre (except the Reading Room,where laptops are not permitted). In order to use this service, you must have aCardiff University username and password and you must register as a wirelessuser. For further information please see:-www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/it/network/wireless/index.html

The Graduate Centre offers more services between 12.30 and 4.30 pm, Monday toThursday and 9.30 am - 1.30 p.m. on Friday. These include scanning, colourprinting, fax and the opportunity to purchase stationery and stamps. If you need

assistance outside office hours, use a help line phone to connect to other INSRVHelp Desks. And if you want to work all night, the IT rooms in Main and TrevithickBuildings are open 24 hours.


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Postgraduate Research Students Suite

All Postgraduate Research students have access to the Postgraduate ResearchStudent Suite situated in Room 2.26 of the EUROS building. To gain access to thissuite you need to contact the Postgraduate Research Secretary in Room 0.03 whowill issue you with a key upon receipt of a 10 deposit. This will be repaid on their

safe return to Mary Raschella at the end of your studies.

The room is equipped with computer and printing facilities and also has a limitednumber of lockers available. There is a 5 deposit to pay for these and studentsshould contact the PGR Secretary if interested. This is not guaranteed for allstudents and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

LIBRARIES AND RESOURCE CENTRES

Arts & Social Studies Library (ASSL)

The Arts and Social Studies Library is located immediately north of EUROS on theColum Drive site at the junction of Corbett Road, Park Place and Colum Road. Itcontains a good stock of European studies literature with a range of journals in thefield. You can search for these and other electronic resources with Voyager, thelibrary catalogue. In addition to this you can also use the inter-library loan facility toobtain books and journal articles not currently available in Cardiff UniversityLibraries. Please note that your School will be charged for this and requests mustbe authorised. For full information on facilities and opening hours please visit thewebsite at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/libraries/assl/index.html

Special Collections and Archives (SCOLAR)

SCOLAR aims to preserve, promote, and develop the University Library's historicaland special research resources in order to support staff and postgraduate work andsave their time with our enquiries services, to develop research collections to assistnew research ventures, and to attract external scholars and grant aid to promotethe research reputation of Cardiff University worldwide. SCOLAR's main location isthe Special Collections Research Room on the lower ground floor of the Arts andSocial Studies Library.

European Documentation Centre

The European Documentation Centre (based in the Aberconway Guest Library)comprises the largest, most wide-ranging collection of information and expertise inWales on the European Union, the countries of Europe and the wider Europe.Specialist staff experienced in exploiting the riches of both the paper collection andthe increasing amount of information available electronically are on hand to help.

24-Hour Facilities

The Trevithick Library has been completely redesigned to enhance the student

experience. The computer room (T1.06) and discussion room (T1.07) are open 24hours a day 7 days a week. In addition, the Julian Hodge Study Centre is a 24/7facility which provides full access to University computers and networked printing.


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GRADUATE CENTRE

Cardiff University is among the few universities in Britain to offer a dedicated facilityfor its postgraduate students. The Graduate Centre was opened in September1999 to provide year-round, centrally-located social and study facilities to bothtaught and research postgraduate students at Cardiff University, in addition to the

facilities provided by individual academic schools. Today, the Centre serves as ahub for postgraduates of all disciplines throughout the university, allowing studentsthe opportunity to meet and socialise within the broader postgraduate community,and adding another dimension to life as a postgraduate at Cardiff.

The Graduate Centre is located on the 3rd floor of the Students Union Building inPark Place. The Centre provides dedicated study, computing and social facilities forall postgraduate students during their time at Cardiff University. It is managed

collaboratively by the University, Students' Union,and postgraduate students. All students on full-time and part-time postgraduate courses arewelcome. All students automatically becomemembers of the Graduate Centre on enrolment.The social facilities are also open to postgraduatealumni, staff, research assistants and fellows andstudents from the Centre for Lifelong Learning.There is a large Caf Bar and a Coffee Loungeproviding space to relax, eat and drink. There arealso food and drink vending machines, a pool

table, and an information room with literature about postgraduate organisations,careers, funding, conferences and entertainment in the area.

The Graduate Centre coordinates a number of training opportunities, some ofwhich are aimed at all postgraduate students while some are targeted specificallyfor Masters Students or PhD students. Thetraining rooms provide additional space forinterdepartmental research seminars and on-goinginterdisciplinary research training. (The RIPSeminars meet in the Plymouth room at 4pm onthe 2nd Wednesday of each month). These roomseach have a networked computer and can be booked through the Centre forpostgraduate parties, meetings and events.

The Graduate Centre, including the IT Room and Meeting Rooms, is open Mondayto Saturday, 8.00 a.m. until 12.00 midnight and Sunday, 12.00 noon until 12.00midnight. The Caf Bar is open Monday to Friday, 11.00 a.m. until 2.00 pm (forlunches, snacks and drinks) and Wednesday Friday 5.00pm until 11.00pm (barservice only).

www.cardiff.ac.uk/[email protected]


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GRADUATE SCHOOLS

The Graduate Schools at Cardiff exist to foster an intellectually stimulatingenvironment through a programme of events and activities where students areencouraged to share and develop research interests with peers from otherschools, and to feel part of a wider research community. The Graduate Schools

also provide mid-level skills training which is complementary to the genericprogramme offered by the Graduate Centre and the disciple-specific, specialisttraining provided by Academic Schools.

All postgraduate students in the University are automatically members of one ofthe Graduate Schools listed below. Students are also encouraged to take part ininterdisciplinary activities that span subject areas and Graduate Schools in orderto broaden their research experience.

Graduate School in the Biomedical and Life Sciences

The Researcher and Graduate School in the Humanities Graduate School in the Physical Sciences and Engineering

Research and Graduate School in the Social Sciences

The Graduate Schools are run from a central office at 60 Park Place and can becontacted at [email protected] or 029 2087 9408. The office isopen from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday Friday. Further Information aboutGraduate School activities and membership is available fromwww.cardiff.ac.uk/gradschools.

Research Training and Development

A principal objective of the Graduate Schools is the enhancement of training anddevelopment opportunities for postgraduate researchers. This includes co-ordinating discipline-based courses and events that can benefit both currentresearch and future career prospects. This activity is incorporated into theRSSDP, a compulsory part of training for EUROS PhD students.

