MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert
Development Studies
Development Studies and Social Anthropology
Department of Geography, Environment and Development
Studies
School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy
Birkbeck, University of London
CONTENTS
WELCOME ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3
THE PURPOSE AND AIMS OF THE PROGRAMMES .......................................................................................................... 4
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMME AND ITS STRUCTURE ............................................................................. 5
PROGRAMME CONTACTS AND PASTORAL SUPPORT ................................................................................................... 8
MODULE AND TERM DATES AND TIMES ......................................................................................................................... 9
ATTENDANCE ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13
LIBRARY, COMPUTING FACILITIES AND VITUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT .................................................... 14
COMMUNICATION AND TUTORIAL SUPPORT .............................................................................................................. 15
TEACHING STAFF ................................................................................................................................................................ 16
TAUGHT MODULES AND THE DISSERTATION .............................................................................................................. 17
ASSESSMENT MODES AND REGULATIONS. .................................................................................................................. 21
ESSAY GUIDELINES AND REFERENCING ..................................................................................................................... 22
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION PROCEDURES .................................................................................................................... 24
ASSESSMENT PATTERN ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
MARKING............................................................................................................................................................................... 27
PLAGIARISM IN COURSEWORK AND DISSERTATIONS............................................................................................... 28
EQUALITIES STATEMENT FOR BIRKBECK COLLEGE ................................................................................................. 29
DISABILITY STATEMENT FOR BIRKBECK COLLEGE .................................................................................................. 29
STUDENT-STAFF EXCHANGE MEETINGS ....................................................................................................................... 30
CAREERS AND DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................................ 30
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WELCOME
Welcome to the postgraduate Development Studies and Development Studies and Social
Anthropology programmes of the School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy,
Birkbeck, University of London.
We aim to provide a unique and stimulating academic experience for our students. Over the
years we have established a Development Studies programme which has been particularly
attractive to students who are seeking to join or are already working in the development
sector. We believe that our programme has been successful not only in providing a
theoretical understanding of development issues for our students but also providing an
opportunity for students to benefit personally, professionally and academically. Last year
introduced a Development Studies and Social Anthropology programme, enabling students to
gain a deeper understanding of anthropological approaches to development.
The Programme Team
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THE PURPOSE AND AIMS OF THE PROGRAMMES
The Purpose of the Programmes:
●
To provide accredited, inter-disciplinary and critical post-graduate courses in
development studies and social anthropology.
●
To provide unique courses that are predominantly taught outside working hours
(evenings and weekends) and address the needs of London’s growing Development
sector, and reflect the concerns of people who live and work in London.
The principal aims of the programmes are to:
●
introduce students to key concepts, theories and debates within selected areas of
development studies and, where applicable, social anthropology,
●
introduce students to methods relevant to selected areas of development studies and,
where applicable, social anthropology,
●
enable students to critically apply such knowledge within an inter-disciplinary, social
science framework,
●
enable students to critically apply such knowledge to practical aspects of
development practice and management,
●
introduce students to research skills, and to apply these by undertaking an
independent research project.
Learning Outcomes
Postgraduate Certificates, Diplomas and Masters are awarded to students who have
demonstrated:
i. a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems
and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of your field of
study;
ii. a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to your own research;
iii. originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of
how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret
knowledge in the discipline;
iv.
conceptual understanding that enables you to:
a. Critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline;
and
b. Evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate,
to propose new hypotheses.
v. deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements
in the absence of complete data, and communicate your conclusions clearly;
vi.
demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and selfdirection in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level.
Masters Students must complete a dissertation of 12,000 words (excluding references). The
guidelines for dissertation are distributed in a separate document through the Virtual Learning
Environment called Blackboard.
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SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMME AND ITS STRUCTURE
Common Award Scheme
All Birkbeck awards comply with the College’s Common Award Scheme (CAS). From
October 2008 all awards are made up of a number of modules that each has a credit rating at a
particular level which accords with nationally recognised standards.
Modules of the MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert Development Studies programme have a credit rating of
either 30 CATS points at level 7 for taught modules or 60 CATS points at level 7 for the
dissertation. Level 7 refers to Masters level study and CATS stands for Credit Accumulation
and Transfer points.
The structure of the programme enables the attainment of different awards depending on the
amount of credit accumulated.
Award
Postgraduate Certificate
Credits
Modules required
60 CATS Two core modules*
points
at
level 7
Postgraduate Diploma
120 CATS Two core modules and two options**
points
at
level 7
MSc
180 CATS Two core modules, two options and a
points
at dissertation of 12,000 words (excluding
level 7
references)
* Students must pass all elements of each module in order to proceed to the PG Dip or MSc.
** Students must pass all elements of each module in order to proceed to the MSc.
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PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The programme can be completed in two years (part time) or one year (full time). The structure
of the programme allows for specified stopping off points where PG Certificate and PG Diploma
awards can be made depending on the amount of credit accumulated.
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES PROGRAMME
Two years (part time)
Year 1
Term 1
Modules
Core module 1
Term 2
Core module 2
Term 3
Accumulated credit/award
30 CATS points
60 CATS points
Postgraduate Certificate
(extra-curricula screenings and No CATS credit
talks)
Year 2
Term 1
Modules
Option module 1
Accumulated credit/award
90 CATS points
Term 1
Research methods for
dissertation
Term 2
Option module 2
Term 3
Research methods for
dissertation
For
submission
mid
September
Dissertation
No CATS credit but essential for progression.
Submit research proposal including 2,000
word lit review at start of term 2
120 CATS points
Postgraduate Diploma
No CATS credit but essential for progression.
180 CATS points
MSc
One year (full time)
Term
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
For
submission
in
September
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Modules
Core module 1 AND Option module 1
Dissertation
research
methods workshops
Core module 2
Option module 2
Accumulated credit /award
30 CATS points
Postgraduate Certificate
Research methods for (extra-curricula
dissertation
screenings and talks)
Dissertation (working on this throughout year)
6
120 CATS points
Postgraduate Diploma
No CATS credit but essential
for progression.
180 CATS points
MSc
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AND SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAMME
Two years (part time)
Year 1
Term 1
Modules
Core module 1
Term 2
Option module 1
Term 3
(extra-curricula screenings and No CATS credit
talks)
Year 2
Term 1
Modules
Option module 2
Term 1
Research methods for
dissertation
Term 2
Core module 2
Term 3
Research methods for
dissertation
For
submission
mid
September
Dissertation
Accumulated credit/award
30 CATS points
60 CATS points
Accumulated credit/award
90 CATS points
No CATS credit but essential for progression.
Submit research proposal including 2,000
word lit review at start of term 2
120 CATS points
Postgraduate Diploma
No CATS credit but essential for progression.
