dissertation grades scotland

• News & Insights
• Education System
• Grading System
• Credentials
• Universities

Grading System in Scotland

Grading scales:.

Most Common UK

Most Common UK Postgraduate

International Baccalaureate Diploma

Abertay University

Edinburgh Napier University

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

University of Aberdeen Common Grading Scale (CGS)

University of Dundee, University of Glasgow

University of Edinburgh

University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews (Alternate 2)

University of St Andrews (Alternate)

University of St Andrews BA (International Honours)

• Schools & departments

Information on examination & progression to dissertation.

Assesment and progression to dissertation

The MSc programme structure comprises a taught component during semesters 1 and 2 with dedicated time for a research dissertation over the summer of the 12 month programme.

You will be assessed on the taught component of the programme by a combination of coursework and exams.  The exact weighting between coursework and exam is listed on the course DRPS entry. 

The University of Edinburgh uses a Common Marking Scheme (CMS) for taught student assessment.  Students are marked against this marking scale.  You are not ranked against your peers.  The Common Marking Scheme link below describes in more detail the level of performance corresponding to the different numeric marks and alphabetic grades in an Informatics context.

Common Marking Scheme

Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study

The correspondence between numerical marks, grades and their interpretation in terms of the MSc is given below. 

  In order to pass at MSc level, and continue on to the MSc dissertation in the summer you must meet both of the following criteria:

• Achieve an average mark of at least 50% over the taught component of the programme , excluding Pass/Fail courses.
• Pass at least 80 out of your 120 credit points with a mark of at least 50%. All courses (including Pass/Fail courses) count towards this credit total.

If you do not meet these requirements you will not be permitted to progress to complete your dissertation and you may be eligible for a PG Diploma or PG Certificate award.

Full details of assessment applicable to all Informatics students is available in the following section of the student handbook:

Assessment: Coursework, exams & feedback

All progression decisions are made by the Boards of Examiners once all of your course marks for the taught component are available.  The Board of Examiners considers students' marks and credits achieved across all courses, in the context of any relevant valid Special Circumstances.  All marks are provisional until they are ratified by the Board of Examiners.

Special Circumstances

Attendance in Edinburgh

Students are expected to stay in Edinburgh for the duration of their degree programme, including examination diets.  It's important to confirm your examination dates before arranging any absences from Edinburgh.  You are also expected to stay in Edinburgh during the writing of the MSc dissertation until the submission deadline. If you are on a Student/Tier 4 visa and leave the country for an extended period of time, the School is obligated to contact the Student Immigration Service who will notify UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI).  The School also reserves the right to require you to return to Edinburgh to complete your studies, and to withhold dissertation supervision if you refuse to do so.

Student Visa attendance and monitoring

Final Awards

Your dissertation mark and final award will be considered by the Board of Examiners held in October. 

Your final award will be classified based on the following criteria:

• Award of MSc with Distinction: To achieve a distinction, you must be awarded at least 70% on the University’s Postgraduate Common Marking Scheme for the dissertation and must achieve an average of at least 70% in the taught component.
• Award of MSc with Merit: To achieve a merit, you must be awarded at least 60% on the University’s Postgraduate Common Marking Scheme for the dissertation and must achieve an average of at least 60% in the taught component .
• Award of MSc: To achieve a pass you must be awarded at least 50% on the University’s Postgraduate Common Marking Scheme for the dissertation and must achieve an average of at least 50% in the taught component .
• Award of PG Diploma: To achieve a PG diploma pass you must pass at least 80 credits with a mark of at least 40% and attain an average of at least 40% for the taught component.
• Award of PG Certificate: To achieve a PG certificate pass you must pass at least 40 credits with a mark of at least 40% and attain an average of at least 40% for 60 credits of study with the highest marks .

Borderlines

The Board of Examiners considers borderline cases as described in the Taught Assessment Regulations . Borderline marks are defined as marks from two percentage points below the class or grade boundary up to the bo undary itself, e.g. 58.00% to 59.99% for a merit classification.

Borderline decisions may take into account the following factors:

• cases in which a student has performed better in courses at a higher level
• cases where the amount of credited assessed work to be used for classification or award decisions is less than the norm (e.g., where credits have been awarded for progression purposes only in recognition of special circumstances)
• individual student profiles of performance.

• Schools & departments

Dissertations

This guide highlights the help and resources available from the Library to support your dissertation or research project. It also directs you to other support teams that may be useful.

Always check that you are following the requirements provided by your School. 

You can explore the different topics using the left-hand navigation.

Get tips from previous students in Student Story.

Student Story

As you embark on your own dissertation, there is guidance from the Institute for Academic Development (IAD).

Institute for Academic Development

Find out more about literature searching and managing your references. 

Literature Search Managing your references

Explore key resources for your research in Subject Guides.

Subject Guides

Go beyond DiscoverEd and explore collections.

Cultural Heritage Collections Digital Primary Sources

• Dissertation and Thesis Festival

The Library's Dissertation Festival brings together the support that the Library, Digital Skills and IAD provide for students undertaking their dissertations. Dissertation and Thesis Festival Dates for 2023 - 2024 

• Semester 1: Monday 30th October - 10th November 2023 
• Semester 2: Monday 11th - Friday 15th March 2024.

For the programme of events and previous event recordings visit the Dissertation and Thesis Festival webpage.  

For more information please get in touch 

Follow the Library

• Last Updated: May 14, 2024 9:21 AM
• URL: https://edinburgh-uk.libguides.com/dissertation

Dissertation Subject Guide

• Welcome to Dissertation guide!
• Choosing a topic
• Scoping searches
• What type of review?
• Methodology
• Search strategy
• Grey Literature
• Reference Management Software (Endnote etc.)
• Screening papers: PRISMA
• Data Extraction
• Critical Appraisal
• Data Synthesis
• Data Analysis
• Common errors to avoid
• Writing up dissertation
• Formatting Dissertation
• Dissertation Take-Off Recordings

Welcome to the Dissertation guide!

Navigate by using the tabs on the left for the step by step process of writing your dissertation. This guide concentrates on systematic reviews and scoping reviews.

Throughout this guide there will be relevant links, ebooks, articles and videos 

the process

This is a step by step guide guide to help you through your dissertation process for systematic reviews, literature reviews and scoping reviews.

Writing a dissertation can seem daunting. But here's some basic steps to think about before you get started:

Needing help before you get started? Look at: 

Referencing, literature searching, time management bites.

• Next: Choosing a topic >>
• Last Updated: Sep 4, 2024 10:51 AM
• URL: https://libguides.dundee.ac.uk/dissertation

• Schools & departments

Masters (MSc/MTh/LLM) by research dissertation submission guidance

Requirements for submitting your final dissertation.

PLEASE NOTE THIS GUIDANCE IS ONLY FOR STUDENT ON AN MScR PROGRAMME WITH A DISSERTATION ABOVE 120 CREDITS. STUDENTS WITH 120 CREDIT DISSERTATIONS OR BELOW MUST REFER TO PGT ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS, AND PROGRAMME HANDBOOK FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Notification of intention to submit (nits) and nomination of examiners (noe), how to submit  a notification of intention to submit.

Students should submit a Notification of Intention to Submit form and Abstract no later than two months before the end of the maximum period of study. 

For students starting in September 2023 this will be no later than the end of June 2024 .

We will need a NITS and an Abstract .

Submit your completed Notification of intention to submit (NITS) and abstract (student access only)

Your  Supervisor  will then be invited to propose an internal examiner and an external examiner to College for approval. 

Submit your dissertation

You must submit your dissertation no later than the end date of the prescribed period of study.

Please ensure you have notified your Supervisor and made all required plagiarism checks on the dissertation.

Your Graduate School will notify you of the Turnitin process - similarity reports must be discussed with your Supervisor in the first instance.