Events

A range of events, such as Annual Lectures and student-led conferences,promote interaction between students and staff from different Academic and

Research Graduate Schools. The events are both intellectual and social and theyaim to enhance the postgraduate student culture.

Postgraduate Social Society

The Postgraduate Social Society and the Mature Students Society organiseevents which may be of interest to you. You can join by coming to the Vice-Chancellors welcome address or the Societies Fair, both held in the Union duringFreshers week.


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SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE www.cardiff.ac.uk/studentsupport

The Student Support Centre provides a broad range of support services forstudents of the University including those with particular needs. These include:

Counselling Service - Confidential and available to members of the CardiffUniversity community free of charge. It has had international recognition as aCentre for Excellence for individual and group counselling.

Student Advisory Service - A free, impartial, non-judgemental and confidentialservice. Offers advice, help and support to students, applicants, parents andothers, on a wide range of personal, financial and academic matters. Specificadvice to international students, mature students and to students withdependants. Administers Financial Contingency Funds and provides anEmergency Loan scheme.

Financial Support - The financial support team manage a variety of funds whichcan help students who are having financial difficulties, budgeting or coveringspecific costs during their time at university.

Daycare Centre - Facilities for the children of Cardiff University students andstaff, with priority given to full time students

Disability & Dyslexia Service - The Disability & Dyslexia Service (DDS) atCardiff provides confidential advice and support for students who are disabled or

who have a specific learning difficulty (dyslexia), mental health difficulty or longterm medical condition. Our services are aimed at both prospective students andthose students who are already enrolled at Cardiff.

Health Centre - The centre supplements the service provided by your GeneralPractitioner. It is open from 9.00am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday with a restrictedservice available during recesses. The centre does not provide a GP service, so itis essential that you register with a local GP to provide access to a 24-hourmedical service. A list of local GPs is available in the Student Diary, the HealthCentre, and the Students' Union and in Halls of Residence. Several clinics arerun, including a family planning clinic which is held every Wednesday from 5.00pm

to 7.00pm by appointment during term time. The Cardiff School of Optometry andVision Sciences operates an eye clinic which is open to students who wish tohave their eyesight examined.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust provide an occupational health service for staff andstudents

International Student Support - The International Student Advisers provideconfidential advice and support to International students on a wide range ofpersonal, financial and academic issues, as well as specialised immigrationadvice and help with applying for visas.


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University Chaplaincy - The Cathays Park Chaplaincy is made up of Anglican,Methodist and Roman Catholic chaplains who work alongside otherdenominations and faith communities in Cardiff. The Chaplaincy offers a welcometo staff and students from all faiths or none and offers advice, support and care aswell as supporting student groups. There is a regular programme of worship,lectures and social events.

As well as the Chaplaincy service representing the main Christian traditions, theChaplaincy provides information to help students of other faiths to identify suitableplaces of worship. A multi-faith prayer room is available for students.

STUDENTS UNION, SPORTS AND SOCIETIES

The Students Union, one of the biggest and most successful in Britain, provides afocus for over one hundred and fifty different sporting and social societies. Fromaerobics to aikido, drama to debating, music to mountaineering, there's a vastrange of activities to choose from.

The Union has a popular nightclub and concert venue and its cafes and gamesroom provide a retreat during the day. You will also find an informal advisoryservice, a JobShop and a range of useful shops - all dedicated to Cardiff'sstudents. You will automatically be a member of the Students' Union onenrolment, which will entitle you to generous discounts in many of the city's shops,restaurants, and cinemas.

CAREERS SERVICE

The Careers Service works with students, graduates, postgraduates, employers,and University staff, to deliver a highly respected and valued service.They offer a wide range of careers advice and information, workshops, employerevents, careers fairs and many other activities as detailed throughout theirwebsite: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/carsv/.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES

The English Language Programme, which is the Universitys official EnglishLanguage Teaching Centre for International Students, is based at the Universityto provide English language courses for university students. For more informationplease visit the website: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/inter/elt/index.html

IN-SESSIONAL PROGRAMME

The In-Sessional programme is an Open Access programme that provideslanguage support classes for international students at Cardiff University. Theprogramme is open to all full-fee paying international students. If space isavailable, European students are able to join the programme in the AutumnSemester. It is possible for exchange students to join in the Spring Semester, ifthere is space. For more information please contact the In-Sessional Team or visit

the website: www.cf.ac.uk/elt/insessional.


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ACADEMIC REGULATIONS (Taught & Research)

SENATE REGULATIONS

All School procedures comply with University Regulations. Full details of theUniversitys Senate Regulations and a copy of the Academic RegulationsHandbook are all available online: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/sfs/regs/

FAILURE TO ENGAGE WITH PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Where a student fails to provide evidence of engagement with the requirements oftheir Programme of Study (namely 10 days absence see page 18 for furtherinformation), the Head of School or nominee must remind the student in writing oftheir requirement to engage, and will state that continued failure to engage willresult in their exclusion from their Programme of Study.

Where a student continues to fail to provide evidence of engagement with theirprogramme of study, or where a student fails to respond to written communicationregarding their failure to engage, the Head of School will inform Registry of his/herdecision that the student should be excluded from their Programme of Study.

The student will be notified in writing of the decision of the Head of School by theDirector of Registry and Student Support or his/her nominee. The student will beinformed of their right to appeal against this decision.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance at lectures and seminars is compulsory for all Masters Students. If youare going to miss a seminar or tutorial you must make every effort to inform thetutor in advance, either by sending a written message/email or by telephoning thetutor or the appropriate secretary. Research students are expected to engage withtheir programme of study and meet regularly with their supervisors.

The school has processes for monitoring attendance and identifying students whoare failing to make satisfactory academic progress. Schools are expected to take

action where there is an unauthorised absence of ten consecutive days. Whereunauthorised absence of ten consecutive days is identified the Head of school ornominee will contact the student regarding attendance. Where there is no furthercontact a decision will be taken about the students position.

If you are absent during term-time because of illness or any other reasons youmust inform the school. If you are ill for more than three working days you shouldproduce a signed self-certificate. If you are ill for more than seven consecutivecalendar days you should submit a doctors medical certificate to thePostgraduate Office. The information you supply will always be treated in thestrictest confidence.