180 CATS points
MSc
One year (full time) (not running in 2011-12)
Term
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
For
submission
in
September
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Modules
Core module 1 AND Option module 1
Dissertation
research
methods workshops
Option module 2
Core module 2
Accumulated credit /award
30 CATS points
Research methods for
(extra-curricula
dissertation
screenings and talks)
Dissertation (working on this throughout year)
7
120 CATS points
Postgraduate Diploma
No CATS credit but essential
for progression.
180 CATS points
MSc
Upgrading to MSc
Students enrolled on the Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma who would like to
upgrade i.e. to progress to the MSc, should be aware that this is subject to satisfactory overall
performance in the PG Cert or PG Dip. If you wish to upgrade you should formally submit an
application to the summer exam board through the Chair of the Exam Board. You are advised to
reflect on your own performance before deciding to make this request. You are not required
to make a case for your upgrade as your request will be judged on your academic performance
only. Upgrade requests should be made by e-mailing Karen Wells, for Development Studies
students, and to Penny Vera-Sanso, for Development Studies and Social Anthropology students,
by 1st June 2012 so the request will be considered at the summer exam board. Part time PG Dip
students wishing to upgrade to the MSc are advised to do so by this date also so they can fully
participate in dissertation preparation activities to enable submission at the end of their second
year.
PROGRAMME CONTACTS AND PASTORAL SUPPORT
Pastoral Support:
Development Studies Students (DS students):
Full timers and 1st year part-timers will be assigned a pastoral support tutor by Dr Jasmine
Gideon, j.gideon@bbk.ac.uk at the end of Week 1 (see Blackboard for details).
2nd year, part-time students: Your pastoral support tutor is Dr Karen Wells,
k.wells@bbk.ac.uk
Development Studies and Social Anthropology Students (DSSA students:
Full timers and 1st year part-timers will be assigned a pastoral support tutor by Dr Jasmine
Gideon, j.gideon@bbk.ac.uk for term one; thereafter your tutor is Dr Penny Vera-Sanso,
p.vera-sanso@bbk.ac.uk.
2nd year, part-time students: For term 1 your pastoral support tutor is Dr Karen Wells,
k.wells@bbk.ac.uk; thereafter Dr Penny Vera-Sanso, p.vera-sanso@bbk.ac.uk.
Enrolment issues, fee payment and official notification of results and awards are dealt
with by Birkbeck Registry, see http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/ for further details.
Programme and student administration: your first point of contact for any enquiries will
be Shirley Collins s.collins@bbk.ac.uk; she will be able to refer you to other agencies as
appropriate.
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MODULE AND TERM DATES AND TIMES
Birkbeck term dates and holiday closing - current and future dates can be found on the
College website at: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/about_us/termdates or via the About Us tab on the
Birkbeck home page.
Term dates and holiday closing 2011/2012
Autumn term
Monday 3 October 2011 to Friday 16 December 2011
Christmas and New Year The College will close at 5pm on Thursday 22 December
closure
2011, re-opening at 9am on Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Spring term
Monday 9 January 2012 to Friday 23 March 2012
Easter closure
The College will close at 6pm on Wednesday 4 April 2012,
re-opening at 9am on Wednesday, 11 April 2012.
Summer term
Monday 23 April 2012 to Friday 6 July 2012
May Day bank holiday
The College will be closed on Monday, 7 May 2012.
Spring bank holiday and No teaching and most services will be unavailable on 4 and 5
Queen's Diamond Jubilee June 2012. The library may have reduced hours.
August bank holiday
Most services will be unavailable from 8pm on Friday 24
August 2012 to Monday 27 August 2012.
Reading Weeks
There are reading weeks in the middle of Term 1 and Term 2. Unless arranged with your
class lecturers, no classes are held in reading week.


Term 1 reading week: week commencing 7th November 2011 (NGO reading week
commences 24th October).
Term 2 reading week: week commencing 13th February 2012
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Module Start Dates/Times
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES PROGRAMME
Core Modules
(Taken by all full-time and 1st year part-time students)
Term 1
FDDV023S7 Development Studies:
Wed 6-9pm**
Theoretical Approaches*
Thurs 11-1pm**
Start date
5th October 2011
6th October 2011
Term 2
FDDV024S7 The Political Economy of
Development
11th January 2012
12th January 2012
Wed
6-9pm**
11-1pm**
*
Taken by all students.
** All students will need to be available for lectures and workshops between 6-8pm.
Students will be allocated to seminar sessions held either after the lecture and workshops on
Wednesday evening (up to 9pm). Depending on student numbers, full-timers may be
allocated Thursday morning seminars.
Option Modules 2011-2012
(Full-time and 2nd year part-time students must choose two option modules)
Term 1
Dates/start date
FDDV005S7 Non Governmental
Tues
6-9pm
4th October 2011
Organisations - Policy and
Practice
FDDV020S7 War, Conflict and
Mon
6-9pm
3rd October 2011
Development
FDDV025S7 International Political
Mon
6-9pm
3rd October 2011
Economy of Childhood
Term 2
FDDV019S7 Migration and Refugees
Mon
6-9pm
9th January 2012
FDDV004S7
Development Management
Tues
6-9pm
10th January 2012
FDDV002S7
Gender and Development
Thurs
6-9pm
12th January 2012
Modules which may be available in 2012/13
FDDV021S7 Material and Visual Cultures
of Development
FDDV016S7
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Would only
be available
as a day
time
module.
'Race', Ethnicity and
Development
10
Dissertation Module: Research methods classes and supervision
For full timers and 2nd year part-timers ONLY
The dissertation module combines taught elements, peer learning, academic guidance and
student-led research. The classes run on Thursdays in Term 1 and Tuesdays in Term 3 (see
time table below). After submission of an adequate research proposal and initial literature
review each student will be allocated a supervisor. The supervision schedule is also available
on Blackboard.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Topic
AUTUMN TERM
Date
Thursday
Doing a literature review (1): constructing an
annotated bibliography
Doing a literature review (2): synthesising the
literature
Choosing a qualitative method (1): Interview
transcripts, field notes and visual data
Choosing a quantitative method (2): Surveys,
statistical data-sets and content analysis
Clarifying the research question and writing a
research proposal
Writing an ethics proposal
SUMMER TERM
October 6
Analysing interview transcripts
Analysing visual data
Analysing documents and narratives
Analysing field notes
Analysing survey data
Writing up
May 1
May 15
May 29
June 19
July 3
July 17
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October 20
November 3
November 17
December 1
December 15
Tuesday
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AND SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAMME
Core Modules
(All students take both modules; part-time students take one module in each year of
study)
Term 1
Start date
FDDV023S7 Development Studies:
Wed 6-9pm**
5th October 2011
Theoretical Approaches*
Thurs 11-1pm**
6th October 2011
Term 2
SSGE007S7 Anthropology: Theory and
Wed 6-9pm
January 2013
Method***
(not offered in 2012)
*
Taken by all full-time and 1st year part-time students.