100% digital submission

We only require an electronic dissertation to be submitted.

You do not need to print and bind your dissertation.  

Please upload   one Word version of the dissertation and one PDF version :

Submit your dissertation file(s) to the Postgraduate Research Student Office (student access only)

For students starting in September 2023 this will be no later than the end of August 2024  (Schools may have published earlier hand-in dates).

Masters by Research/LLM by Research students can make the Board of Examiners aware of the impact the pandemic has had on their research when they submit their dissertation. This statement should not be included within the dissertation, but provided as a separate document of no more than a single page at the point of submission, via the online submission system. This statement will be submitted to the Examiners following the receipt of the initial Reports but before the Joint Report with recommendation to the College Postgraduate  Examination Committee.

What happens after you submit your dissertation

The C ollege PGR Student Office sends the dissertation to the internal and external examiner and the examination process will commence.

Once all reports are received these will be submitted to the College Postgraduate Examinations Committee for ratification. 

Then, we will write to you by email with the formal outcome of the examination and, if successful, we will invite submission of your final Dissertation at that stage.

When can you register for graduation?

You are required to wait for your Award Letter to be issued following ratification of examiner recommendations before registering for graduation.

You will be sent this final award letter as an electronic copy by email. 

Once your award has been keyed, Student Administration will send an automated email with a link to the registration form.

Find out more about graduations and proceed when registrations are open.

Glasgow School  for Business and Society

The Glasgow School for Business and Society integrates the areas of business, law and social sciences to ensure that they are well placed to meet the needs of business and society. The School has an international outlook and is committed to developing partnerships across the world.

Research Proposal and Dissertation

In addition to the information research skills which you develop as you progress through your course, undergraduate honours students and postgraduate students are required to develop and carry out a small-scale piece of research as part of their degree course. For undergraduate students, the research process starts either in Semester B of L3 or in semester A of L4, depending on how your course is structured. For postgraduate students, this process starts in Semester B of your course.

The research process during your degree has two stages:

• A research methods module, which is assessed through a research proposal (referred to as dissertation proposal in undergraduate Social Sciences courses)
• The dissertation module, which is assessed through the dissertation.

Unlike an essay or report, which evaluates, draws conclusions and makes judgements on the basis of published evidence (ie the literature), a research proposal does not answer a question, but identifies/develops a question for research and explains

• Why it's important to explore the problem
• How the researcher will explore the problem: what research strategy will be used, what type of data will be collected; how data will be analysed.

Once the research proposal has been approved by a supervisor, the researcher gathers primary or secondary data, analyses it and presents the results in the dissertation.

• What topics/issues in your field interest you? Don’t limit yourself to one topic – you may need to consider several issues/topics before you find one that you can do.
• What specific problems around this issue have been identified by researchers or practitioners in the sector/industry?
• Is an under-researched issue identified in the literature?

A research question is not the same as a topic. A research question should be specific and narrowly-focussed on a context such as a type of organisation (SME, third sector organisation, supermarket, national park, etc); a sector (telecommunications, voluntary sector, retail, a social group that meets specific criteria such as demographic, gender or experience; a geographical area). Because a research question is focused on a specific context, the answer to the question is not in the published research literature: the research question you develop will be answered in your dissertation by analysing the data that you collect. The type of data that you collect depends on what you want to find out

• Primary data is information that you gather from your informants (through, for example, survey questionnaires, interviews or focus groups) Most students doing research for a business or social sciences research.
• Secondary data is information that has already been published (eg financial information, information in a database, reports) that has been collected/compiled for a different purpose. Researchers analyse secondary data for a different purpose than it was originally intended.

The type of data you need depends on your research question. Most students doing research for a business or marketing topic are encouraged not to analyse only secondary data, but also to gather and analyse primary data. By contrast, it is quite common for students in finance and finance-related disciplines to develop a research question that requires only secondary analysis (eg of published financial or numerical data). Students studying history often analyse documentary sources (secondary data), while criminology, politics or sociology students may gather primary data from informants, or may analyse secondary data sources.  Media research often involves analysis of media content.

In identifying a research question, access is possibly the most important consideration. In order to answer your research question, you must have access to the primary or secondary data sources that can provide the information you need. You also need to bear in mind that information may be confidential, either for commercial reasons or because of its sensitive nature and so it may not be available to you.

• People in your previous/current jobs?
• Can friends/family help you get access to the people you want to talk to?
• Organisations may be willing to give you access to employees, but they are unlikely to help you if the research does not benefit them in some way.
• If you need secondary data, is the data publicly available?

All research proposals for dissertations have a similar structure, although the terminology relating to sections within the proposal may vary. The word count also varies – check your module handbook for a detailed description of what is required and the word count for each section.

• What research or events demonstrate that this question is important?
• Have recent developments made this question important?
• How is this question important in the research context that you have identified?
• What is the value of doing this research?
• The aim is a clear statement of what you want to find out
• The objectives can be compared to a process – what do you need to find out in order to achieve your aim
• What are the key perspectives/theories/models in the literature that are relevant to your study?
• What gap or underresearched area does your literature review highlight?
• Are you going to analyse primary or secondary data? Why?
• Are you collecting quantitative or qualitative data? Or both? Why?
• How are you going to collect this data?
• If you’re going to collect primary data, what is your sampling strategy?
• How are you going to analyse the data?
• What potential problems or challenges do you anticipate in doing this study?
• Projected time scale (Visually represented – Gantt chart or Excel spreadsheet)
• What has limited the scope of this study?
• What might make it difficult for you to achieve your aim?
• What might go wrong?

The aim of the literature is to identify key theories, models and/or research studies that shape our understanding of the issue. The research proposal is only a preliminary overview of the literature – the word count at this stage is not sufficient for a comprehensive literature review.  You will explore the literature in greater depth in your dissertation.

Your review of the literature should be guided by these questions:

• Are the definitions really different or just expressed in different words?
• What are the shared elements across definitions?
• Where/How are definitions different – in scope/focus?
• How have definitions changed over time - why?
• Which definition is being used for this study?
• What are the points of agreement and difference?
• How strong is the weight of research evidence for a particular perspective?
• How are these perspectives relevant to your research?
• Best practice/strategies
• Challenges to good practice
• Difficulties and barriers to addressing this issue?
• Does the research show a gap/mismatch between organisational/sector policy and practice?
• Is there enough research?
• Are the research findings generalizable to your proposed study?
• Geographical location
• Industry/sector
• Demographic.
• How does the model help us understand how to address issue?
• What are the criticisms and/or limitations of this theory, model or framework?

A dissertation is an extended piece of work (around 10-12,000 words) on a subject related to your degree course. You will normally choose the subject yourself which may develop from a research proposal you have completed earlier.

The dissertation is typically based on original research and demonstrates your expertise on the subject area. Dissertation comes from the Latin word ‘dissertare’ = ‘to debate’. Therefore your dissertation should include an examination of the subject from a number of different viewpoints.

Typically your dissertation should:

• Be a logically organised, critical analysis of a specific topic
• Show critical analysis of current literature on the specific topic
• Include a small-scale investigation to investigate a gap, key issues, themes or questions raised in the literature review
• Critically compare findings/data from primary research with that of existing evidence
• Draw conclusions and make recommendations.

This website contains general information and guidance on dissertation writing. However, always check your module handbook and with your supervisor for specific details.

A dissertation is a detailed report on your research investigation. It focuses on exploration of the particular issue or problem that your initial research proposal identifies as requiring further research. The key differences between the proposal and dissertation are that you will now be putting your proposed research design into practice to collect and then analyse your data.

