Thesis in Museum Studies (MUSM7628)

Course overview

The thesis in museum studies provides students with the opportunity to apply and evaluate museum studies theory and research in a major research project. Please note: the study load in the first semester of enrolment in this course will be equivalent to 2 units; study in the second semester will be equivalent to 4 units.

This coursework thesis reports an original piece of research, grounded in knowledge of the theories and previous studies in the field, and presented in a manner consistent with research reporting in that field. The thesis embodies a substantial amount of research on primary sources, or on scholarly and critical studies of such sources, or on both. In this context research can be defined as directly creating new knowledge, or locating and critically evaluating existing primary and secondary textual materials, or translating, editing, annotating, and/or analysing such materials, or engaging in any other appropriate scholarly project, provided that the student's original contribution can be clearly identified.

Students are expected to arrange a supervisor, ideally with research specialisms relevant to their topic, themselves. The supervisor must have a degree higher than a Masters level.

Once your supervisor is in place you can submit an Expression of Interest Form for Program Director approval.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Not applicable

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

6 units of study from MMusmSt Core Courses and MMusmSt Program Electives

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

MUSM7608, MUSM7618, MUSM7008, MUSM7018, MUSM7028

Restrictions

This course is restricted to students enrolled in the Master of Museum Studies program.

Course contact

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email the School of Social Science Administration Team at student.socsci@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details: full name, student ID, and course code. 

Aims and outcomes

The thesis reports an original piece of research, grounded in knowledge of the theories and previous studies in the field, and presented in a manner consistent with research reporting in that field. The thesis embodies a substantial amount of research on primary sources, or on scholarly and critical studies of such sources, or on both. In this context research can be defined as directly creating new knowledge, or locating and critically evaluating existing primary and secondary textual materials, or translating, editing, annotating, and/or analysing such materials, or engaging in any other appropriate scholarly project, provided that the student's original contribution can be clearly identified.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Thesis Proposal Submission

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Due date

15/09/2025 2:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01

Task description

Submission guidelines

Students are to submit a 3-5 page thesis outline to the dissertation supervisor and the course coordinator via email.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Mid-Semester Review

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified

Mode

Oral

Category

Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation

Weight

Pass/Fail

Due date

5/09/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Email the Course Coordinator and your thesis supervisors confirming you have completed the oral review, by the due date and time.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Extensions may be negotiated with the supervisor and course coordinator on exceptional circumstances.

Research Thesis

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

100%

Due date

29/05/2026 2:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date. 

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted. 

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. 

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.  

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team. 

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please note that from Semester 2, 2025 the Assessment Procedure has changed. You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time. 

The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic. 

Students who are registered with Student Support and Wellbeing Services may apply for an extension without providing documentation. This extension request must be the student’s first extension request for the assessment item. If you proceed with an extension request based on your SAP, you will be ineligible to use your discretionary extension for the same assessment item. In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require students to provide their SAP along with additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ). 

A student is eligible for a discretionary extension for one assessment task per semester for a duration of 2 calendar days or less. A discretionary extension may only be used on a student’s first extension request for an assessment task.  

A student may have a maximum of 3 extension requests approved for a single assessment task. If a third extension is necessary, you must submit an Assessment Management Plan in addition to your supporting documentation with your request. 

In exceptional circumstances, a fourth extension may be requested through the grievance and appeals process. 

Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.  

Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements. 

Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team. 

Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester. 

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.

Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval. 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

• Final grades will be determined by the aggregate of assessment marks and will be awarded in the form of 7 (85% +); 6 (75% - 84%); 5 (65% - 74%); 4 (50% - 64%), 3 (45% - 49%); 2 (30% - 44%); 1 (1% - 29%).
• International students should pay particular attention to the grade system as it may differ from that in your home country.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/ 

School Guide for Written Assessments: School of Social Science Guide for Written Assessments 

Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.  

Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result  

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

Library resources are available 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.

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 for Students Policy and Procedure
• AI for Assessment Guide

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.