** All students will need to be available for lectures and workshops between 6-8pm.
Students will be allocated to seminar sessions held either after the lecture and workshops on
Wednesday evening (up to 9pm). Depending on student numbers, full-timers may be
allocated Thursday morning seminars.
*** Taken by all full-timers and (from 2012-13) by 2nd year part-time students.
Option Modules 2011-2012
(Full-time and current 2nd year part-time students must choose two option modules;
Current 1st year part-time students will choose one option running in Term 2 and in their
second year will choose one option running in Term 1)
Term 1
Dates/start date
FDDV005S7 Non Governmental
Tues
6-9pm
4th October 2011
Organisations - Policy and
Practice
FDDV020S7 War, Conflict and
Mon
6-9pm
3rd October 2011
Development
FDDV025S7 International Political
Mon
6-9pm
3rd October 2011
Economy of Childhood
Term 2
FDDV019S7 Migration and Refugees
Mon
6-9pm
9th January 2012
FDDV004S7
Development Management
Tues
6-9pm
10th January 2012
FDDV024S7
The Political Economy of
Development
Gender and Development
Wed
6-9pm
11th January 2012
Thurs
6-9pm
12th January 2012
FDDV002S7
Modules which may be available in 2012/13
FDDV021S7 Material and Visual Cultures
of Development
FDDV016S7
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Would only
be available
as a day
time
module.
'Race', Ethnicity and
Development
12
Dissertation Module: Research methods classes and supervision
For full timers and 2nd year part-timers ONLY
The dissertation module combines taught elements, peer learning, academic guidance and
student-led research. The classes run on Thursdays in Term 1 and Tuesdays in Term 3 (see
time table below). After submission of an adequate research proposal and initial literature
review each student will be allocated a supervisor. The supervision schedule is also available
on Blackboard.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Topic
AUTUMN TERM
Date
Thursday
Doing a literature review (1): constructing an
annotated bibliography
Doing a literature review (2): synthesising the
literature
Choosing a qualitative method (1): Interview
transcripts, field notes and visual data
Choosing a quantitative method (2): Surveys,
statistical data-sets and content analysis
Clarifying the research question and writing a
research proposal
Writing an ethics proposal
SUMMER TERM
October 6
Analysing interview transcripts
Analysing visual data
Analysing documents and narratives
Analysing field notes
Analysing survey data
Writing up
May 1
May 15
May 29
June 19
July 3
July 17
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend the entire programme.
should notify Shirley Collins (s.collins@bbk.ac.uk) at
whose assignment submissions are not commensurate
class/supervision performance may be subject to a viva
may be revised accordingly.
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October 20
November 3
November 17
December 1
December 15
Tuesday
Those unable to attend any session
the earliest opportunity. Students
with their attendance level or their
examination, and assignment marks
LIBRARY, COMPUTING FACILITIES AND VITUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Library
Once you receive your Library card/College ID from Registry, it can be used straight away. You
will also receive information on Information Technology Services resources. Any queries about
library membership should be to the Reader Services Librarian on Tel: 020 7631 6063. E-mail:
library-help@bbk.ac.uk or visit the library website: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/. All new
students will be offered a library induction session
Other Libraries
Students frequently make use of other college libraries, particularly libraries at the School of
Oriental and African Studies, the London School of Economics, the Senate House Library, the
Institute of Education, and University College London. You will need to join Birkbeck Library
first as this provides the Birkbeck ID other colleges will require.
Go to http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/otherlibs/ for information on other libraries available to you,
and to follow links to their catalogues.
Electronic Access to Journals and Research Databases
You have full electronic access to all journals and electronic databases in the Birkbeck Library
You will need your Information Technology Services username and password for this (see
below). Details will be provided at the library induction. You can then access journals from any
computer.
Academic databases from the library, not just search engines such as Google Scholar, should be
used for literature searches for essays and dissertations. Information on all of this is provided in
the library and help is provided for those unfamiliar with using them.
You also have full electronic access to all the journals in the Senate House library, including a
number of key Development Studies ones so please make sure you join Senate House. You will
need the barcode on your Senate House library card to access journals but can then do so from
any computer.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
All students enrolled on the programme are entitled to an ITS user account which grants access
to: library workstations, library electronic resources (including ATHENS), the Birkbeck
wireless network, the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment, and remote access to
College IT facilities. You are expected to be familiar with the College Computing
Regulations if you use the account. Further information about our services can be found on
the ITS website: www.bbk.ac.uk/its.
Blackboard
Blackboard is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), permitting the provision of online
learning materials and allowing various forms of communication. Blackboard will be used as
a supplement to your classes and all students will need to make continuous use of it. The
material you will be able to access through Blackboard will include lecture notes and key
readings. Blackboard is also a communication tool by which your lecturers will be able to
convey important information to you and by which you will be able to contact your lecturer
and other students. You will submit your assignments to Turnitin and receive your mark and
feedback through Turnitin, which is only accessible through Blackboard. It is therefore vital
that you access Blackboard at least once a week. Academic content will be provided
individually by each module lecturer.
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COMMUNICATION AND TUTORIAL SUPPORT
The programme’s normal means of communication with students is through email and
Blackboard
Once you have your Birkbeck e-mail you can access this from any computer via the internet
by webmail, or set up your account to forward your Birkbeck mail to another personal or
work e-mail address. We will assume that all e-mails we send to your Birkbeck e-mail
address will be read and will not be able to make exceptional arrangements for individual
students. From Monday 17th October 2011 all e-mail communication will be sent to your
Birkbeck e-mail address only
Full details of Birkbeck’s e-mail facilities can be found at
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/its/services/email/students
Change of Address or Personal Details
Please ensure that you notify us of any change in your address, email, telephone number or
name. In addition to e-mail Birkbeck will contact students by post, particularly with
documentation regarding enrolment and your results. Also the Programme team may need to
contact you by phone quickly should a class have to be cancelled or some other arrangement
changed. Therefore please ensure you keep your details on My Birkbeck up-to-date.
If you change your name during the course of your studies please email Shirley Collins
s.collins@bbk.ac.uk.
Tutorial Support
One to one tutorial support will be offered for all core and option modules. You are offered
one 20-minute tutorial per assignment. You should contact your module tutor to arrange oneto-one tutorials. For core courses you will be advised of your tutor via Blackboard.
Depending on class sizes it may be necessary to make arrangements for day-time tutorials.