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SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

A student shall report in writing any special or extenuating circumstances whichmay have an effect on his/her performance in any examination, class test or in-course assessment to the Chair of his/her Programme or Subject Examining

Board as soon as the circumstances arise, and where possible, before theexamination is due to be taken or the element of assessment is due to besubmitted. The report shall be supported by documentary evidence.

INTERRUPTION OF STUDY

If you are absent for more than10 days you must apply for an Interruption ofStudy. Absences of more than 10 days and up to 12 months may be approved bythe Head of School, absences over 12 months are granted at the discretion of theUniversity.

Senate regulations make provision for students to interrupt their programme ofstudy for reasons as follows:

Ill Health

Compassionate Grounds

Sabbatical

Work Experience

Parental Leave

Study Abroad

Financial Hardship

Exceptional Professional Commitments

Both Masters and Research students should follow the procedure below whenapplying for an Interruption of Study. Please note that Research students mayonly apply for an Interruption of Study in their registration period, if they are in thewriting up period they should apply for an extension to their submission deadline.

1. Firstly discuss with your course convenor or supervisor.2. Write a letter detailing why you are requesting an Interruption of Study, how

long you need it for and attach any supporting documentation.3. Obtain a supporting statement from your course convenor/ supervisor.

4. Agree a revised work plan to complete your modules/dissertation/thesis withyour supervisor.

5. Once complete submit all the paperwork to the Postgraduate Office.6. Once paperwork has been submitted you will need to apply for an Interruption

of Study via SIMS Online. The School will be asked for approval before therequest is processed by Registry, who will then inform you of the decision.

7. You will be entitled to a full refund of any fees paid as appropriate. The FeesOffice will be responsible for this so if you have any queries please contactthem. Towards the end of your Interruption of Study Registry will contact youand ask you to confirm that you intend to return as well as providing re-enrolment details. Please note that you will still need to re-enrol online on theanniversary of your first enrolment, even if this falls within the period of yourInterruption of Study.


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EXTENSIONS TO DEADLINES DISSERTATION AND THESIS

The responsibility for approving an extension to a time limit shall lie with theGraduate Development Committee, on the recommendation of the relevant Headof School.

A time limit for submission may be extended by the University in exceptionalcases and only in accordance with the following criteria which can bedemonstrated to have adversely affected the candidate's progress:

ill health

compassionate grounds

parental leave

exceptional professional/employment commitments

unavoidable practical or logistical difficulties

An application for an extension to a time limit should normally be made by thecandidate in writing to the Head of School as follows:

1. Firstly discuss with your course convenor/supervisor2. Write a letter detailing why you are applying for an extension, how long you

need it for and attach any supporting documentation. Please consult theguidelines at www.cf.ac.uk/regis/sfs/postgrad, click on Application for anExtension to Submission Deadline.

3. Obtain a supporting statement from your course convenor/supervisor.4. Agree a work plan to complete your dissertation/thesis with your supervisor.

Your application cannot be processed without a revised timetable.

5. Submit the paperwork to the Postgraduate Office.6. The application will be considered by the Head of School before being sent offto be considered by the Graduate Development Committee. Registry willcontact you to confirm the outcome of your application and details of yourrevised submission deadline where necessary.

Please make every effort to keep your supervisors and the Postgraduate Officeinformed of any delays in your progress leading up to submission.

EXTENSION TO DEADLINES - ESSAYS

A time limit for submission may be extended by the University in exceptionalcases and only in accordance with the following criteria which can bedemonstrated to have adversely affected the candidate's progress:

ill health

compassionate grounds

parental leave

exceptional professional/employment commitments

unavoidable practical or logistical difficulties

An application for an extension to a time limit should normally be made by thecandidate in writing to the course co-ordinator as follows:


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1. Firstly discuss with your course convenor/supervisor2. Complete an application for extension form3. Obtain a supporting statement from your course convenor/supervisor.4. Submit the paperwork to the Postgraduate Office.5. The application will be considered by the course convenor/supervisor. You will

be contacted with the outcome of your application and your revisedsubmission deadline.

PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

PLAGIARISM AND HOW TO AVOID IT

Using other peoples material without giving references, thus passing the work ofothers as ones own, is known as plagiarism and is a form of cheating. Cardiff

University is committed to helping students understand and identify ways in whichplagiarism might occur and to helping them avoid accidentally plagiarisinginformation during their studies. Although the focus here is on helping you avoidplagiarism, students should also be aware of the severe consequences. Wherethere is clear evidence of plagiarism, the case will be referred to a UniversityUnfair Practices Committee. Where plagiarism is judged to have occurred, thiscommittee may impose penalties ranging from a substantial loss of marks toexclusion from the course.

All work submitted will be checked for plagiarism. You should also be awarethat we may submit your written work to the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Service.

If in doubt, ask an academic member of staff. Claiming ignorance of the rules willnot protect you from the consequences of being found guilty of plagiarism.

You are advised that the Student Guide to Academic Integrity is online, and youare encouraged to consult it. It can be found, together with Cardiff University'sUnfairPractice Procedure, on the Cardiff University website in the section forcurrent students relating to 'Exams and Assessment'. Seewww.cf.ac.uk/for/current/academicstudy/index.html

To ensure that you avoid plagiarism you need to:

Make sure that you understand what plagiarism is. Develop note-taking skills that make you use your own words.

Always keep a record of where notes are from be it lectures, a book/journaletc., or the web. Always keep copies of web addresses and date all your note-taking. You should always keep the notes that you use when writing anassessed essay or dissertation.

Prepare assignments in good time. One of the most frequent causes ofplagiarism is being rushed. Dissertations in particular can take longer tocomplete than you might first think, and should be planned for completion wellin advance of submission dates.

Seek advice from academic staff and the materials in the Cardiff Skills Bank.The English Language Service may be able to help, and the Writing Centre


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provides a free, friendly, and confidential one-to-one professional service forstudents who have problems with writing and study skills.

Further guidance is available at:http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learning/themes/assessment/prevention-and-detection-of-plagiarism/

CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

Most of your ideas and information will come from research, that is, from readingbooks, articles, papers, documents, websites etc. You must acknowledge this byciting these sources as references in your essays. Citing sources also helps tostrengthen your arguments by showing where the evidence comes from.Not to cite references is to pretend that these ideas are yours when they arent,which is called plagiarism and is considered to be a form of cheating.