Typically a dissertation has the following key features:

• Length and structure : 10 – 12,000 words that are logically organised in clearly linked chapters; chapters are arranged thematically in sections [See sample table of contents];
• A clear research aim : The dissertation is developed from, and closely directed by a specific research question and/or aim. The aim should be presented as a clear, straightforward statement of what you want to achieve [See:  How do I write a clear research aim and /or question and objectives for my dissertation?]
• A literature review : A critical review of literature on issues relevant to the research topic. This key stage and chapter should develop a clear discussion of what is known about the research topic in more detail. It includes critical comparison and questioning of key points of view, current thinking, definitions, relevant theories, models and previous research as found in the wider literature. From this literature review, you identify a gap in knowledge, key issues, themes and/or raise questions about your topic which requires the collection of new data to provide answers to these questions and/or fill the research gap.
• Analysis of data collected : You analyse the data you have collected through critical comparison of it with existing data you have reviewed in the literature review that explored definitions, relevant theories, models, major themes/debates and other previous research;
• Conclusions and recommendations : You provide conclusions to your research aim and/or question, key research objectives or hypotheses and make recommendations for future research and practice

Always check with your dissertation supervisor for specific details.

As for the proposal, the dissertation is developed from, and closely directed by a specific research question and/or aim [A clear statement of what you want to find out or achieve]. These may change from your initially proposed aim and/or question. Your research aim and/ or question should clearly and simply express the focus of your inquiry and the key variables you explore. The research question is not the same as a topic. A research question should be specific and narrowly-focussed on a context for example a type of organisation (SME, third sector organisation, supermarket, national park, etc); a sector (telecommunications, voluntary sector, retail); a social group that meets specific criteria such as demographic, gender or experience and/or a particular geographical area).

Because a research question is focussed on a specific context, the answer to the question is not in the published research literature: the research question you develop will be answered by analysing data that you collect.

A research aim and/or question can be built around the following key phrases:

• Aim: To critically explore the extent to which … Question: " To what extent do/does... ...?"
• Aim: To critically explore how X impacts on Y in the context of organisation Z Question: "In what ways/How does/What is the impact of X on organisation/population Y in the context of Z?"
• Aim : To critically analyse the factors that have contributed to the development of X in organisation/population Y Question: "What factors have contributed to the development of X in organisation/population Y?"
• Aim: To critically evaluate the role and impact of X on Y in Z Question: " What is the role and impact of X on Y in Z?"

A dissertation is further directed by having research objectives. These are clear statements that explain how you will meet your research aim and/or address the research question you have established. Objectives can be built using the following wording:

• To critically review X in order to
• To measure X by...
• To evaluate X by...
• To gain insight into X through
• To examine X by...
• To calculate X through the use of...
• To compare X with Y by...
• To assess the impact of X on Y by...
• To interpret X through application of Y...

For many dissertations the objectives correspond to each main chapter or key stage of the research process:

• Literature review: To critically review relevant theoretical and research-based literature in order to evaluate how ...
• Methodology : To adopt a mixed methods research design and undertake interviews with X in order to gain insight into how/why…
• Data analysis : To analyse the data collection through application of X’s theory… through comparison with previous research
• Conclusions and recommendations : To provide recommendations on how X could improve...

The introduction chapter provides the background/bigger picture and rationale to your dissertation. This can be developed in a range of ways:

• It outlines the relevant historical, legal, policy, sectoral and organisational context(s) in which the study is located;
• It explains what the study is about and why the study is important (the rationale) and what factors are driving the study – key changes? What is the research problem to be explored?
• Key terms/variables are broadly defined.
• Links can be made to key debates/perspectives that are relevant to study
• Introduce where the study is conducted, with whom and why: specific sector and organisation, key respondents?
• Narrows down to a clear statement of research aim, objectives and/or research questions that direct your study;
• Provides a summary of the content of the main chapters

The following two samples illustrate how two writers clearly meet these purposes.

Intro example file 1

Intro example file 2

What is a literature review?

The literature review chapter critically reviews key themes/issues relevant to your research topic and study’s aim, drawing on references to academic literature as appropriate. It presents a logical, detailed and coherent picture of what literature tells us about your selected research topic. Specifically it weaves together analysis of some or all of the following, funnelling down from a broad to specific analysis of the issues relevant to your dissertation:

• Compares debates/key perspectives relevant to your study that can assist in analysis of points of view expressed in the data you collect
• Compares definitions of key terms to assist in analysis of how definitions are expressed in your data
• Compares and evaluates models, frameworks and /or theories that may assist in analysing the data you collect
• Builds a picture of previous research through comparison of studies in journal publications: what does this research tell us about:
• Key challenges/problems faced and how other organisations have addressed these?
• The development of innovative approaches/strategies/’best’ practices used successfully in other organisations/sectors?
• The application of a model or framework to guide practice in other organisations/sectors?

Structure of the literature review

• Ensuring clear structure in individual chapters: where and how
• Include an introductory section to the whole chapter: states what the literature review aims to do, and identifies the key themes it explores;
• The chapter is divided up in individual sections that focus on one key theme/issue. Each key theme/issues is identified with clear headings and where necessary subheadings may be used to identify subthemes;
• The theme in each section is clearly introduced: you can briefly comment on relevance of the theme for your study’s aim
• In each section, the review of the literature on the key theme/issue is built up paragraph by paragraph [Please see the downloadable PDF: GUIDANCE NOTES: STRUCTURING YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER]

Guidance Notes

Writing critically in the literature review

Writing critically in the literature review about key debates/points of view

Critical writing can be developed by considering these questions:

• What are the key points of view on my dissertation topic?
• How do these views compare, diverge or conflict? Why?
• Why and/or how are these views relevant to my dissertation?

Writing critically in the literature review about definitions

• What key terms do I need to define?
• How have definitions changed, developed or evolved?
• Why have definitions changed?
• How do definitions conflict?
• What key points do definitions share?
• Are definitions viewed as too narrow; too broad; out of date and/or limited in some other way for my dissertation?
• Which definition is being used for my dissertation – why? Is it the most comprehensive? Most widely applicable?

Writing critically in the literature review about models, frameworks and/or theories

• Who is/are the main proponents of this model?
• What is/are the purpose(s) of this model? How has it developed over time? What are the key stages and structure of the model? How does the model work? What does it seek to explain?
• Why this model is potentially relevant to my dissertation?
• How can the model be used to help understand particular marketing, management, organisational, financial, HR, operational, social, cultural, psychological, economic and political issues? What processes or practices can this model guide/inform – what are its advantages?/ What insights does it provide?
• What are the criticisms and/or limitations /weaknesses of this model? Why?
• What are the possibilities of applying another model which is better? Why is this other model better – more holistic, comprehensive, up-to-date or can be used in combination with another model?

Writing critically in the literature review about research articles from journal publications

• What are the major findings of several research papers about this particular theme/issue?
• How have findings about this theme/issue developed from earlier to more recent research studies?
• How do findings compare, contrast or conflict on specific theme/issue?
• What issue is under-researched?
• What are the strengths and limitations of the research methods used?
• What challenges/problems are identified in studies?
• What examples of best practice/solutions do these studies highlight?
• What lessons could my research, case study organisation learn from these examples of best practice?

How does the literature review chapter link with the methodology?

From a critical review of the literature you identify key issues/themes/gaps/questions that require further investigation through the small-scale research project that you will explain and justify in the methodology. Overall your literature review should inform and direct your methodology in terms of what data you will collect, how you will do so, from where and from whom, allowing you to address the questions the literature raises.

What is a methodology chapter?

