The dissertation is an opportunity for students to study in-depth an aspect of the law of personal interest. Developing and demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of the area chosen is the primary objective of the module.

Students are required to submit a provisional topic for approval, and the Department retains the discretion to refuse to permit a student to undertake a dissertation. The Department will review both the suitability of the topic for a dissertation, options for supervision of the project and the student's academic profile and performance in coming to a decision about whether the student should be given permission to undertake the dissertation

1. Identify legal sources from , European and, where appropriate, other jurisdictions;
2. Identify and retrieve up-to-date legal information using paper and electronic resources;
3. Distinguish primary and secondary sources;
4. Show insight into presenting legal materials drawn from a wide variety of primary and secondary sources and doctrinal commentary;
5. Demonstrate developed research skills in assimilating, processing and utilising knowledge;
6. Demonstrate competence at incorporating and applying, as appropriate, ethical values, philosophical principles and political constraints to research material;
7. Analyse, evaluate and apply the material and to produce a logical, structured and original piece of written work.
8. Demonstrate presentation skills

1. Students are required to submit an outline topic or a preliminary title to the Department office by the first week of the Autumn Semester. Any student not submitting an outline topic or preliminary title will not be allocated a Supervisor.
   
2. Students are required to submit a working title for the dissertation supported by the Supervisor’s signature to the Department office during the Reading Week of the Autumn Semester. Any student not submitting a working title, or without the Supervisor’s approval for the project, will be excluded from the module.
   
3. Students on the LLB Law and European Studies programme should note that the dissertation is a compulsory part of their LLB and that they may not be given permission to substitute other credits for the relevant dissertation module. The student’s degree will be at risk, and this may prevent the student graduating in that academic session.
   
4. Students should note the deadline for submission of the dissertation. Two bound copies of the dissertation are to be submitted by TUESDAY 4 APRIL 2006. Students should note that this deadline is during the Easter vacation and any student who is away from Guildford at this time will have to submit the dissertation at the end of the teaching weeks. There is no provision for the late receipt of dissertations, and that any work received late will not be marked and no credits will be awarded for the module. Individual extensions to the deadline for submission will only be given on exceptional medical grounds, for which evidence will be required.
   
5. The submitted dissertation text must be presented in the format specified in the Undergraduate Handbook.
   
6. Students should also note the viva is a compulsory part of the dissertation assessment process.

The work is initiated and carried through by the individual student with supervision.

The student builds his/her own bibliography from sources relevant to the subject.

02.04.2008