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TEACHING STAFF
Dr. Maknun Gamaledin Ashami has a PhD in Political and Social sciences from the
University of Cambridge. His first degree was in Economics. He is a consultant who has
taught for many years on Birkbeck’s Development Studies programme. He has considerable
knowledge of the UK’s voluntary sector and experience of and expertise in work with
refugees, migrants and on issues of poverty and development funding, notably relating to
Africa. He sits on a number of grants and research committees including the Inclusion and
Immigration committee of Joseph Rowntree Foundation. His research interests include
diaspora, remittances and UK refugee and migration policy. His current research is in the area
of young undocumented (irregular) migrants in the UK. Maknun teaches the Migration and
Refugees module.
Dr. M. Alpha Diedhiou has studied in Senegal and the UK and has gained the following
awards: BA (Université CAD, Dakar) MA (University of Wolverhampton) PhD (University
of the West of England). His research specialisms include: Governance and Development;
Political Economy of State Reform; Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers; sub-Saharan Africa.
Alpha’s current research activities include exploring the fiscal sociology of state-making in
Africa, drawing on the potential political impact of migrant remittances on governance
structures in sub-Saharan Africa. This is part of a research framework that examines the role
of societal institutions of accountability in the governance processes of sub-Saharan African
states. Alpha teaches the War, Conflict and Development module as well as on the two Core
Development Studies modules.
Linda Etchart lectured in Globalization, Communications and Diaspora at Anglia Ruskin
University 2004-6 following working as a consultant and programme officer at the
Commonwealth Secretariat in London specializing in Gender Management Systems and
conflict transformation, the gender dimension of UN Peace Support Operations and postconflict reconstruction. She has a BA from the University of London in Modern Iberian and
Latin American Regional Studies and an MA in International Relations from the University of
Kent, specialising in International Political Economy and Politics of the Global Environment.
Her published work is in the area of gender mainstreaming and education in conflict
transformation and post-conflict reconstruction. Her current research is in the area of gender,
peace support operations and trafficking. Linda teaches on the two Core Development Studies
modules.
Dr. Jasmine Gideon is Joint Programme Director of Development Studies and has a PhD in
Development Studies from the University of Manchester, where she also previously taught
Development. Her particular research interests are gender and economic and social rights,
social protection, health sector reforms, as well as the role of NGOs in service delivery, with
particular reference to Latin America. She has published work on these issues in academic
journals including Development and Change, Progress in Development Studies and Global
Social Policy as well as in more practitioner-focused spaces. She is currently the co-convenor
of the Development Studies Association Social Protection Group. Jasmine teaches the Gender
and Development module as well as on the two Core Development Studies modules.
Dr Fenella Porter has a PhD in Development Studies from the Open University, focussing
on organisational change processes in development organisations. This was a collaborative
research project, undertaken with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). She has also worked in
various capacities for Oxfam, publishing articles on issues such as gender and poverty,
violence against women, gender and HIV/AIDS, gender and social exclusion, and gender in
organisations, as well as being co-editor of Gender Works, Oxfam 1999. Before all this, she
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worked in the women’s movement, was based in Uganda and ran an international leadership
training programme for women activists. She was co-convenor of the Development
Management module in 2005, and has run the NGOs module since 2006. Fenella teaches the
Development Management and NGO: Policy and Practice modules.
Dr Penny Vera-Sanso is Programme Director of Social Anthropology and Assistant
Programme Director of the MSc Development Studies. She has a PhD in Anthropology from
the University of London and previously taught at the University of Kent and at Goldsmiths
College. She has conducted extensive field research in India where her interests include rural
and urban livelihoods, micro-credit and NGOs, low-income housing and globalisation as well
as the constructions of personhood and inter-personal relations in law, cinema and politics.
She has published widely including in the peer-reviewed journals Oxford Development
Studies, European Journal of Development Research, Contributions to Indian Sociology,
Third World Planning Review, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute and was guest
editor of Gender and Development special on ageing (2009). Penny is Principal Investigator
of a major international research project, Ageing, Poverty And Neo-Liberal Policies in Urban
India, on the New Dynamics of Ageing programme, a UK Cross-Council research
programme. Penny teaches on the two Core Development Studies modules.
Dr Karen Wells is a senior lecturer, Joint Programme Director of MSc Development Studies
and the Programme Director of the MSc International Childhood Studies. She has a PhD is in
International Relations from LSE. Her research interests are in the political economy of
childhood and material and visual culture with a specific focus on the connections between
the global and the local. She is currently researching the social networks of young migrants.
She has published widely on these issues in peer-reviewed journals including Childhood,
Ethnic and Racial Studies, Journal of Visual Communication and Journal of Visual Culture.
She is author of Childhood in a Global Perspective (Polity Press 2009). Karen is the Principal
Investigator for the ESRC Seminar Series: Childhood and Violence: international and
comparative perspectives. Karen teaches the International Political Economy of Childhood
module and Research Methods for Dissertations.
Dr Kalpana Wilson has taught on the MSc in Development Studies at Birkbeck for a number
of years, and is also a Fellow in Transnational Gender Studies at the LSE Gender
Institute. She has a background in political economy with a regional focus on
South Asia. Her current research interests are interdisciplinary and include the relationships
between neo-liberalism, gender and concepts of agency, the experiences of women in rural
labour movements in India, and the ways in which 'notions of 'race' are inscribed within
discourses of development. She is currently working on a book provisionally titled 'Race',
Racism and Development - Interrogating History, Discourse and Practice, to be published by
Zed Books in 2011.
TAUGHT MODULES AND THE DISSERTATION
Core Modules
There are two core modules per programme of study. Students on both programmes take
FDDV023S7 Development Studies: Theoretical Approaches in Term 1. Students on the
Development Studies Programme take FDDV024S7 Political Economy of Development in
Term 2. Students on the Development Studies and Social Anthropology Programme take
SSGE007S7 Anthropology: Theory and Method in Year 2, Term 2.
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The core modules aim to introduce students to key concepts, theories and debates. They aim
to improve and enhance students' skills of evaluation and analysis, enabling them to
participate critically in debates on the changing nature of development.
FDDV023S7 Development Studies: Theoretical Approaches. Convenors: Jasmine Gideon
and Penny Vera-Sanso Wednesdays, 6-9pm, Term 1.
The module critically examines the key theories and concepts that have shaped thinking on
poverty and development.
FDDV024S7 The Political Economy of Development. Convenors: Jasmine Gideon and
Penny Vera-Sanso. Wednesdays, 6-9pm Term 2.
The module explores a number of development themes to critically analyse how core
development concepts and theories shape development policy and practice in particular
contexts. It investigates the changing role of institutions and organisations in the
development process and, in the context of increasing globalisation, demonstrates the
expanding scope of the development sector.
SSGE007S7 Anthropology: Theory and Method. Lecturer: tbc (not offered 2011-12).
The module explores anthropological theory and method, critically evaluating its contribution
to development studies and its potential for the development sector.
