Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - )
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 4
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Law School
This 4 unit Dissertation consists of a piece of independent research completed by the student under the supervision of a member of the Law School academic staff. Students are to complete a dissertation paper on a topic approved by the Director of Postgraduate Coursework Programs (Law). The final dissertation shall be approximately 15,000 words in length. Students commencing in semester 1 must enrol in LAWS7716 for both semesters. Students commencing in semester 2 must enrol in LAWS7717 for both semesters. Any approved topic for LAWS7717 or LAWS7716 must be substantially different from any other postgraduate research project/dissertation previously undertaken by the student.
The Supervised Research Project consists of a piece of independent research completed by the student under the supervision of a member of the Law School academic staff.ﾠ Prior to enrolling in this course, students must:
- identify a viable research topic;
- identifyﾠan appropriate supervisor; and
- complete and submit a topic proposal form.
The topic proposal form can be obtained by clickingﾠhereﾠor by emailing pglaw@law.uq.edu.au.ﾠ The form should be submitted one weekﾠprior to the start of semester.
ﾠ
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
GPA of 5.5 and permission from Head of School
Restrictions
LLM, LLM(16), LLM(24), MICLaw(16), MICLaw(24), MIL and MIR/MIL
Course contact
Timetable
Additional timetable information
This course is aﾠ#4ﾠresearch project.ﾠ There is no class contact, but students are expected to meet their supervisor at least three times during the preparation of the dissertation.
Aims and outcomes
Teaching Mission Statement
The mission of the TC Beirne School of Law is to educate students in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.
Course Aims
This course aims to allow students to undertake self-paced and self-directed study under the guidance of a supervisor.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the law relating to the chosen research question;
LO2.
demonstrate superior skills in the conduct of independent research and analysis of legal materials; and
LO3.
produce a research paper of publishable quality.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Dissertation
|
100% |
9/06/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Dissertation
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 100%
- Due date
9/06/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Students are required to produce a research paper of no more than 15,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography).
Students should meet with their supervisors at the earliest opportunity to plan and discuss the following:
- the research to be undertaken;
- the frequency of meetings throughout semester; and
- the timetable for submission of initial and subsequent drafts and review.
The number and frequency of meetings may vary depending upon a number of factors including:
- the research topic;
- structure of the constituent parts of the paper;
- mutual availability; and
- the needs of the student (given experience and ability in research and writing).
At a minimum, students are expected to meet with their project supervisor on at least three occasions for the purposes specified below and in accordance with the following timetable:
- Meeting 1 - Before the end of teaching week 2 in the first semester of the project. Purpose - to prepare a plan for the submission of drafts.
- Meeting 2 - Before the end of teaching week 12 in the first semester of the project. Purpose - to discuss the initial draft.
- Meeting 3 - Before the end of teaching week 7 in the second semester of the project. Purpose - to discuss the finalisation of the project and any other specific and residual issues.
Students are expected to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to independent research on their chosen topic. Extra time may be required for meetings with supervisor(s) and preparing the paper for submission.
This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered will generally be limited to one week in the first instance. In exceptional circumstances, approved extensions may be granted for more than one week but will not exceed four weeks in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should be advised to apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 47 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 26 |
Not Timetabled |
Dissertation Students undertake independent research throughout the semester(s) under the supervision of a member of the Law School Academic staff. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: