12,000 Word Research Essay

Capstone Unit                                                                        unit value 30 points

	Semester One 2016	Semester Two 2016
Completed in one semester	RQ971FM	RQ972FM
Completed over two semesters – Part A	RQ971AM	RQ972AM
Completed over two semesters – Part B	RQ971BM	RQ972BM

Curriculum Objective

This capstone unit provides an opportunity for a student to integrate the knowledge and skills in the various disciplines of theology acquired during their course of study, and to apply these in a substantial focussed research project. The student will be expected to demonstrate advanced skills in exegesis, historical and theological methodologies as appropriate to the research topic, and skilled use of electronic databases, journals and other scholarly literature.  As the capstone of a master’s programme, the student’s work will display a critical awareness of issues pertaining to the study of theology as an academic discipline.

Procedures for 12,000 Word Research Essays

Admissions and approvals

• Students indicate their intention to enrol in the 12,000 word research essay by including the unit ‘Research Essay’ on the standard University of Divinity admission or re-enrolment form for the relevant year. Students may elect to take the 12,000 word research essay in a single semester, or across two consecutive semesters.
• Students should discuss their proposed research topic with the Research Coordinator at their college, who can assist the student in finding a suitable supervisor.
• Students must complete a ‘12,000 word research essay: Unit outline’ form, including an outline of the topic to be researched, learning outcomes and the assessment schedule. This must be signed by the student, the College Research Coordinator, and the nominated supervisor and must be lodged with the University of Divinity Director of Research no later than the census date of the semester in which the essay will be written.  Incomplete applications will be returned and will not be processed. The University of Divinity Director of Research will assess each application and, where the application is satisfactory, confirm the enrolment.
• The University of Divinity Director of Research will forward each completed ‘12,000 word research essay outline’ form to the appropriate Chair of Examiners for approval or amendment. Once an essay outline is approved, the University of Divinity Director of Research shall appoint examiners, in consultation with the supervisor and appropriate Chair of Examiners.

Ethics Clearance

Where the approved topic requires human subject research, or material not in the public domain, or for any other reason requires an ethics clearance, the student shall submit an application to the University of Divinity Human Research Ethics Committee, which shall exercise an expedited review process, in which the University of Divinity Director of Research and no more than two other members of HREC are involved.