In the methodology chapter you are expected to draw on a range of textbooks on research methods to explain and justify all aspects of your chosen research design. The explanations and justifications in each of the following typical sections should continually link to your investigation and generally follow this structure:

• Research philosophy : explain briefly what e.g. interpretive philosophy of research is about and justify why it is most appropriate for meeting your study’s aim
• Research approach : explain briefly what e.g. an abductive approach involves; why was this most appropriate for your study?
• Sample and sampling approach : explain briefly what e.g. purposive sampling is; why is this approach best for your study?
• Choice of methods : explain e.g. what forms of data are collected through qualitative methods; why did a qualitative method provided you with appropriate data to meet your research aim?
• Data collection methods : explain briefly what e.g. a focus group involves; why did a focus group offer the most advantages for your study?
• Data analysis methods : explain what e.g. thematic analysis involves; why was analysing your data in this way the most appropriate choice?
• Ethical considerations : explain main ethical issues your study raised and how you addressed these
• Limitations : explain main limitations of your research design e.g. in relation to sample size and the implications of this for your findings

Please check your dissertation module handbook and with your supervisor for specific guidelines on the content and structure expected for the methodology chapter.

What is included in a findings chapter?

For some dissertations you will be asked to have a stand-alone findings chapter. This chapter focuses on the presentation of your data. This is typically presented in tables, charts and graphs etc., with accompanying concise commentary that describes, compares and contrasts e.g. patterns, trends and statistical results. It is in the next chapter where you use previous research and theory as explored in the literature review, to analyse and interpret these data as presented in the findings chapter.

• extracts/quotations from interviews and focus groups;
• comparative/descriptive statistics from questionnaires that are described and displayed in graphs, pie charts, tables etc.;
• results of different statistical tests or mathematical models/formulae;
• documentary information e.g. extracts of information from companies’ policies, financial reports, audit reports and annual reports; government policy in particular areas;
• extracts from series of newspaper articles reporting on a specific issue.

You do this through comparing your data with previous debates, definitions, theories, models and/or research as reviewed in your literature review chapter

• Which theory or model(s)/frameworks explored in the literature review provides an explanation for my data/ findings? How do my findings for this theme match up or align with the theory’s or model’s explanations? Do my findings point to a limitation of this model or theory?
• For this theme, are my data supported/confirmed by the research studies I discuss in the literature review? In what way?
• What are the similarities between my data/findings and past research findings in relation to this theme?
• Do my data/findings contradict, challenge or conflict with previous research findings? If so in what way? Why?
• Taken together what do my findings contribute to knowledge about/understanding of the research topic?
• What could my findings mean for practice?

(See GUIDANCE NOTES: Using the literature review to analyse your data for further key questions to prompt comparison of your data with previous research)

• Overview of the chapter As with every chapter in a dissertation, provide a brief overview that clearly explains/signposts the focus, content and structure of the chapter. For the analysis chapter in particular, you should identify clearly the main themes that will be addressed, emphasising that you will draw upon previous literature to analyse these themes.
• Profile of case study organisation If your study has been conducted in an organisation you can provide a profile, presented in a table that identifies e.g. its size, geographical location(s), number of employees, market share etc. – you should include profile information that is most relevant to your dissertation topic.
• Profile of interview and/or focus group participants Present in table form key information about your interview participants: age, gender, individual’s position in organisation, make-up of focus group participants etc. - you should include profile information that is most relevant to your dissertation topic.
• Profile of respondents to questionnaire Present in table form key information about who responded to your questionnaire e.g.: how many questionnaires were distributed and to whom; number of returned questionnaires; demographic details relevant to your study,
• Introduce the theme - refer back to literature review, draw on  authors to outline the significance of this theme
• Present/report data: compare and contrast your data in relation to this theme e.g. compare questionnaire respondents’ choices with those of views of interviewees
• Provide analysis of this theme through comparison with previous debates, definitions, theories, models and/or research as reviewed in your literature review chapter.
• Next major theme….

The conclusion chapter is not just a simple summary of all you have covered in the dissertation e.g. “I have looked at literature, then I designed an investigation and I analysed results…” Instead, you should restate, and offer answers to your research aim and/or question, key research objectives or hypotheses e.g. Key issues to emerge from the literature were… From comparing the data interviews with previous research it can be concluded that… Based on your conclusions you should be able to make recommendations for:

• Further research issues that a future investigation could explore
• Enhancement/improvement/development of particular practice as explored in a case study organisation
• How particular policy could change
• How effectiveness of theory or model could be further developed You may also be asked to identify the limitations of your study. Some supervisors prefer that this section is included in the methodology chapter. It is important to consult her/him on this.

Provide an overview of the chapter in which you:

• Restate what your dissertation set out to do: research aim and/or question, key research objectives and/or research questions or hypotheses
• Briefly remind reader of the context, background and/or importance of the topic or indicate the problem, controversy or a gap in the field of study.
• Clearly outline the purposes and structure of the chapter [See sample]

You can then conclude on each research objective in turn:

• What are you able to reasonably conclude from your review of the literature – key themes, debates, issues and or/gap in research you found?
• How suitable was your research design overall for meeting your aim and investigating these key issues raised by the literature review?
• How suitable was your research design overall for testing/upholding your hypotheses?
• What reasonable conclusions/insights can you offer from your analysis of your data through comparison with and support from previous research?
• What key contributions/new insights does your study offer to knowledge about the research issue?
• What further questions do your study raise that future research could address? [See sample]

Make recommendations based on key conclusions:

• Depending on your research topic, what can you suggest for future research, organisational practice and policy and/or development of a conceptual model or theory? [See sample]

In assessing your dissertation the marker expects to see that:

• you have developed a research project that has a realistic, well defined aim and/or question with related objectives;
• analyses key themes/issues that are relevant to your study;
• critically questions, compares and evaluates conflicting views, theoretical claims and previous research findings relevant to your topic;
• provides a detailed picture of current knowledge with which you can then analyse the data you collect;
• you have a methodology chapter that is informed and shaped by the literature review;
• you have carefully selected data collection and analysis methods that are clearly explained and justified as fit for purpose and which provide relevant data to meet your research aim;
• you have a logically structured analysis chapter in which you apply a range of literature to interpret and make sense of the data you have collected
• you have a conclusion chapter that makes concise and reasonable conclusions on the extent to which you have met
• how future research could be developed to address any questions your study raises;
• how an organisation could build upon and enhance its current practices

Please your dissertation module handbook for the specific marking criteria that will be used to assess your work.

• Home »
• Advice »
• Masters Study Advice

find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

Masters degree grades.

A typical masters degree will be graded using four terms:

• Distinction: a final grade of 70% or above
• Merit: a final grade of 60-69%
• Pass: a final grade of 50-59%
• Borderline pass/fail: a final grade of 40-49%

In the UK, masters degrees are usually graded in a different way to bachelors degrees, with the system being Distinction, Merit and Pass rather than 1st, 2.1, 2.2 and 3rd.

This table illustrates approximately how the two different grading systems can be compared:

However, although masters degree grades are usually different to undergraduate degree grades, this does depends on what masters course you are studying. Here, we’ll look at the most common three:

Integrated masters degree grades

An integrated masters is one that follows directly on from your undergraduate course. This is most common in the sciences , where you apply for a four year course in your chosen subject and then in your second year make a decision on whether to follow the path to a BSc or to an MChem, MPhys, etc.

This is graded like an undergraduate degree, in that the classification you receive will be either;

First (1st);

Second class honours upper division (2.1);

Second class honours lower division (2.2);

Third (3rd) or;

In these cases, the later stages of study are weighted more than the earlier.

Standalone masters degree grades

Taught masters degree.

Taught masters degrees require 180 credits worth of work, made of a combination of taught modules, projects and a dissertation. The individual masters modules are usually worth between 10 and 30 credits each, depending on their length and the amount of assessment required. In some cases taught masters are merely graded as a pass or fail, but commonly taught masters degree grades are fail, pass, merit (or credit) and distinction. The boundaries for this are usually 50% for a pass, 60% for a merit and 70% for a distinction, as the above table illustrates. This masters degree grading system will be covered in greater detail later. 

Masters degree by research

A masters by research (an MPhil or MRes, and sometimes MLitt) is usually graded as pass or fail, with occasional universities offering distinction as a classification as well.

Masters grading system in the UK

The final masters grade is based on a ‘weighted’ score. For an integrated masters, this means your marks in your final two years are worth more than in your first two. 

On other masters courses , it can depend on which proportion of the mark is made up by taught aspects or research aspects. In general though, as well as having to aim for a certain weighted average, you also need to have marks within a certain range. Generally, this means for a pass, no marks under 40; a merit, none below 50; and for a distinction, none below 60.

If your course involves a dissertation, the mark that you achieve for this will also impact your final masters grade. Often, to achieve a certain classification, you are required to achieve that mark as minimum on your dissertation, for example, for a merit, your dissertation needs to score 60 or above, and for a distinction, 70 or above. If this sounds intimidating, try not to worry, we have plenty of helpful advice for you from writing your dissertation proposal to various ways to avoid dissertation drama .

Whilst these classifications are pretty much standard, they do vary between courses as well as between universities, so do check out your particular university and find out how it works out its masters degree grades. Some universities, whilst sticking to the pass/merit/distinction boundaries for their final grades, may use a variety of ways to mark your work throughout the year – percentages, letter grades (A, B, C, etc), so do make sure you know how it all adds up!

Also, remember that university guidelines, whilst strict, do have an element of leniency. Often there is a boundary (commonly 2% under) that if your final average is in, you may be able to persuade yourself up a class! This is most common if you excelled on your dissertation, but perhaps were let down by an earlier taught module. So don’t be afraid to ask.

Pass, merit and distinction

As an estimate of what quality of work you’re looking for, take a look at some example guidelines below:

Again, these are general guidelines, and looking at your particular university will give you much more specific information on their masters grades. If it all looks a bit much, don’t worry – we have a guide on how to get a first class postgraduate degree here .

You may have noticed that, despite the official classifications being distinction, merit and pass, that there is a tendency towards continuing with undergraduate language. This is because they roughly match up –  a first is roughly a distinction, a second class honours, upper division a merit, and a second class honours, lower division a pass. This can be helpful to bear in mind when thinking about masters degree grades, as, after all by this stage you should have a great understanding of how the undergraduate system works!

Masters degree assessments

Masters degrees are assessed in various different ways to determine the student’s overall grade – methods of assessment can include coursework , essays , presentations and exams . These will all be used to evaluate the masters student understanding of their core subject. Practical placements and internships may also contribute to the masters degree grading in certain subjects.

Assessment weighting is likely to differ for each module of the course, which means that some assessments may carry different significance than others. For instance, a module might comprise an exam and coursework, each contributing 50% to the final grade. In such a scenario, if a student scored 65% in the exam and 55% in the coursework, the module's final grade would be 60%. In other modules the overall assessment could be a smaller proportion of the final masters degree grade.

Apply for one of our x5 bursaries worth £2,000

We've launched our new Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries for 2024. Full-time, part-time, online and blended-learning students eligible. 2024 & 2025 January start dates students welcome. Study postgraduate courses in any subject taught anywhere worldwide.

How can you get a distinction in your masters degree?

1.  High academic standards throughout – aim to achieve consistently high grades across all modules and assessments from the very start and strive to excel in all aspects of your academic work. Make sure you produce high-quality coursework assignments, essays, reports and projects that all demonstrate critical thinking, originality and depth of analysis.

2.  Engagement and participation – actively participate in class discussions, seminars and group projects. Engage with course materials beyond the required readings to ensure you to gain a thorough understanding of the subject matter.

3.  Conduct independent research – be sure to conduct independent research and produce original research papers or a dissertation that contributes new insights to your chosen field.

4.  Networking and collaboration – try and build professional relationships with faculty members, fellow students and professionals in your field. You can do this by collaborating on research projects, attending conferences and engaging in academic and professional networking opportunities.

5.  Feedback and improvement – actively seek feedback from your supervisors and lecturers, as well your peers, then incorporate their suggestions for improvement into your work.

6.  Demonstrate leadership and initiative – take on leadership roles in group projects and participate in relevant extracurricular activities. Show initiative in pursuing opportunities for professional development, internships and/or research grants.

7.  Be organised and manage time effectively – develop strong organisational and time-management skills, prioritising tasks and ensuring you allocate sufficient time for studying, research and preparation.

What if you are failing your masters degree?

1. Retake a module to bring your masters grades up

As previously discussed, a masters degree is divided up into several modules, which are usually are worth between 10 and 30 credits each. If you’ve only failed one or two modules there is likely to be the opportunity to re-sit some assessments within these modules to increase your overall masters grade.

2. Revise your dissertation to improve your grades

 If you fail your dissertation, contact your supervisor to see if you can submit a revised version later in the year. If this is allowed it could be enough to raise your overall masters degree grade.

3. Switch to a Postgrad Certificate or a Postgrad Diploma

If your masters program is going completely wrong and you are almost certainly going to fail, there may still be a chance of you achieving a different postgraduate qualification, for example a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma . These PG qualifications require less credits to complete than a masters degree, and by achieving one of these you can rest assured that your postgraduate studies were not in vain!

4. Re-sit exams or extend deadlines for extenuating circumstances

If your academic achievement (or lack of it) has been affected by extenuating circumstances – such as illness or bereavement – speak to your supervisor as soon as possible as they may allow you to submit your dissertation at a later date or re-sit some exams before submitting your work to the official examining board.

5. Submit an appeal for a remark

Finally, if you feel that the official examining board’s grade is an unfair reflection of your work, you may be able to submit an appeal for a remark.

Questions about the masters grading system

How are masters degrees graded in the uk.

Everything at masters level is double-blind marked, so two of your lecturers or tutors will mark your work and then agree on the grade between them. It depends on the assignment and how it is presented as a piece of work, as an essay or an exam will be marked differently from a presentation.

Is a masters grade the same around the world?

A masters degree has the same weighting across Europe as European universities have agreed that all university qualifications are worth the same number of credits. This means that the qualifications are transferable all over Europe . Generally, the same can be said for many other countries, especially in the English-speaking world, but if you are planning on continuing your education in another country, you should check with the institution you are planning on attending with regards to the transferability of your qualifications. See the section below for further information about how the grading systems work in the United States and Europe.

Do grades matter at masters level?

At postgraduate level, there is more emphasis on the content of your essays and research rather than on the masters grades you received. If you are planning on moving into a specific field of work after you graduate, then you should ensure that the modules you study and essays you write are all geared towards that field. The only time the grade truly matters is if you are considering a PhD after completing the masters program. However, showing that you have improved your skills across the course is just as important as getting the best grades right from the start.

What else is important?

Once you get into searching for a job you will quickly realise that extra-curricular activities and work experience are just as important as your masters grades, as is trying to meet the right people through networking. Showing you can work efficiently and are a self-reliant person is an important addition to your CV.

How many people have a masters degree in the US?

Here’s a table showing the percentage of adults over the age of 25 with a masters degree in the United States.

Masters grading in other countries

Masters grades are calculated differently across the world – here is a brief overview on the grading systems used in the United States and Europe.

Masters degree grades in the USA

In the United States, universities employ the Grade Point Average (GPA) system to evaluate students' academic performance in masters degrees. Under this system, students receive a grade on a four-point decimal scale for each assignment or assessment they complete. The accumulated points from all coursework are then added up and divided by the number of courses or assessments completed, and this gives the final GPA score. Unlike grading methods in other countries, the GPA system calculates the final grade continuously as students progress through their course. While the highest GPA score achievable is 4.0, maintaining such a perfect score throughout a full masters degree program is very difficult. Typically, a GPA of 3.67 or higher in a masters program is considered equivalent to achieving a Distinction in the UK.

Masters degree grades in Europe

Most universities in Europe use the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) for masters degree grading. The ECTS assigns values to courses and/or modules, and each course has clearly defined learning outcomes and grades available. Although HEIs in different European countries use different grading systems, the ECTS facilitates the portability of academic qualifications, enabling credits to be easily transferred between institutions and countries within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) if the student moves between institutions, for example if they are on the Erasmus scheme.

Related articles

What Is A Masters Degree?

Postgraduate Taught vs Research Masters

What Is A GPA?

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries

Exclusive bursaries Open day alerts Funding advice Application tips Latest PG news

Complete Our Destination Survey

Take 2 minutes to complete our Destination Survey for the chance to win a Postgrad Study Bursary worth £2,000.

All we need to know is:

• Your university
• Your PG course

University of St Andrews

• Study at St Andrews
• Academic Schools
• Administration A-Z

« Back to Admin A-Z

Academic Data Team

Academic transcript information, purpose of this webpage.

This page is intended to help external organisations to understand the information contained on transcripts issued by the University of St Andrews. It contains information on credit loads, current and historic grading scales used by the University, and how degree classifications have been calculated.

Credits and grades

A student's studies towards a taught degree are structured in terms of modules, each of which is assigned a credit value reflecting the proportion of a student's time devoted to that module.  A full-time student normally takes 60 credits in a semester.  Thus, for example, a module worth 20 credits would represent one-third of a normal semester's workload.  Each module is a self-contained unit of teaching, learning and assessment.  For the majority of modules the teaching takes place over a single semester in one 11- or 12-week teaching block, followed in most cases by an examination.  Others are concentrated into a shorter period, and some are taught over the whole year.  A student's performance in the examination, together with grades for pieces of coursework submitted during the module, determine whether he or she passes the assessment for the module and, therefore, whether he or she is awarded the credits attached to it.  Thus a student who passes the module will have gained both credits, reflecting the workload of the module, and a grade, reflecting the quality of their work. 

Common Reporting Scale

Grades are reported using the common reporting scale , which runs from 0 to 20 

Whilst the grading sheets below give a classification equivalent for grades on the 20-point common reporting scale, it should be noted that classification itself is dependent on an algorithm taking account of all eligible grades.  Further information on degree classification may be found in the classification policy and PGT Masters classification .

European Credit Transfer System

The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is a credit system designed to make it easier for students to move between different countries. ECTS credits represent the workload and defined learning outcomes of a given course or programme whereby 60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of a full year of study or work ( i.e. equivalent to 120 St Andrews credits).  All modules in the module catalogue show the number of St Andrews credits associated with the module, and also the ECTS conversion, which is exactly half of the St Andrews credits.

Undergraduate credit, grading and classification information

Undergraduate credit load.

Normally a full-time undergraduate student takes modules worth 120 credits during the course of each year, i.e. 60 credits in each semester.  Circumstances may require a student to exceed this load, but the total credits for the year can never exceed 160. 

Undergraduate grading and classification

The University has adopted a modularised scheme for all its degrees since 1994.

Current and historic Undergraduate module grading information documents are available by clicking on the links below:

• Undergraduate Grading Information from 2019/20 (PDF, 363 KB)
• Undergraduate Grading Information from 2010/11 (PDF, 20 KB)
• Undergraduate Grading Information from 2009/10 (PDF, 45 KB)
• ‌ Undergraduate Grading Information from 1994/95 (PDF, 128 KB)

Whilst the grading sheets above give a classification equivalent for grades on the 20-point common reporting scale, it should be noted that classification itself is dependent on an algorithm taking account of all eligible grades. Further information on degree classification may be found below:

• Classification policy
• Honours Classification academic years 2010/11 to 2018/19 (PDF, 282 KB)
• Honours Classification academic years 2007/08 to 2009/10 (Word, 55 KB)

Prior to the 1994/5 academic year, the University operated under a class and ranking system.

• Undergraduate Class and Ranking Information pre 1994/95 (PDF, 6 KB)

Taught Postgraduate credit, grading and classification information

Taught postgraduate credit load.

While some degree programmes require more credits, most full-time one-year taught Masters students (eg MSc, MLitt, MRes) take modules worth 180 St Andrews credits (90 ECTS) during the course of the year, i.e. 60 credits in each semester and 60 credits for the summer dissertation.  

Individual modules taken as part of an approved taught Masters programme are assessed using the common reporting scale. 

Taught Postgraduate grading and classification

Current and historic Postgraduate module grading information documents are available by clicking on the links below:

• Taught Postgraduate Grading Information from 2017/18 (PDF, 287 KB)
• Taught Postgraduate Grading Information from 2013/14 (PDF, 186 KB)
• Taught Postgraduate Grading Information from 2010/11 (PDF, 276 KB)
• Taught Postgraduate Grading Information from 2009/10 (PDF, 94 KB)
• Taught Postgraduate Grading Information from 2005/06 (PDF, 6 KB)
• Taught Postgraduate Grading Information pre 2005/06 (PDF, 7 KB)

Whilst the grading sheets above give a classification equivalent for grades on the 20-point common reporting scale, it should be noted that classification itself is dependent on an algorithm taking account of all eligible grades. Further information on postgraduate degree classification may be found below:

• PGT Masters classification from 2017/18 (PDF, 191 KB)
• PGT Masters classification from 2014/15 (PDF, 191 KB)

Grade conversion to percentage

The University of St Andrews does not provide conversion of grades attained into percentages. Since the academic year 1994/95 the University of St Andrews has used a 20-point common reporting scale, not a percentage scale, to report both module grades and overall degree results. It is important to note that any conversion of grades from the 20-point common reporting scale to a percentage scale would not be linear: for this reason, one cannot simply multiply by five a grade on the 20-point scale to achieve an equivalent grade expressed as a percentage. Hence, there is no validity in converting grades into percentages once they have been reported and the University of St Andrews does not condone any process that attempts to do so.

If employers ask for grades in percentages, students should explain that the University does not report results in this manner, and our grades out of 20 cannot be simply or fairly converted into grades out of 100. Students receive a very thorough transcript with an explanation of the degree classification boundaries that should enable any employer to understand the quality of a degree.

Ordering copies of academic transcripts

Alumni (graduates and non-graduating former students) can request printed or pdf copies of their Academic Transcript from Registry. Please visit our transcript ordering page for further information on this service and to place an order

Dissertation Support: Home

• Formatting, printing and binding

Our Academic Liaison Librarians are here to help you find resources for your dissertation research.

Once you have decided on a topic for your dissertation, you need to search for relevant books and journal articles - see below.

Search LibrarySearch for books

• LibrarySearch Search the library catalogue to find books on your topic.

Search tips:

• Choosing keywords . Try searching on alternative keywords if you don't get the results you expect.
• Phrase searching.  Try putting common phrases in quotation marks, e.g. "industrial revolution".
• Truncation/wildcard.  Put an asterisk at the end of the stem of the word to search for any letters which come after it, e.g. film* will find film, films, filming, etc.
• Refining to ebooks . Use the ebook filter.
• Finding a Book (video)

If the library doesn't have the book/article

• Document Delivery Service Guide to using the Document Delivery Service

Suggest a Book for the Library

Archives and Special Collections

• University of Stirling Archives and Special Collections Information about the University's Archives and how to access them
• Archives Hub Use Archives Hub to search for archival sources held at over 350 institutions across the UK.

Search databases for research articles

Choose a database appropriate for your specific topic. Look at the Library Subject Guide for your subject.