Therefore cite a source:

Whenever you use a quotation

Whenever you quote statistics

Whenever you express a point that is not original

There are a number of reference systems in existence. The system adopted bythe School is the author-date (Harvard) system. It does away with bothfootnotes/endnotes and awkward in-text references. Look at the format in theEuropean Journal of Political Research.

The author-date system works as follows:

Immediately after the quote/point etc. add, in parentheses: the surname(s) ofthe relevant authors/authors, the date of publication and page number(s).Thus - (Smith 1989: 29-35).

At the end of the essay, provide full details of authors cited, in alphabeticalorder. Below are examples of references for a book, a chapter from a book, ajournal article, a newspaper article and a website (with the date the informationwas accessed in square brackets):- Daalder, H. (1989). The Reach of the Party System, pp.78-90 in: P.Mair

(ed.), The West European Party System, Oxford: Oxford University Press.- Gow, D. Germanys Unions Flex Muscles, The Times, 23 May 1993, p.4.- Schofield, N. (1993). Political Competition and Multiparty Coalition

Government, European Journal of Political Research, 18,1:1-33.- Smith, G. (1989). Politics in Western Europe. Aldershot: Gower.- Tarse, T. (no date), Government gives in to business again,

http://www.cynicalbastards.com/ikaka/ [6 August 2008].

Since paragraphs should usually be based on single ideas, references will oftenapply to the contents of a whole paragraph. Where this is the case you can put asingle reference at the end of the paragraph, in order to avoid repetition.


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Where you wish to use a statement written by author X which you have seenquoted by author Y, you should always make clear that your source is not theauthor X directly. For example:

According to Friedrich and Brzezinski, ..... (Goodwin, 1992:180).

APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

In the first instance the student should take the matter up with the person whoseaction or inaction is the cause of dissatisfaction, or, if this is not appropriate, try toresolve the issue by seeking advice from their course Convenor. Where the issueremains unresolved the Head of School, should be given details in order thathe/she may carry out an investigation and seek to provide a satisfactory outcome.The Head of School will provide a written report to all parties involved, which willinclude any action(s) to be taken, normally within 15 working daysof notification of

the issue. If the student agrees with the outcome then he/she must confirm this inwriting to the Head of School/Director within 1 week of receipt of his/her report.

Where possible this internal procedure should be used to resolve the issue. Thefull complaints procedure document, including the formal process where asatisfactory outcome is not obtained from the above process, can be downloadedfrom http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/govrn/cocom/student/index.html

DISCLAIMEREvery effort is made to ensure that the information contained within this brochureis correct at the time of going to press. However, the University does not acceptany liability for any errors that it may contain, or for any subsequent changes tothe University or Government policy that may affect the information given. CardiffUniversity expressly excludes any representations or warranties (whetherexpressed or implied) and all liability including direct, indirect, special, incidental orconsequential damages arising out of the use of the information on these pages,to the fullest extent possible under law.


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RESEARCH IN THE SCHOOL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES

RESEARCH UNITS, GROUPS AND CENTRES

The School organises its research activities around a series of research units,

groups and centres one or more of which will have relevance to the specific areathat each postgraduate researches. The units are:

European Governance, Identity and Public PolicyResearch Unit History, Memory and Fictions of EuropeResearch Unit Political Theory Research Unit International Affairs Research Group

Research Centres and Institutes in the School:

Collingwood and British Idealism Centre Centre for Ideology Critique and iek Studies Institute for the Study of European Visual Cultures Wales Governance Centre

All Postgraduate students are encouraged to attend the regular activities of thegroups, which involve the presentation of papers by members of staff, advancedpostgraduate students and visiting academics. The School also organises regularconferences, which give an excellent opportunity for postgraduate students tofamiliarise themselves with conference organisation and presentation. Please visitthe School website at www.cf.ac.uk/euros/research for further information on theresearch activity of each group and forthcoming events.

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS (RIP) SEMINARS

There is a monthly postgraduate Research in Progress seminar at which currentresearch students present their work. This forum provides an opportunity forpostgraduate students to meet and share information on their work andexperiences within the School and the University. It is also an excellentopportunity to gain experience of presenting your work to peers in an informalenvironment and responding to questions. Masters students are stronglyencouraged to attend these seminars and discuss their work.

RESEARCH ETHICS

All new research carried out by students and staff at Cardiff School of EuropeanStudies must be approved by the Schools Research Ethics Committee. If theresearch involves interviews or surveys a full application for approval must bemade, including participant consent forms and a copy of the proposed interviewquestions/survey. Masters students are required to submit a copy of theirdissertation proposal and Research students are required to submit an agreedresearch proposal within three months of starting their programme of study.Further details on these processes will be sent to you by email at the relevantpoint in the academic year. The Schools Ethics Policy can be downloaded from

www.cf.ac.uk/euros/research. For further in formation on this please contact thePostgraduate Office.


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SECTION TWO: MASTERS STUDENT INFORMATION

IMPORTANT DATES

Selection of Second Semester Modules to PGT Office 26/11/2010

Dissertation Proposal Deadline (two topics) 07/02/2011

Dissertation Deadline(i) Full time students(ii) Part-time students (Commenced Studies 2009)

Part-time students (Commenced Studies 2010)

16/09/201112/01/201113/01/2012 (TBC)

TEACHING AND PROGRESSION

TEACHING

Details of the structure of teaching for Masters Degrees are given in the relevantScheme handbooks.

Each student will be assigned a Personal Tutor who is responsible for monitoringthe students progress. The personal tutor will normally be the pathway convenerof the specialist pathway that the student is pursuing.

In general, teaching is by weekly two- and three-hour seminars in the first andsecond semesters. You will receive essay feedback, and dissertation supervision.

PROGRESSION TO THE MASTERS DEGREE

Part 1 - The requirements for proceeding to Part II (the dissertation) of anyprogramme are:

(i) A minimum pass mark (50%) for each taught module(ii) The award of 120 credits at M level [Masters level]

Most of the modules available have a weighting of 30 credits, although some are15 credit modules. Make sure you have 120 credits in total for Part 1.

Part 2 - A dissertation of not more than 20,000 words (including bibliography). Tobe eligible to be awarded a Masters degree, you need to pass Part 1 and receivea minimum pass mark (50%) for your dissertation. In order to gain a distinctionoverall you need to obtain an average of at least 70% or more.