Option Modules
FDDV023S7 Development Studies: Theoretical Approaches. Convenors: Jasmine Gideon
and Penny Vera-Sanso Wednesdays, 6-9pm, Term 1.
The module critically examines the key theories and concepts that have shaped thinking on
poverty and development. (This is a core module for Development Studies students but can
be taken as an option module by students on the Development Studies and Social
Anthropology Programme.)
FDDV004S7 Development Management. Lecturer: Fenella Porter. Tuesdays, 6-9pm, Term
2.
This module aims to develop a critical awareness of development practice in a variety of
contexts and how these create different environments for the management of development.
We will explore how development looks when it is 'implemented', and critically analyse
whether it is in fact possible to implement the many and varied ideas in development, whether
these are actually able to bring about 'good change', or whether development as a practice is
more committed to the maintenance of the status quo. We will consider some of the key
issues for development practice - such as sustainability, management approaches (including
the logframe), participation, gender and rights based approaches and the role of media in
development management.
FDDV002S7 Gender and Development. Lecturer: Jasmine Gideon Thursdays, 6-9pm, Term
2.
This module introduces students to both conceptual frameworks for understanding gendered
identities, difference, subjectivities and performance in developing countries, and practical
policy applications for gender within development management. Students will explore key
debates and use a gendered framework to critically assess contemporary development
challenges associated with processes such as industrialization, economic restructuring,
globalization and institutional change. Students will also explore the political and social
aspects of gender in relation to power, rights, citizenship, poverty, livelihoods, education,
conflict, governance, HIV/AIDS and environmental change.
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FDDV021S7 Material and Visual Cultures of Development. Lecturer: Karen Wells (not
offered 2011-12)
Economic development changes objects and their symbolic meanings. It literally changes how
the world looks and feels. The importance of material culture and visual culture to
understanding how people organise and explain their social and political relationships has
long been recognised in anthropology and sociology. This module will draw on these and
other disciplines to focus on the relationship between people and things as a way of thinking
about how development materially changes people’s lives and why such changes might be
resisted. The module is taught in two parts. The first focuses on material culture and is
organising around the following themes: the significance of material culture for development
studies; development and the destruction of objects; development and the preservation of
objects; Capitalism and the object; Symbolic exchange, material culture and representation;
Globalisation; Nationalism; Religion. The second part is on visual culture, representation and
the gaze of development; it has a particular focus on how Southern filmmakers and
photographers represent development.
FDDV019S7 Migration and Refugees. Lecturer: Maknun Gamaledin-Ashami; Mondays, 69pm, Term 2.
Within this module students will focus on migration and the refugee industry in the UK and
EU, including aspects of asylum procedures, legislation, the role of the media, NGOs and
community groups. The module critically examines the role of migration and refugees within
development policy and practice.
FDDV005S7 NGOs - Policy and Practice. Lecturer: Fenella Porter. Tuesdays, 6-9pm
This module will critically evaluate development NGOs, examining their history and role in
relation to civil society and social movements, both in the UK and in different contexts of the
South. It will address fundamental questions of power, and discuss how NGOs have
developed relationships with the communities they work alongside, with each other, and with
other development organisations (such as donors). In this module we will step back from the
practical management issues of NGOs, to look in more depth at how NGOs draw on their
values and the values of the people who work with them to ensure the continuation of
embedded norms and practices in development work. We will look behind the 'face' of NGOs,
and examine some of the constraints and opportunities faced by this diverse array of
organisations and the people who work with them in the development sector.
FDDV0025S7 The International Political Economy of Childhood. Lecturer: Karen Wells.
Mondays, 6.00-9.00pm, Term 1.
The module is about the globalisation of a particular discourse of childhood that is intimately
connected to the production of the self-governing neo-liberal subject. The module examines
how this discourse arose and how it is disseminated through broadcast media, international
NGOs, and international law, of which the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
forms a part. This discourse is far from complete or stable. This instability is derived from the
circumscribed temporality of childhood and the excess that accompanies the discursive
production of any normative subjectivity. This excess is particularly intense in the case of
childhood because the conditions necessary for the self-governing neo-liberal individual to
exist, even partially, are not available to most children in most of the world. Simply, put the
state – which is the duty-holder for the implementation of the CRC – does not have the
political will to secure for children the ‘rights’ laid down by the Convention. This module
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looks at the gap between the ‘rights’ accorded to children by the Convention and the realities
of their lives in the context of other social identities, family life, knowledge, politics and war.
FDDV016S7 ‘Race’, Ethnicity and Development. Lecturer: Kalpana Wilson. (not offered
2010/11)
This module looks at how changing notions of ‘race’ and ethnicity are inscribed within
processes and projects of development. It examines how these notions shape, and are in turn
shaped by, changing global economic and political forces.
Students trace how ideas of ‘race’ have been central to development discourses from the
colonial idea of ‘trusteeship’ and the ‘white man’s burden’ to the contemporary preoccupation
with a ‘clash of civilisations’, ‘failed’ and ‘rogue’ states, and calls for a ‘new’ imperialism.
They also examine the ways in which a variety of global actors and events redefine the
parameters of identity and experience within diasporic communities, redefinitions which may
in turn impact on development processes in countries of origin in the ‘Third World’. Themes
will include: Images and representations of development, from colonial narratives to
contemporary media, aid agency and NGO productions; The construction of ‘Islam’ and its
relationship to processes of globalisation and the formulation of development policy, both
pre- and post-September 11; Debates surrounding the ‘rehabilitation’ of Empire and their
contemporary relevance; Gender, ‘race’ and development; Ethnicity and ‘race’ in the labour
market discourse of transnational corporations and international financial institutions.
FDDV020S7 War, Conflict and Development. Lecturer: Alpha Diedhiou. Monday 6pm9pm, Term 1.
This module aims to introduce students to both conceptual debates and practical policy
options associated with the impact of war and conflict for development. Students will look at
the debates surrounding the changing nature of war since the end of the Cold War, critically
examining notions of humanitarian intervention, failed and rogue states, and the war on terror;
evaluating the role of class, ethnicity, gender and identity in shaping contemporary conflicts;
and analysing the interventions of international agencies, donors and other key global actors.
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Options from Outside the Development Studies Programme
Subject to agreement by Jasmine Gideon, Joint Programme Director, and subject to
availability, students may take an option from the International Childhood Studies
programme.
FDDV008D7 Dissertation
Research Methods for Dissertation Students. Lecturer: Karen Wells. Thursday, 6-9pm,
Term 1 and Tuesday, 6-9pm, Term 3. 6th & 20th Oct; 2nd, 3rd & 17th Nov; 1st & 15th Dec; 1st,
15th & 29th May; 19th June; 3rd & 17th July.
