Module: MAJ Project/Dissertation

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	MAJ Project/Dissertation
Module Code	JRR1028 (ITS: CM5140)
Faculty	Communications	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	15

Description

The Project/Dissertation is a major component of the MA in Journalism. Students have a choice of format: they may produce a project comprising a significant piece of journalism in their preferred medium together with a critical production report, or they may research and write a dissertation dealing critically with historical, theoretical and/or practical aspects of journalism or news media.

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically analyse issues in media or resolve questions concerning in-depth or large-scale journalistic work
2. Integrate theoretical concepts of media, or propose and assemble a coherent journalistic work on a major current topic
3. Demonstrate journalism skills in research, writing and production, or to select and deploy methodologies to research media issues
4. Demonstrate ability to access and deploy subject literature in constructing a theoretical framework

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Seminars	35	The relevance of research methodologies shall be considered in the context of projects and dissertations being undertaken by students. Their proposed project or dissertation will be presented and discussed in detail during a seminar series.
Fieldwork	340	Under the guidance of the programme's nominated project and dissertation supervisor, students will undertake research and produce their projects and dissertations to a specified delivery deadline within a detailed production timeline.
Total Workload: 375

Section Breakdown
CRN	11676	Part of Term	Semester 1, 2 & 3
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC2	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	David Robbins	Module Teacher	Dawn Wheatley, Declan Fahy, Paul Mcnamara

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Project	n/a	100%	n/a
Project	Research, database and library skills.	0%	As required

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

The Project/Dissertation is a major component of the MA in Journalism. Students have a choice of format.
Students may produce a project comprising a significant piece of journalism in their preferred medium together with a critical production report, or they may research and write a dissertation dealing critically with historical, theoretical and/or practical aspects of journalism or news media.

Indicative Reading List

Books:
None

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None