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA

At the end of Part 1, the Examining Board shall consider the progress of eachstudent in each module pursued during the stage in accordance with SenateRegulations and shall determine whether he/she:

(i) has obtained a minimum of 120 credits at Level M and shall be eligible forthe award of Postgraduate Diploma; and/or


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(ii) has obtained a minimum of 120 credits at Level M, with an overall passmark of 50%, and shall be permitted to proceed to the next academic stageof the scheme;

(iii) has not obtained sufficient credits to proceed to the next academic stage ofthe scheme but shall be permitted one attempt to retrieve one or morefailed module assessments, with or without attendance on the module,during the following academic session;

(iv) is not eligible to proceed to the next academic stage of the scheme andshall be required to withdraw from the scheme.

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

A student shall be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate who hasbeen awarded at least 60 Credits.

ESSAY SUBMISSION

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS

It is essential that all assessed essays be submitted electronically via LearningCentral by the specified deadline. Essays should be proof-read prior tosubmission. In submitting your assessed coursework you are agreeing that it canbe checked electronically for plagiarism. Once you have submitted yourcoursework it will automatically be submitted directly to the TURNITIN plagiarismdetection software. For further information see page 26 or our web pages:http://www.cf.ac.uk/euros/currentstudents/esubmission/index.html

Written evidence of special circumstances submitted in advance of the deadlinewill be taken into account by the Final Examinations Board, but AcademicRegulations stipulate that failure to submit an assessed essay by the deadlinewithout adequate excuse will result in a mark of zero. Please note thatcomputer problems are no excuse, so you are advised to keep multiple up-to-datebackups at all times.

It is recommended that you also make a copy for yourself. You must also keep allessay notes until after publication of the results of the Examination Board.Duplicates of essays will be returned with comments to serve as a learning vehiclefor module content and as a mutual feedback device on performance levelsobtained and required. The originals are retained for the attention of the ExternalExaminer and Examination Board.

Word Limit

Essays must comply with the word limit, with the word count clearly indicated.Essays not meeting this requirement cannot be marked and will be returned.Essay thus returned are regarded as not having been submitted, and as such areawarded a mark of 0%.


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Availability of Grades

Provisional grades for essays, examinations are normally available within threeweeks of submission/examination. You should make inquiries to the module co-ordinator if you have not received them within this period. All marks areprovisional prior to the Postgraduate Part I Examination Board which is held at theend of June.

The dissertation mark will be confirmed at the Part II Exam Board which is held atthe end of January.

Resubmitting Failed Essays

Students have a right to resubmit once only. In the event of the appropriate marknot being achieved, students may be asked to withdraw.

Failure to Meet Deadline: Late Submission

Work submitted late is awarded a fail mark of 0%. This will have extremely seriousconsequences for your degree award. If you feel you have good reasons forsubmitting work late, you must provide an explanatory letter, with accompanyingevidence, when you hand in your work. The explanation will then be consideredby the relevant committee.

SUBMITTING YOUR WORK ELECTRONICALLY

Electronic submission of assessed coursework through Learning Central is now

compulsory for all Cardiff School of European Studies modules.

Supported file types

Save your document in one of the following formats:Microsoft Word (Office 2007 and Office 2003 formats)WordPerfectRich Text Format (RTF)Portable Document Format (PDF)Plain text (.txt)

File name

Your file name should be your student number following by your surname andinitial. For example if you student number is 123456 and your name is Joe Bloggsthen the file name should be:

123456 Bloggs J.doc

The .doc in the above case simply indicates a document created in Word 2003. Ifyou created the document in Word 2007 this may be .docx, or it would be .rtf ifyou save your document in the Rich Text Format. Do not use special characterssuch as &, -, @ etc in the file name.


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Dissertation topics must relate to the areas of expertise of TWO differentmembers of staff. Details of staff expertise can be found on the School Website.

Once you have been informed which member of staff is to be your (provisional)supervisor, you should make an appointment with them as soon as possible todiscuss your provisional dissertation topic with a view to reaching agreement on aspecific research question.To help you devise an appropriate research question, you should do somepreliminary reading in your topic area and prepare a single side of A4 in which youset out the following information:

1) The question that you are aiming to answer. This must be a single questionexpressed in a single sentence;

2) The main possible answers to this question, at least in theory;3) Examples of arguments for or against one or more of these possible answers;4) A step by step summary of what you would need to find out in order to answer

this question.

We expect you in writing your dissertation to use at least one of the followingresearch methods:

Comparative literature review;

Conceptual and critical analysis;

Normative argument;

Analysis of primary source documents;

Structured interviews;

Secondary analysis of survey data.

After one or more meetings you should have agreed a dissertation topic with yoursupervisor. If there is no agreed topic, your supervisor will allocate you one.

Once you have a topic that has been approved by your supervisor, you need tocomplete a Research Ethics Form, obtain your supervisors signature on it, andsubmit it to the Postgraduate Secretary by the due date.

You should commence your reading for the dissertation as soon as you have anapproved topic.

YOUR SUPERVISOR AND YOU

The supervisor has a number of functions.

First, he or she gives guidance about:

The nature of research;

The standard of work expected;

The planning of the research programme, bearing in mind the deadline forsubmission;

Sources, methods and techniques.


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Second, the supervisor is responsible for defining, in consultation with you, adissertation topic that can be completed within the time available.

Third, the supervisor monitors your progress throughout the planned timetable,advising as necessary on the completion of the successive stages of the work soas to bring about the timely submission of the dissertation for examination.Fourth, the supervisor is responsible for maintaining proper and frequent contactwith you, requesting written progress reports, and returning work, such as draftchapters, with constructive criticism and in reasonable time. The supervisor willalso read the draft dissertation and advise on its amendment before formalsubmission for examination.

Finally, the supervisor is responsible for ensuring that you are given prompt andcandid advice about any inadequacy of progress or problems with the standard ofthe written work being produced, and alerting the Course Convenor to anydifficulties in this regard. However your supervisor is not there to tell you what to

write or to correct your text.