The Research Methods for Dissertation classes model the process involved in designing and
conducting a research project for dissertation. The course will cover all aspects of the research
process from defining the questions and choosing a methodology to data-gathering, analysis
and writing-up. This module is taught on alternative Thursdays in Term 1 and Tuesdays in
Term 3 and is compulsory for all full timers and part-time second years.
ASSESSMENT MODES AND REGULATIONS.
The principle assessment methods on the Programme’s taught modules are
 Learning Journal
 Critical Annotated Bibliography
 Critical Literature Review
 Essay
 Dissertation
Learning Journal
From the first week of the module you will be keeping a learning journal for the Core
modules Development Studies: Theoretical Approaches and Anthropology: Theory and
Method. You will summarise your reading, record your thoughts about each topic and its
relationship to the prior weeks’ topics and to development policy, practice and research and,
finally, you will reflect on the questions you would pursue to better understand, or test, the
theory and concepts under discussion. A template will be provided. To pass the assignment
students are required to make complete entries for each of the 10 weeks of the module. The
purpose of this journal is to give you an opportunity to relate theory to policy, practice and
research and to develop a reflexive approach to your learning. Although we would encourage
you to continue keeping a learning journal throughout your programme of study, it is only
assessed on the two modules named above.
Critical Literature Review
The first submitted assignment for the Core modules Development Studies: Theoretical
Approaches and Anthropology: Theory and Method is a critical survey of literature in relation
to specified theories or concepts. This should be written in an essay format (see below for
essay guidelines).
Critical Annotated Bibliography
The first assignment for Option Modules is a critical annotated bibliography. This assignment
gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that: you know how to identify the most important
key texts on a concept or issue; you can summarise these texts accurately and briefly; you
understand how to read sources critically and you can evaluate/reflect on your own work. This
should be written in an essay format (see below for essay guidelines).
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Essays
The second assignment for Option Modules is a 5000 word essay including references.
The Political Economy of Development is assessed by one 8,000 word essay including
references.
Dissertation
The final dissertation should be 12,000 words (including appendices and excluding
references).
Approved assignment questions: All assignment questions are approved by the External
Examiner irrespective of the assessment format, including dissertation titles. All assignments
submitted must clearly identify which approved question is being answered.
YOU MUST ANSWER A SET QUESTION. If your assignment does not clearly identify
the question being addressed, or is written to address a question not on the approved
assignment list, the assignment will be classed as a fail.
Replication of work: Students are expected to develop a broad knowledge and understanding
of their chosen modules and are therefore not allowed to substantially rely on arguments and
evidence submitted previously. If you are concerned that an assignment you intend to submit
may rely too heavily on work submitted for this programme of study, or for another
qualification, you are strongly advised to seek guidance from your lecturer/supervisor.
Tolerances on Assignment and Dissertation Word Length
All assessed work must fall within 5% of the specified world limit. Footnotes are not
encouraged.
Markers will not read anything beyond the allowable word limit i.e. any excess words
will be deemed as not included in the assessment.
ESSAY GUIDELINES AND REFERENCING
Substance
Essays should always present an argument in answer to the chosen question and should not
just rehearse what you know about the subject. An essay should provide an analysis of the
subject rather than consisting merely of description. The argument should be put forward
coherently, substantiated by factual or textual evidence, and presented in formal language. It
should respond precisely to the question posed. Your argument should be sustained from the
first paragraph to the last, with each paragraph contributing in some way to the support or
elucidation of your argument. The first paragraph is particularly important in organising your
essay. It should address the question directly, and introduce the argument that you intend to
make. Marks will be awarded according to: the quality, clarity and coherence of the argument
presented in the essay; the essay’s structure; how well the main claims of the essay are
supported by evidence; and whether reference is made to the relevant literature. Full guidance
for marking criteria can be found on the marking guides for each assignment. Students should
make sure they have read and understood these guides before attempting an assignment.
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Referencing
All assignments must be properly sourced. A list of cited books, articles and credible on-line
sources at the end of the assignment is essential. References are required when you source
ideas that you have borrowed, irrespective of whether you quote directly or not. References
are scholarly acknowledgements of work referred to or quoted or ideas borrowed. Failure to
acknowledge other people’s work is plagiarism which the University takes very seriously,
see the section below entitled ‘Plagiarism in Coursework and Dissertations’. Please note that
proper citation of sources is a basic and critical element of the presentation of academic work.
On this programme students are required to use the Harvard system which is outlined below.
It is important to cite sources properly, giving all the necessary information and to keep
consistently to the same convention.
You MUST cite the source of the ideas in your assignments. Failure to use in-text
referencing is a form of plagiarism. You will need to place in-text bracketed references to
the author’s name, year of publication, and relevant page numbers immediately adjacent:
i. to quotations,
ii. to direct references to an author’s work (as for instance when you write ‘Sen describes
famines as ...’). Having given the name of the author in the sentence it is not necessary to
repeat it when providing the date and relevant page numbers.
iii. to indirect references to an author’s work (as in, ‘famines are no longer thought of as
simply a phenomenon of nature’). Here you would cite the authors you have read who argue
this.
In addition to in-text references the ‘Harvard’ system requires a complete list of all in-text
references at the end of the assignment, arranged alphabetically with full bibliographic
information. The alphabetical list should only include all the references which have been cited
in the text (books, articles, reports, government publications, theses etc.). It should not include
a list of any work you have read on a subject but have chosen not to incorporate in your
assignment/dissertation. The references in the alphabetical list should contain the name of the
author, the date of publication, the title of publication, the place of publication and the
publisher (and web source if only available on the web) - set out as follows:
For books:
Parsons, W (1995) Public Policy (Aldershot: Edward Elgar).
For articles:
Margetts, H. (1991) ‘The Computerization of Social Security: The Way Forward or a Step
Backwards?’ Public Administration 69 (3) pp.325-43.
For chapters in edited volumes:
Keliher, L. (1995) ‘Core Executive Decision Making on High Technology Issues: The Case
of the Alvey Report’, Rhodes, R. and Dunleavy, P. (eds.) Prime Minister, Cabinet and Core
Executive (London: Macmillan) pp. 219-247.
For government reports or other publications where there is no author’s name:
Office of Management and Budget (1997) The US Federal Budget (Washington DC: GPO).
For web sources not (easily) available in published hardcopy:
Khera R, and Karuna Muthiah (2010) ‘Slow but steady success’ The Hindu, Date:
25/04/2010 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2010/04/25/stories/2010042550190400.htm accessed
on 11.9.2011.
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Footnotes (not endnotes) may be used in conjunction with the Harvard system when you have
an essential piece of information to give but it is inconvenient to break up the text. The
general advice, however, is that footnotes detract from the flow of an argument and should be
avoided.