• Choosing keywords.  Try searching on alternative keywords if you don't get the results you expect.
• Combining search terms.  Combine concepts with AND. Combine alternative keywords with OR, e.g.  (film OR cinema) AND (horror or suspense)
• Phrase searching.  Try putting common phrases in quotation marks, e.g. "industrial revolution"
• Refining search . Refine your search using the filters available, e.g. date, language
• Evaluating results.  Read the abstract and subject headings to decide whether the article is relevant to your research.
• Literature search planning template

Evaluate web sources

Finding past dissertations

The Library has some past undergraduate and taught postgraduate dissertations, but not in every subject. They are all listed in LibrarySearch. To find dissertations for a particular degree:

• Do a keyword search for your degree programme, e.g. ba politics, msc public relations. Make sure you Search Everything .
• Click on the Dissertations filter on the right hand side.
• You may wish to sort your results so that the most recent are at the top of the list. Sort by Date-newest.
• Some dissertations are available online. When prompted, enter your university username and password to get access.
• Dissertations in print format have a Thesis Number. You can request these from store .

Visiting other libraries

• National Library of Scotland How to access the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh
• Using other University Libraries (SCONUL ACCESS) Find out how you can use other UK university libraries
• JISC Library Hub Discover Search the catalogues of other UK and Irish university and research libraries
• Request an appointment with your librarian

If you are struggling to find resources for your dissertation or need help with referencing, contact your Librarian using the link below.

Dissertation workshops

We also run dissertation workshops, go to the Stirling Essentials Study Skills website  to get more information about the workshops and book your place.

Cite your references

• General Guide to Referencing
• Guide to Refworks

Research skills

• How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation by Bryan Greetham ISBN: 9781137389763 Publication Date: 2014-08-13
• Next: Formatting, printing and binding >>
• Last Updated: May 20, 2024 3:08 PM
• URL: https://libguides.stir.ac.uk/dissertations

Grade information

Information on the current marking scheme can be found on the Examination and degree classification page.

Click for current  Undergraduate Grading Scheme .

Click for current  Postgraduate Grading Scheme ‌.

The European Credit and Transfer System (ECTS)

The European Credit and Transfer System (ECTS) is the European framework designed to facilitate the transfer of credit between courses for students who choose to study at more than one European University, including exchange students. The ECTS defines credit slightly differently to the SCQF system as one year of study equates to 60 ECTS credit points. University of Stirling credit values are translated into ECTS credits by dividing the Stirling Credit by two, for example: Undergraduate Programme Module 20 Stirling Credits = 10 ECTS credits.

The University of Stirling does not convert or translate its grades to reflect the requirements of a particular country or institution. For information that may be of use to students requiring this please see the  NARIC  website.

• Browse by Year
• Browse by Course
• Browse by College/School
• Browse by Author

Welcome to Enlighten: Dissertations

Enlighten: Dissertations hosts examples of undergraduate and taught postgraduate dissertations by students at the University of Glasgow. Dissertations included in this service have been uploaded with the permission of the author and on the instruction of the supervisor.

This service is currently accessible on-campus only . Requests for electronic versions of dissertations held in the service can be made by e-mail to [email protected] .

This service does not contain all dissertations produced at the University of Glasgow.

The Glasgow Theses Service hosts higher research degree theses.

supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of /oai2

Dissertation Support

• Getting Started
• Research methods
• Preparing your literature review

Getting started - books and journal articles

A note on login details, digging deeper - journal articles (bibliographic databases), digging deeper - journal articles (google scholar), preferably conference papers/ proceedings, adding in statistics, finding (archived) news sources, looking for music or other sounds, looking for standards or patents, searching for theses and dissertations, don't forget.

• Looking beyond the Library
• Managing your project
• Writing and referencing
• Support Contacts
• OneSearch This link opens in a new window OneSearch is UWS's in-house database. It functions as both a traditional library catalogue and platform to search a wide range of databases to find full-text journal articles. It covers all subject areas.

Login to OneSearch (Library Search) to:

• Discover  print books, electronic books (eBooks), journal articles, dissertations and more. Our collection includes titles on study skills and research methods as well as subject disciplines.
• Reserve print books to guarantee access or link directly to eBooks and articles.
• Save, email or print result lists. 
• Create your own reading list as you go. 

Learn how with our OneSearch guide  and introductory video.

• SpringerLink This link opens in a new window SpringerLink provides access to millions of scientific documents from journals, books, series, protocols, reference works and proceedings. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.

Google Books is another potential source for textbooks.  Some items are available wholly, or partially, free of charge. 

UWS Library pays to access many e-books, journals and databases.

Students and staff need to enter a login to access these items - this will be your university email address and password.

Note: some services offer multiple login methods. Look for the 'Login via your institution' option.

Remember that access to selected resources may only be possible from specific links on OneSearch or other library pages, e.g. the A-Z guide . 

Prefer a more focused search for journal articles?

Try the Library's bibliographic databases.  Some index articles by type, e.g. primarily research studies, while others focus on publications in a specific subject area. 

The articles indexed in the databases are primarily academic and professional level in some subject areas, e.g. education and nursing.  Trade/ industry publications dominate though in others, e.g. Computing, Business.

Commonly used resources include:

Multidisciplinary

• EBSCOhost Research Platform This link opens in a new window more... less... Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window more... less... Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Scopus This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Web of Science This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.

Region or topic-specific

• African Journals Online
• Bioline International This link opens in a new window Bioline International provides open access to quality and peer-reviewd research journals published in developing countries (e.g. Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda and Venezuela). BI's goal supports a global understanding of health (tropical medicine, infectious diseases, epidemiology, emerging new diseases), biodiversity, the environment, conservation and international development.
• Cambridge Core This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. All residents of Scotland can access the Cochrane Library for free, thanks to funding provided by NHS Education for Scotland.
• Emerald Insight This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource. Learn more from our LibGuide created by expert librarians.
• IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• SAGE Journals This link opens in a new window more... less... Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Taylor & Francis Online This link opens in a new window more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Wiley Online Library This link opens in a new window more... less... Use your student/staff email address and password to access

Also see subject specific recommendations in our subject guides

Google Scholar is another recommended source for academic journal articles.

An option is included to link results with your library subscriptions for easier access.

• Open the Settings section (action will depend your browser but may require selecting the 'three lines' icon):
• Select 'Library Links'.  A search box will appear with any pre-selections listed below.
• Enter 'UWS' in the search box.
• Select 'University of the West of Scotland - UWS' from the list.
• Click 'Apply' to save.

When you next run a search, you will see "Available from UWS Library" on the right when UWS has access to the article. 

Click this (and login to One Search if prompted), to navigate to the full text. 

Conference papers are made available from multiple sources.  Many are indexed by relevant bibliographic databases.

Some databases offer a filter option to limit your search to conference papers.

Sources include:

• IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window IEEE Xplore provides full text access to the world's highest quality technical literature in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics. Access is to the full text published since 1988 and select content published since 1913 from: IEEE journals, transactions, proceedings, and magazines; IEEE conference proceedings; IEEE published standards; IEEE Spectrum Magazine; IEEE-Wiley eBooks collection; IET journals; IET conference proceedings. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Web of Science This link opens in a new window Web of Science provides subscription-based access to multiple databases that provide comprehensive citation data for many different academic disciplines. It was originally produced by the Institute for Scientific Information. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.

Statistics are gathered and published by many organisations.  Some, e.g. Registrar General for Scotland, have a legal responsibility to enable a national social and economic record.  Others offer more specialist or subject-specific collections.

Your Academic Librarian will be able to recommend subject specific collections.

General interest sources are listed below.   

• Statista This link opens in a new window Statista is a great source of global market and consumer data. It includes statistics, reports, infographics, surveys, industry and market reports. The portal is tracking more than 22,000 trusted data sources to help you quickly find and analyse business, social and demographic trends on various topics and industries. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• Office for National Statistics The UK's national statistical institute responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regional and local level.
• Scotland's official statistics Access over 250 datasets from multiple agencies including Registers of Scotland, Public Health Scotland Visit Scotland , SEPA

Many news sources are only available to all on the day in question. 