Your Responsibilities Include:

Agreeing a dissertation topic with the supervisor;

Agreeing with the supervisor an overall timetable for the completion of thework and a schedule of regular meetings at which the detailedplanning/progress can be discussed;

Alerting the supervisor, without delay, to any factors that have disrupted theschedule or otherwise impeded progress;

Performing the research work according to the agreed timetable and meeting

with the supervisor according to the agreed schedule; Consulting the Course convenor or Director of Taught Postgraduate Studies in

the event that the working relationship with the supervisor is problematic, or ifyou have any doubts about the quality of their supervision; and

Attending any interviews requested by the supervisor, Director of PostgraduateStudies or Head of School.

WRITING THE DISSERTATION

Once a specific research topic has been decided, the process of researching andwriting a dissertation generally consists of an initial research phase, a first draftwritten fairly quickly, a supplementary research phase to complete the research,and a second and final draft.

It is expected that you will normally meet with your supervisor about twice amonth. You should arrange to see your supervisor as soon as possible toschedule these meetings. Meetings will usually last about an hour and consistmainly of discussion of drafts of chapters, which you should email to yoursupervisor at least 2 days before each meeting. Please note, however, thatsupervisors will not look at drafts during the two weeks prior to thesubmission deadline.

As with essays, material that you obtain from elsewhere must be referenced inorder to acknowledge sources and avoid the charge of plagiarism.


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DISSERTATION FORMAT

The length of the dissertation, including text, tables and references/bibliographybut excluding synopsis (summary) and appendices, must be less than 20,000words. The actual word-count, excluding synopsis and appendices, should bestated on the cover. The synopsis should be not more than 250 words in length.At the beginning of the dissertation you should include the following (single-spaced):

Front Page: include title of dissertation, name, and degree title

Summary of dissertation

Declaration/Statements

Acknowledgements

Glossary of abbreviations used (if applicable)

Contents Page

The body of the dissertation (introduction, chapters, conclusion) should containthe main development of the argument and be printed in 1.5 or double spacing.This should be followed by a single-spaced list of references. Tables discussed inthe text should be included in the body of the dissertation. Other tables, lists ofdata and other background evidence should be in appendices and single-spaced.The source of material in tables must be indicated at the foot of each table.

Note that poor spelling and grammar may result in loss of marks, so use thecomputer spell-check and grammar-check facilities, proof-read the entiredissertation, and ask someone who is strong on spelling and grammar to readthrough it if this might be an issue. You are strongly advised to keep TWO diskcopies of your drafts throughout the year. Computer problems are notaccepted as justifications for late submission.

DISSERTATION SUBMISSION

It is essential to submit your dissertation by the due date. Any matters which mightlead to failure to meet the submission deadline should be communicated to yoursupervisor as a matter of urgency at least two weeks prior to the deadline. Illnessand injury should be confirmed by a medical note.

Special circumstances can be filed for via an Extension Request form and mustbe completed for any agreed late submission. These are available from the

Postgraduate Office.

You need to submit the following to the Postgraduate Secretary:

two temporary or hardbound copies with your name, degree scheme andyear of submission on the spine and your declaration pages and originalsignatures included in both copies.

one electronic copy (either on CD or USB Stick with your name, studentnumber and degree scheme clearly visible);

notice of submission form.

For further information and assistance on your dissertation submission please seehttp://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/sfs/postgrad/taught/dis/index.html.


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Binding

Dissertations may be hard- or soft-bound. Please ensure that your name, degreescheme and year of submission are printed on the spine of your dissertation. SeeAbbey Bookbinders at www.bookbindersuk.com or The Print Centrewww.printcentrecardiff.com

Marking of Dissertation

1st Marker: Supervisor; 2nd Marker: a staff member allocated by the courseconvenor; 3rd Marker: External Examiner.

Re-Submission of Dissertation

If you are required to re-submit your dissertation for examination you are onlyallowed to do this once, upon payment of a resubmission fee of 116, and not

more than twelve months from the date of the official communication of the result.

A student who is allowed to re-submit a dissertation shall not be eligible for theaward of the mark of Distinction, irrespective of the level of his/her performance inany re-resubmitted work.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP)

WHAT IS PDP?

At Masters level, PDP is designed to build on and enhance the skills which youhave developed during your undergraduate level studies or work experience. PDPwill help you to critically review your learning experiences, set personal andacademic goals and evaluate your progress towards these goals. It is designed toassist you to further develop as an independent learner and will be of benefit, notonly during your time at Cardiff University, but throughout your career.

WHY SHOULD I DO IT?

There are many reasons why individuals chose to undertake postgraduate levelqualifications:

You may have enjoyed your degree subject and want to progress to a higherlevel.

Your chosen career may require a postgraduate qualification.

You may want to change careers.

You may want to enhance your career prospects.

You may want more time to think about your career options.

Whatever the reason for continuing to study, the Masters degree is a step changefrom undergraduate level study. As the programme is typically only one year induration, you will be participating in a more intense period of study. You will also

be developing and enhancing skills in many areas, including working withminimum supervision, developing the ability to critically analyse and evaluateevidence and further developing oral and written communication skills.


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Studying at postgraduate level is a large financial commitment and it is importantto ensure that you make the most of your time at Cardiff. PDP will provide aframework in which you can clarify what you aim to achieve from Masters levelstudy and a process which will help you achieve these aims.The PDP process will help you to:

Identify your training needs

Set objectives for development

Monitor your progress

Discuss your development needs with your tutor/advisor.

Employers will be keen to know what you have gained from Postgraduate study andyou will need to confidently articulate and demonstrate your skills to potentialemployers.

PDP will help you to record and track your personal and professional development

during the course of your studies. Participating in the process will help you todevelop the confidence and ability to articulate your skills and qualities to a widerange of employers and other professional bodies.

YOUR LOGBOOK

During your Masters year, you will be expected to maintain a PersonalDevelopment Plan/log/portfolio on Learning Central. This process is designed toprovide a framework to help you reflect on your progress and as a tool for helpingyou to identify the training and support you need to make your Masters year asuccess. During this process you will participate in the following activities:

Identification of training needs via a skills assessment exercise

Establishing your expectations for the year

Reflecting on progress

Recording progress

The log should contribute to structuring student-supervisor meetings, determiningtraining needs, and enhancing your CV.

An on-line resource designed to guide you through the process of PDP and help

you construct an electronic record of your development is available to all studentson Learning Central at http://portal.cf.ac.uk.

As well as providing a framework to help you plan and record your personaldevelopment, this resource will provide you with information on how you canintegrate extra-curricular experiences into your PDP process.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL I RECEIVE?

