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Sociology (The Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion) is no longer accepting new applications.
Teaching
The course offers seminar-style teaching on core topic areas and additional research methods courses.
Students are expected to write two 3,000 word essays in the Michaelmas term. These are formative essays which are not assessed, giving students the opportunity to receive feedback on their writing and research before submitting any assessed work.
During Lent term (Easter term of first year for part-time students), building on readings, lectures and supervisions, students submit a 4,500 to 5,000 word Field Review Essay, which offers a comprehensive review of research related to one of their core lectures.
Students work towards a written dissertation supported by supervisions and a dissertation workshop.
One to one supervision | Students will typically receive approximately eight hours of supervision on their dissertation, spread across the three terms (across six terms part-time). Additional supervisions are provided for the research essays and the assessed Field Review Essay. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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Seminars & classes | Core course: 12 hours (six two-hour sessions) in the Michaelmas term and two one-hour sessions in the Lent term (Michaelmas and Lent of the first year for part-time students). Research methods: seminars: twelve hours of optional seminars (first or second year for part-time students). 4 to 5 hours of optional seminars specific to the Marginality and Exclusion Pathway during Lent term (first or second year for part-time students). In addition, students are welcome to attend any other relevant lectures offered by the Department or across the University, including any specialist research methods courses run by the Social Science Research Methods Programme. |
Lectures | Six 2-hour core course lectures in Michaelmas and two lectures in Lent. In addition, students are welcome to attend any other relevant lectures offered by the Department or across the university. |
Practicals | Dissertation workshop: ten hours. |
Journal clubs | Within the Department, various reading groups and clusters are offered. |
Literature Reviews | Written assignments require students to conduct extensive literature reviews in their chosen areas of research. |
Posters and Presentations | Students present their dissertation proposals in a workshop usually held during the Lent term (first or second year for part-time students). |
Feedback
Students receive written feedback on each essay and the dissertation. Feedback is also given during the dissertation supervisions on the direction and progress of the dissertation research.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Students write a dissertation of not less than 10,000 and not more than 15,000 words on a subject approved by the Sociology Postgraduate Education Committee, falling within the field of the pathway chosen at the beginning of the course. The dissertation counts for 70 per cent of the final mark.
Essays
Students write one Field review essay of between 4,500 and 5,000 words on topics approved by the Sociology Postgraduate Education Committee. This essay counts for 30 per cent of the final mark.