HS657-7-FY-CO:
Rights Based Research and Dissertation

The details
2025/26
Health and Social Care (School of)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 13 October 2025
Friday 08 May 2026
30
27 January 2025

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

MA L50021 Social Work

Module description

This module prepares the student for an empirical research study by consolidating and extending knowledge on human rights and socio-legal issues developed in previous modules. The focus on the module is on the support and development of the students to enable them to negotiate and undertake an extended piece of research relevant to rights based and socio-legal practice.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To analyse the key concepts and their intersections in the construction of Social/ Human Rights and their manifestations in public discourses, law policies and social work.

  • To understand the interdisciplinary nature of socio-legal inquiry.

  • To design and conduct research relevant to rights based social work.

  • To develop a capacity for analytic, synthetic and independent thinking.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Plan a systematic, independent extended research project, examining rights based approaches in social work theory and/or practice.

  2. Conduct research and disseminate findings in within an inter-disciplinary, socio-legal context.

  3. Report on the research context, methods and findings of independent enquiry.

  4. Draw valid conclusions from data collected via independent enquiry.

  5. Critically reflect on the processes of empirical and clinical data collection and analysis.

Module information

A Socio-legal, rights-based study is an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of law, human rights and social policy issues and the relationships between these and wider society. Theoretical, clinical and empirical work is included, and perspectives and methodologies are drawn from the social sciences as well as humanities. A Socio-legal, rights-based study is an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of law, human rights and social policy issues and the relationships between these and wider society. Theoretical, clinical and empirical work is included, and perspectives and methodologies are drawn from the social sciences as well as humanities.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

  • Group sessions
  • 1 to 1 tutorials
  • Tutor led input

Lectures:
As noted above it is expected that seminars and workshops will be incorporated within the scheduled days of teaching and learning activity as outlined in the attached timetable. 

Independent:
The taught sessions will be followed by a period of observed practice as students prepare for and complete the assessment requirements for this module.

Online:
A range of materials and resources relating to this module are available through the MA Social Work and Human Rights Moodle site. Students should upon registering for this module be able to access this Moodle course by going to https://moodle.essex.ac.uk or by accessing Moodle via the 'my study' section of the main University of Essex website. If you are experiencing any technical difficulties with Moodle then please contact; helpdesk@essex.ac.uk

Tutorials:
On commencing the course students will be allocated an Academic Supervisor, (usually the module leader). Academic Supervisors will support the student in the preparation of the module assessment.

Students will be expected to meet with their Academic Supervisor on a regular basis throughout the course. Arrangements for supervision will be the responsibility of the student. Any student may elect to change their Academic Supervisor following discussion with the module or programme lead.

Students are expected to maintain contact with their academic and practice Supervisors throughout the module. Tutorial sessions will be negotiated between student and supervisor. It expected that tutorial support and supervision will total no more than 2 full days over the period of the module.

Bibliography*

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Rights Based Research and Dissertation     

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

100 per cent Coursework Mark

Reassessment

100 per cent Coursework Mark

Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Konstantinos Roussos, email: k.roussos@essex.ac.uk.
pgsocwork@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Mrs Karen Jane Hubbard
University of Hull
Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
Health and Social Care (School of)

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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