For technical assistance in EUROS, please contact Mark Cooper,[email protected]

More generally, you can discuss how you use PDP with your Personal Tutor.


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SECTION THREE: PhD/MPhil STUDENT INFORMATION

RESEARCH DEGREES AT EUROS

The degrees of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) areawarded solely on the basis of examination of a thesis following a period ofsustained research which can be full or part time. The standard periods of studyare as follows:

FULL TIME PhD 3 years fee paying and 1 year writing upPART TIME PhD 5 years fee paying and 2 years writing upFULL TIME MPhil 1 year fee paying and 2 years writing upPART TIME MPhil 3 years fee paying and 2 years writing up

REQUIREMENTS

A thesis must consist of the candidates own account of his/her research and mustoffer an original contribution to the field or provide a reassessment of an existinghistoriography. The thesis must be in typescript or print, bound in accordance withthe requirements of the University, and must include a full bibliography andreferences.

MPhil: The MPhil consists of a dissertation of approximately 50,00060,000words and involves one or two years of full-time study, or a minimum of two yearspart-time. The MPhil dissertation tends to be an extended argument andsynthesis, rather than a piece of original research, but frequently includes a largedegree of originality.

PhD: The PhD consists of a thesis of approximately 80,000 words, and the periodof study is normally a minimum of three years full-time or five years part-time. Theresearch degree has two broad objectives: The research must be seen as a training exercise in becoming a scholar or

scientist with relevant expertise in a particular field. The thesis itself must be an original contribution to knowledge or a revision of

an existing historiography (though this does not necessarily implycomprehensive coverage of the field).

Research students are allowed a set period of time after the end of their minimum

period of study for writing up their thesis. During this writing up stage you will notbe required to pay fees. Although you are still considered a student at theUniversity, you are outside of the regular registration period. Your candidature willlapse if you do not submit a thesis within the time limit stipulated below. Timelimits are calculated in calendar years from the date of initial registration.

Period of Study (Registration Period) Time LimitMPhil1 year full-time 3 years2 years part-time 5 yearsPhD3 years full-time 4 years5 years part-time 7 years


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Research Degrees Code of Practice: The Research Degrees Code of Practiceoutlines the Code of Practice for research degrees, and gives details aboutacademic regulations and integrity, research degree examinations, and aboutteaching. This Code expresses the basic principles according to which theUniversity requires its schools to conduct their research student business. It hasbeen drawn up with particular reference to the QAA Code of Practice for the

Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards in Higher Education: Section 1,Postgraduate Research Programmes (revised 2004).

The Code has also been designed to include or make explicit reference toinformation on relevant regulations and procedures to help students and staffthrough the Universitys requirements for a research degree. All students engagedin research should familiarise themselves with the contents of the Code ofPractice.

The Research Degrees Code of Practice is available athttp://www.cf.ac.uk/regis/sfs/rdqh/index.html

SUPERVISOR AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

SUPERVISORS

Students are allocated a primary and a secondary supervisor from the beginningof their period of study. The working relationship between supervisor andresearcher is absolutely crucial to successful completion of the PhD thesis. Thereare University-level regulations about the roles, rights and responsibilities of

supervisors and research students. They are set out in detail in the CardiffUniversity Research Degrees handbook. The relationship between researchstudents and supervisors (and with the wider School) is understood as strictlyprofessional. It is a matter of both sides pursuing the highest academic standardsand meeting the requirements for the award of the relevant research degree.Supervisors and School act in a strictly professional capacity.

Central to this relationship is the progression of the PGR student to becoming anindependent researcher. The supervisors roles are to facilitate this progression; toprovide authoritative professional assessment of whether the student is makingthis progression successfully; and to offer professional advice to the student. This

progression is reflected in expectations of the frequency of formal supervisionmeetings. In Year 1 we expect on average a meeting at least every three weeks(at the outset perhaps weekly); in Year 2 at least every five weeks; and in Year 3every six weeks. However, there will be a need for variation to suit individualcases. There will also be informal meetings.

Research students who are not present in Cardiff whether because of extra-mural, part-time or on field research are expected to make special efforts tokeep their supervisors informed about their progress, including identifyingproblems and seeking guidance on a regular basis. Failure to do so on the part ofa research student will be regarded in a negative light by the Progression Board.


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they are experiencing, especially in the early stages of their work, so thatappropriate remedial help can be arranged;

ensuring that candidates are competent to perform their tasks safely, and thatthey comply with University and departmental health and safety procedures;

arranging for candidates to talk about their work to other staff or at seminars,

so as to give them practise in oral presentations before their formalexamination;

reading the draft thesis and advising on its amendment, before formalsubmission for examination;

providing guidance to candidates whose examined work has to be amendedand re-submitted for further examination;

formally approving the submission of the thesis in conjunction with theProgression Board as satisfying the requirements of the research degree.

Each postgraduate research student has a supervisory team with at least twomembersof academic staff. In mostcases, the School adopts the model of co-supervision, with both supervisors having significant academic input and bothbeing expected to provide expert advice, direction, support and guidance to thestudent. One is designated as the main supervisor, however, and assumes overallresponsibility for the management of the student. The main supervisor providessubject-specific support and guidance to students and is the primary source ofadvice on research design, methods and techniques. If the lead supervisor andthe student co-pilot the Research Plan, the former provides the expertise to guidethe research dissertation and perfect the research design.

The Role of the Second Supervisor is:

To augment the advice of the primary supervisor. Draft chapters should besubmitted to both supervisors, and they should compare notes before passingon comments to the student in order to avoid giving contradictory advice.

To be on tap rather than on top. There may be aspects of the thesis that thestudent feels are best discussed with the secondary supervisor.

The secondary supervisor takes on primary responsibility when the first

supervisor is on sabbatical or some other prolonged period of leave.

Students should meet with their supervisors at their earliest convenience inorder to discuss who may be an appropriate secondary supervisor.

Candidates for research degrees are expected to assure themselves of the termsof their candidatures (including any particular requirements stipulated by theirsponsors) and their responsibilities towards the successful completion of the work.Candidates for research degrees are responsible for their own work and for thetimely submission of their theses.