Full details of the Harvard system are given at: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/about/learn/citing
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
All assignments are automatically checked electronically for plagiarism, without
exception, and no assignment will be accepted for assessment without the following
statement above the assignment title:
‘I confirm that this assignment is my work alone, that I have not submitted any of this work
elsewhere and that all the ideas and work, written or otherwise, of other people or
organisations are correctly and fully attributed to them.’
All assignments MUST be submitted through Turnitin on Blackboard.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure, before the assignment deadline, that they know
how to do this.
Late Submissions and Incomplete Learning Journals
Assignments submitted after the specified deadline will attract a bare pass penalty mark, that
is a mark of 50%, assuming that it is of a pass standard. A fail will receive the appropriate
fail grade. When work is returned to students they will also receive notification of the mark
their assignment would have been given had it been submitted on-time. If students
successfully apply to the Board of Examiners for mitigating circumstances the mark they
would have received, had the assignment been submitted on time, will apply.
Only complete learning journals will be assessed; completion requires an entry for each week,
covering all the tasks set. Incomplete journals will be returned to students for completion and
will incur late penalties if the completed journal is submitted after the submission deadline.
Mitigating Circumstances
If you are unable to meet coursework deadlines for reasons beyond your reasonable control
and can provide evidence for this then you should, if possible, discuss this with your personal
tutor. However, you do need to be aware that your personal tutor cannot agree to an
extension – such a decision is only made by the Board of Examiners.
If you submit coursework late you will need to provide written evidence – medical or
otherwise – as to why. This needs to be submitted to Shirley Collins (s.collins@bbk.ac.uk),
along with a mitigating circumstances form, who will present them to the Board of
Examiners. The examples given below are not exhaustive but will serve as a guide as to what
Boards of Examiners will regard as acceptable ‘mitigating circumstances’ when making
academic judgements regarding both whether there are mitigating circumstances and the
whether the circumstances merit the extent of delay. In all instances, appropriate
certification (e.g. medical certificate, crime report etc.) must be provided for a circumstance
beyond the reasonable control of the student to become eligible for consideration.
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Examples of circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the student include the
bereavement of a near relative; serous accident or illness; serious infectious disease;
burglary and theft; childbirth. Examples of situations which may be considered beyond the
reasonable control of the student: medical operation; hospital tests; significant accident,
injury, acute ailment; unanticipated and unavoidable professional obligations.
Mitigating Circumstances Forms MUST BE submitted to the office within 7 calendar
days of the submission date and, if not possible, as soon as possible with a written
explanation for the delay. All claims for mitigating circumstances must be supported by
certificated evidence which can be provided after the form has been submitted, but not
later than the date of the next internal examination board.
www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/central-pages/mitigating
Fails, reasonable attempt and resubmission
Token submission of coursework or attendance at examination, intended to ‘buy time’ to
make up for poor time management will not be accepted. Students will be judged to have
made a ‘reasonable attempt’ at coursework or written examination, when, in the view of the
examiners, the task has been approached seriously and failure is principally the consequence
of genuine academic and intellectual weakness, rather than token effort and insincere
commitment. If students are judged to have made a ‘reasonable attempt’ at an assignment but
have not secured 50% or above they will have one further opportunity to submit the
assignment without penalty.
Submission deadlines
Development Studies: Theoretical Approaches: Learning journal – midday on first Monday
of Term 2, Monday 9th January 2012. Critical literature review – midday on first Monday
after Reading Week in Term 2, Monday 20th February 2012.
Anthropology: Theory and Method: Critical literature review – midday on first Monday after
Reading Week. Learning journal – midday on first Monday of Term 3. (Not available in
2011/12)
The Political Economy of Development: Essay – midday on first Monday of Term 3,
Monday 21st May.
Term one option modules: First assignment is due midday on the first Monday after Reading
Week in Term 1, Monday 14th November 2011 and the second assignment is due on midday
on the first Monday of Term 2, Monday 9th January 2012.
Term two option modules: First assignment is due midday on the first Monday after reading
week in Term 2, Monday 20th February 2012 and the second assignment is due midday on
the first Monday of Term 3, Monday 23rd April 2012.
Dissertation: midday on Monday 17th September 2012.
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ASSESSMENT PATTERN
(Changes to assessment formats may vary from one academic year to the next.)
Module code
Module name
Assignment number and
type
FDDV023S7
(core module
for everyone)
Development
Studies:
Theoretical
Approaches
The Political
Economy of
Development
1: learning journal
2: critical survey of literature
% of total module
mark for each
Assignment
1: 50%
2: 50%
1: essay
1: 100%
Anthropology:
Theory and
Method
(not available in
2011/12)
Gender and
Development
1: critical survey of literature
2: learning journal
1: 50%
2: 50%
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 30%
2: 70%
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 30%
2: 70%
FDDV024S7
(core module
for DS
students; option
module for
DSSA students)
SS GE007S7
(core module
for DSSA
students)
FDDV002S7
FDDV0025S7
The International
Political Economy
of Childhood
FDDV016S7
‘Race’, Ethnicity
and Development
FDDV020S7
War, Conflict and
Development
FDDV019S7
Migration and
Refugees
FDDV021S7
Material and
Visual Cultures of
Development
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1: 30%
2: 70%
1: 30%
2: 70%
1: 30%
2: 70%
1: 30%
2: 70%
FDDV004S7
Development
Management
FDDV005S7
NGOs – Policy
and Practice
FDDV008S7
Dissertation
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
1: 3,000 word critical
annotated bibliography
including references
2: 5,000 word essay
including references
12,000 words (including
tables, endnotes, footnotes,
and appendices, excluding
references).
1: 30%
2: 70%
1: 30%
2: 70%
1: 100%
Changes to assessment formats may vary from one academic year to the next.
MARKING
Marking Procedures
All assignments are marked, so far as is possible, anonymously. When submitting course
work it is essential that all personal traces are removed from the copy that is loaded onto
blackboard (so no cover sheets and no headers/footers or title pages that include your name).
Assignments are moderated internally by the Development Studies team and externally by the
External Examiner. All course work will be returned to students with a provisional mark and
written comments. The provisional mark may be revised upwards or downwards by the
Examination Board when it meets. It is our objective that assignments submitted by the
submission deadline will be marked and returned to students within four weeks.
Marking Schema
All assessed course work, including dissertations, are marked against a set of criteria which
are elaborated on in marking guidelines. The criteria and guidelines for each type of assessed
work are included with the module outlines for the core module, option modules and the
research methods class.
Pass Mark and Resubmissions
The pass mark on each module is 50% and a student must pass each assignment to pass the
module overall. Students who fail one or more assignments may be offered one reassessment
opportunity if they are judged to have made a reasonable attempt at the failed assignment.
Students will be advised after the Exam Board (held in Term 3) as to whether they can
resubmit.