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The Students Responsibilities include:

Taking minutes of each formal supervision meeting, agreeing them with thesupervisors, and submitting copies of them to the PGR Office. These minutesare a requirement laid down by the Progression Board. They stipulate advicegiven, action agreed, and timetables of action.

Agreeing with the supervisor the topic for the research programme;

Agreeing with the supervisor an overall timetable for the completion of thework and a schedule of regular meetings at which the detailedplanning/progress can be discussed;

Informing her/himself about the Schools policy on research ethics andsubmitting appropriate details for approval to the School Ethics Committeebefore research is undertaken.

Alerting the supervisor, without delay, to any factors that have disrupted theschedule or otherwise impeded progress;

Agreeing with the supervisor the type of guidance and comment that would bemost helpful;

Performing the research work according to the agreed timetable and meetingwith the supervisor according to the agreed schedule;

Submitting regular, written reports to the supervisor, as required by theUniversitys Monitoring Procedure (see below). Timely submission ofthese reports is a requirement laid down by the Progression Board.

Maintaining, at all times, a proper and professional relationship with thesupervisor;

Aiming to submit the thesis for examination within the permitted time-limit, subject to the supervisors advice about the readiness of thethesis;

Maintaining contact with the supervisor in the interval between the end of fee-paying residence and actual submission for examination;

Consulting the Director of Postgraduate Research Studies in the event that theworking relationship with the supervisor is problematic, or if they have anydoubts about the quality of their supervision;

Attending any interviews requested by the supervisor, the Director ofPostgraduate Research Studies, the Progression Board, or the Head ofDepartment;

Availing themselves fully of the opportunities provided by PersonalDevelopment Planning


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FORMAL MONITORING OF RESEARCH STUDENTS

SIX-MONTHLY SELF-REPORTS

Throughout your study the University requires you to submit regular progressreports. Research students are required to complete Self-Assessment Reports at

six-monthly intervals up until thesis submission. Supervisors are required toproduce a Student Progress report for each student working under their direction,at six-monthly intervals in conjunction with the Self-Assessment forms up untilthesis submission. Students will be interviewed in confidence about any issuesraised in their forms, which also gives the opportunity to raise any issuesregarding supervision arrangements. The results of this exercise are thoroughlyscrutinised by the School Progression Board, and training and supervisory needsidentified and acted upon.

ANNUAL PROGRESS REVIEW

In addition to this, the annualprogression of Research students is formallyconsidered and recorded to ensure that academic progression is satisfactorilyachieved. The Progression Board may ask you to either a short interview or tomake a presentation during which they are asked to present their work to date.Progression to the next academic year involves, at a minimum:

A substantial literature review chapter (at the end of year one or the end ofyear two for part time students)

A complete writing timetable and substantial drafts of at least one additionalchapter (at the end of year two or the end of year three for part timestudents).

The student can in addition request a meeting with the Progression Board todiscuss her/his views on the state of progression of their thesis and to considerher/his concerns. The meetings will also give you the occasion to communicateyour views on any aspect of your postgraduate experience.

PROGRESSION BOARD

The Progression Boards main role is to ensure high quality standards in PGR. Wemake it clear to students that they should feel free to discuss supervisoryproblems, and that should there be a need to change supervisors that there will

be no recriminations. However, if students should fail to heed warnings from theProgression Board, their registration will be terminated.

Please refer to the PGR Training Handbook for further information. In addition,details of the Universitys Progression Policy can be found at:http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/sfs/regs/0910academicregsdocs/2.03%20Research%20Student%20Monitoring%20Procedure%202009-10.doc

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

A student shall report in writing any special or extenuating circumstances which

may have an effect on his/her performance as soon as the circumstances arise.Both Supervisors and the Postgraduate Secretary should be notified and whereappropriate the report shall be supported by documentary evidence.


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RESEARCH TRAINING

The Graduate Centre provides a comprehensive training programme for allResearch students the Research Student Skills Development Programme(RSSDP) is available to view at https://rssdp.cardiff.ac.uk. All new Research

students should agree a training plan with their supervisor within the first twoweeks of starting and continue to identify training needs for the duration of theirprogramme of study. Please consult the Research Students Training Handbookfor further information on training for Research students in the School of EuropeanStudies.

FUNDING - POSTGRADUATE COMMITTEE

All research students in the School of European Studies may apply to thePostgraduate Committee for financial assistance for particular research field trips,

or for attending conferences related to their research. This must be agreed withyour supervisor and a maximum of 350 can be applied for in any one financialyear. Forms are available from the Postgraduate Office and Room 2.26.Pleaseconsult the guidelines on the form carefully for further information before applying.

ONLINE PROFILE

A list of current registered Research Students and research interests is availableon the EUROS website: www.cf.ac.uk/euros/contactsandpeople/postgraduates

If you would like to publish a personal profile to include details of your researchproject to this page please contact the IT office ([email protected]).

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP)

WHAT IS PDP?

PDP is a structured and supported process that will help you to review yourlearning experiences, set personal and academic goals and evaluate your

progress towards these goals.You may have participated in a process of PDPduring your Undergraduate Degree, Masters Degree or in the workplace. AtResearch Degree level, PDP is designed to build on and enhance the skills whichyou have developed during your previous studies or work experience.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which conductsinstitutional audits on behalf of the government to assure quality in universitydegrees, embodied PDP within its revised Code of Practice for PostgraduateResearch Programmes in September 2004. Consequently, PDP now forms a coreelement of Cardiff University's Skills and Employability Strategy.


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PDP is designed to assist you to further develop as an independent learner andwill be of benefit not only during your time at Cardiff University, but throughoutyour career.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PDP?

Get the most from your Research Degree Studying at Postgraduate level is ahuge commitment and it is important to ensure that you make the most of yourtime at Cardiff. The PDP process will help you to:

Identify your training needs

Develop and enhance research-specific and transferable skills (e.g. oral andwritten communication skills, how to get grant funding)

Monitor your personal and professional development

Discuss your development needs with your Supervisor

Enhance your ability to articulate and demonstrate your skills to a wide range

of potential employers (both academic and non-academic) and professionalbodies.

During your Research Degree Programme you will be expected to maintain aResearch Student Log. This process is designed to provide a framework to helpyou reflect on your progress and as a tool for helping you to identify the trainingand support you need to make your Research Degree a success. During thispr

Documents

Postgraduate Handbook 2010-11