If the student fails the resubmission, the student will have to retake the module, after payment
of the appropriate fee, in order to progress through the programme or gain the award. Students
will only be allowed to retake a module once and will only be allowed to retake one
module. (Students who are concerned about their performance on the programme should be
contacting their pastoral tutor before significant difficulties arise.)
Grading of Awards
All modules, including the dissertation, have a credit value and in calculating the final overall
grade of the award module marks are weighted according to this credit value. All taught
modules (cores and options) are worth 30 credits each and the dissertation is worth 60 credits.
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The calculation of each award results in a percentage mark which determines whether the
award is a pass, merit or distinction as follows:
Pass:
50 to 59%
Merit:
60 to 69%
Distinction:
70% and above
Progression within the Programme of Study
Year 1 part-time students should be aware, before progressing on to Year 2 in October, that
should they fail any re-submissions they will fail the programme and will
not be allowed to Progress to year 2. At the Exam Board students will be exited with the
Post-Graduate Certificate or Post-Graduate Diploma, if they qualify. Students who would like
to retake a failed module are advised to apply to the Chair of the Board of Examiners within
two weeks after the notification of their results. If the application is accepted students will
have to take the module the following year, after payment of the appropriate fee, before
progressing with the programme. Students retaking a failed module are entitled to one attempt
at passing each assessment.
The final date for resubmitting failed assignments for students progressing from 201112 to 2012-13 or completing 2011-12 is Monday, 17th September 2011 (ie BEFORE the
start of Term 1, 2012-13).
PLAGIARISM IN COURSEWORK AND DISSERTATIONS
Plagiarism, the act of taking somebody else's work and presenting it as your own, is an act of
academic dishonesty, is classed as an assessment offence under Birkbeck’s regulations. It is
your responsibility to ensure that you comply with all relevant regulations on plagiarism and
assessment offences. A range of sanctions can be invoked in cases of plagiarism up to
and including termination of your registration or withdrawal of your award.
Examples of plagiarism include (but are not restricted to) doing any of the following without
full acknowledgement of the originator of the ideas, work and words you present in your
assessments:

copying the whole or substantial parts of a paper from a source text (e.g. a web site,
journal article, book or encyclopaedia)

paraphrasing another's piece of work closely, with minor changes but with the
essential meaning, form and/or progression of ideas

piecing together sections of the work of others into a new whole

procuring a paper from a company or essay bank (including Internet sites)

submitting another student's work, with or without that student's knowledge

submitting a paper written by someone else (e.g. a peer or relative) and passing it off
as one's own

representing a piece of joint or group work as one's own.
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If you knowingly assist another student to plagiarise (for example, by willingly giving them
your own work to copy from), you are committing an assessment offence.
You should also note that claimed ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism, or
“unwitting” plagiarism through, for example, poor or incomplete referencing of sources,
is no defence. Guidance on referencing and the use of sources is available from your
lecturers and from the library.
For guidance and avoidance of avoiding plagiarism go to:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/about/learn/citing
NB: All assignments need to be submitted with the following statement above the
assignment title without which they will not be accepted for assessment:
‘I confirm that this assignment is my work alone, that I have not submitted any of this work
elsewhere and that all the ideas and work, written or otherwise, of other people or
organisations are correctly and fully attributed to them.’
Students whose assignment submissions are not commensurate with their attendance level or
their class/supervision performance may be subject to a viva examination, and if plagiarism or
another assessment offence is found students will be subject to the College Policy on
Assessment Offices (see http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs/assmtoff).
Please refer to http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs/assmtoff for a full definition of assessment
offences.
EQUALITIES STATEMENT FOR BIRKBECK COLLEGE
Birkbeck is committed to providing equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination
on the grounds of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age or political
belief in both its teaching and in the development of its curricula.
DISABILITY STATEMENT FOR BIRKBECK COLLEGE
The Disability Office
The College has a Disability Office located in the Malet Street building. We have a Disability
Service Manager and a Disability Advisor. The Disability Advisor is your first point of
referral for disability enquiries at the College. The Disability Office can provide advice and
support on travel and parking, physical access, the Disabled Students Allowance, special
equipment, personal support, examination arrangements etc. If you have a disability or
dyslexia, we recommend you make an appointment to see them as soon as possible. At your
first appointment at the Disability Office they will ask you to complete a Confidentiality
Consent Form. This allows you to state who in the College can be informed of your
disability. Remember, if you wish, we do not need to inform people of the exact nature of
your disability, just your disability related needs. They will also complete an Individual
Student Support Agreement form, confirming your support requirements and send this to your
School and relevant departments at the College so they are informed of your needs.
The Disabled Students Allowance
Students on postgraduate programmes who meet the eligibility criteria regarding residency
may be eligible to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). This can meet the cost
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of special equipment e.g. computers, cassette recorders, etc, non-medical personal help, for
example note-takers, interpreters, readers, etc, book and photocopying allowances and
additional travel costs. The Disability Service Manager can assist you in applying to your
Local Education Authority (LEA) for this.
The Personal Assistance Scheme
Some students need a personal assistant to provide support on their course, for example a
note-taker, sign language interpreter, reader, personal assistant, disability mentor or dyslexia
support tutor. Birkbeck College has a Personal Assistance Scheme to assist you with
recruiting, training and paying your personal assistant. These assistants are usually funded by
the DSA. Please contact the Disability Office for information on this scheme.
Support in your School.
The provision which can be made for students with disabilities in the School is set out in the
Procedures for Schools for Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act. This is
available from the Disability Office and the Disability website (see below). As mentioned
above your School or Department will receive a copy of your Individual Student Support
Agreement from the Disability Office. This will make specific recommendations about the
support you should receive from the School.
STUDENT-STAFF EXCHANGE MEETINGS
The programme team are committed to ensuring the highest quality learning experience for
students on our programme and we value your feedback and the opportunity to discuss issues
of common concern. A key mechanism for this is the Student-Staff Exchange Meetings
which take place (in the fourth week of every term) between programme staff and student
representatives. Each seminar group in the Core 1 module is asked to select one or two
student representatives who will act as student representative in year 1 and year 2 and if any
option module does not have representation they too should select one or two representatives.
Students should contact their representatives with any issues that they wish to raise at these
Student-Staff Exchange meetings. Notes and action points are circulated after each meeting.
CAREERS AND DEVELOPMENT
Career Development - Information, Advice, Workshops & Insight Courses.
Enrolled students of Birkbeck who are following degree and postgraduate courses lasting one
year or longer courses may use the services of SICS free of charge up to the end of July of the
year they finish [September for postgrads]. You will need to take your student ID card with
you.
For more information visit The SICS website at: www.careers.lon.ac.uk\sics
SICS (Specialist Institutions Careers Services) is located at:
Stewart House,
32 Russell Square
WC1B 5DN Tel: 0207 863 6030 E-mail: sics@careers.lon.ac.uk
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