Previous content is often archived though and available on a subscription basis.  One example is Gale OneFile News

• GALE ONEFILE: News This link opens in a new window GALE ONEFILE: News provides access to more than 2,000 major world newspapers, and includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. Use your student/staff email address and password to access the resource.
• British Library Sounds This link opens in a new window British Library Sounds provides access to the British Library’s extensive collections of unique sound recordings, which come from all over the world and cover the entire range of recorded sound: music, drama and literature, oral history, wildlife and environmental sounds. more... less... No login required.

Standards are collated and apply at national level.

Patents are registered nationally but collated and applied on a worldwide basis.

• BSOL Standards Online This link opens in a new window BSOL Standards Online provides full text access to British Standards and other international standards. more... less... Please be aware that copyright limits apply to printing, downloading and copying and/or pasting content into other documents. Contact library staff for guidance.
• The Lens Open access full text service for patents and related documents and research literature.
• UK Intellectual Property Office The official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
• World Intellectual Property Organization A self-funding agency of United Nations, WIPO is a global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. The service includes a searchable database

Honours and Masters dissertations

Your lecturers may refer you to specific dissertations held by your School.  Selected examples of dissertations are also passed to UWS Library and these are listed in OneSearch.

• Open Dissertations This link opens in a new window Open Dissertations is a free database with records for more than 1.2 million electronic theses and dissertations from around the world. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. No login required.
• Open Access Theses and Dissertations This link opens in a new window OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. more... less... Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions. OATD currently indexes 5,218,230 theses and dissertations. Not Searchable via One Search. No login required.

You can search for theses from UK institutions in the British Library's Ethos collection.

• EThOS e-Theses Online Service This link opens in a new window The British Library digital repository for UK research theses offering a central access point to UK doctoral theses. The majority of universities in the UK are members. You can cross-search over 500,000 theses including those available for immediate download. more... less... Not Searchable via One Search. You must first register on an individual basis with Ethos in order to make requests through the Ethos website. The Ethos site provides further information.

Selected theses from international institutions can be searched in the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.

• Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations A country-by-country and generic international collection of theses repositories. Search the whole site or an individual collection.

Your usual search engine, e.g. Google, will be a good resource for finding:

• Introductory information on your topic.
• Prominent organisations in your field.
• Supporting documentation, e.g. governmental advice, reports, industry guidance or similar.

Wikipedia is a useful starting point for learning about new topics, and accessing selected in-depth sources.  Generally though, Wikipedia entries are not deemed appropriate for including in assignments as anyone can be a contributor whether a subject expert or not.  

• << Previous: Preparing your literature review
• Next: Looking beyond the Library >>
• Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024 2:41 PM
• URL: https://uws-uk.libguides.com/DissertationSupport

Search the site

Or search for a course.

• Undergraduate Course Search
• Postgraduate Course Search
• Exam results & GPA
• Current Students
• Supporting your Studies
• Exams, Assessment & Appeals

Exam Results & GPA

Module results for students currently studying at UWS will be available once they have been confirmed by the Subject Panels, which  meet at the end of each term.

Details of students’ eligibility for an award or for progression to the next stage of their programme will be available after the Progression and Awards Boards (PABs) have met. For most programmes, PABs meet in June and August.

Where can I access my module results?

If you are a current student at the University and you simply wish to view your module results, this can be done by logging in to Self Service Banner  with your Banner ID and PIN. If you have forgotten your login details, you should contact the Hub .

From Self Service, you will be able to print out the confirmed module results from the current academic session.

You will be able to access your module results from the “Grade” screen within Student Self Service Banner. You will also be able to use the same screen to see the decision of the PAB (Progression and Awards Board), which will show you whether you are eligible to progress to the next stage of your programme; whether you are eligible for an award; or whether you are required to undertake re-assessments.

When will this information be available?

• Term 1 (T1) module results will start to become available from early February
• Term 2 (T2) module results will start to become available from early June
• Term 3 (T3/Resit) module results will start to become available from early September

These module results have been confirmed and approved by the subject panel and the subject external examiner. They take account of Extenuating Circumstances Statements which have been upheld by the University Panel.

Where appropriate, decisions from the Progression and Awards Boards will start to become available in mid February for T1, mid June for T2, and mid September for T3.

More precise dates are published on the Moodle 'Welcome' page and on Self Service Banner Main Menu nearer the time. Results and decisions are released as quickly as possible following these dates, so students are advised to check Self Service Banner on a regular basis.

If your results are not shown by the end of February for T1, the end of June for T2, and the middle of September for T3/Resit, you are advised to contact your School or personal tutor.

Please do NOT contact the Examinations Unit directly, as they are unlikely to be able to give you more information and this will just cause delays in the releasing of the results.

Will the results still be sent to me by post?

All students should access their module results and progression / award decision on-line via Self Service Banner .

If you are deemed eligible for an award from the University, this information will be confirmed in a results letter which will be sent to you within 5 working days of the date when the award was approved by the Progression and Awards Board.

What should I do if I cannot access the information?

If you are having technical problems in accessing the results via Banner , you should contact the  Hub .

Who should I contact if I have questions about my results?

If you have any questions about your examinations or coursework results, you should contact your School office in the first instance.

The Examinations Unit can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 0141 848 3940.

Download the list of School contacts (PDF)

What is a Grade Point Average (GPA)?

When you complete a module at UWS you will receive a mark expressed as a percentage. This mark is associated with a grade.

Since 2016/17, a Grade Point Average (GPA) is applied to your result. For example, a mark of 65% would mean a grade of B1 and a grade point score of 2.5.

The GPA is the average of all of your grade points, with each module weighted according to its credit value so, for example, a 40 credit module would carry twice the weight of a 20 credit module. Otherwise, all modules are counted equally so modules in later stages of your programme are given no additional weight over modules from earlier in your programme.

Your GPA will be automatically calculated in Banner on a rolling basis and you will be able to view your current GPA there at any time.

Further information can be found in the  GPA Information Booklet .

Who should I contact if I have questions about School Board of Examiners (SBE) decision?

Who should I contact if I have questions about School Board of Examiners (SBE) decision? (DOWNLOAD DOCUMENT)

By using www.uws.ac.uk you agree to our Website Terms of Use and Cookie Policy .  We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyse site traffic and user behaviour.  Read about how we use cookies and how you can manage them on our Cookie Policy page .  The content of our Privacy Notice has recently been updated to reflect recent legal changes (the General Data Protection Regulation).

Scottish exam papers

We have an extensive printed collection of Scottish school exam papers, which covers:

• Leavers certificates

Scottish Certificate of Education

• Ordinary grade
• Standard grade
• Intermediates one and two
• Higher grade and Advanced Highers
• Certificate of Sixth Year Studies
• National five and six.

We have started a programme to digitise all Scottish exam papers from 1888 to 2005. You can access over 80 years of papers via our Scottish school exams resource .

Scottish School Certificate papers

The digitised papers contain examination papers for the School Leaving Certificate 1888-1961 and the Scottish Certificate of Education 1962-1963.

Produced by the Scotch (later 'Scottish') Education Department, these exam papers show how education developed in Scotland over this period, with a growing choice of subjects. Comparing them with current exam papers, there are obvious differences in the content and standards of the questions, and also in the layout and use of language.

The 1872 Education (Scotland) Act

The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 laid the basis for the modern non-sectarian system of public schooling. It made education compulsory for all children aged 5 to 13, except for children who achieved a certificate in the 'three "R"s' — reading, writing and arithmetic.

Locally elected school boards took over existing parish and burgh schools, and the churches handed their schools to the school boards without charge.

Scotland's independent committee of council on education was formed in 1885, and was known as the Scotch Education Department. The first permanent secretary of this department was Henry Craik (1846-1927).

This was subject to the general control of the Scottish Education Department which was based at Whitehall, London. Despite its English location, the Scottish Education Department had a measure of independence from the English Department.

Scottish Leaving Certificate

In 1888, the Scottish Leaving Certificate was introduced for secondary pupils. This was examined by university professors.

In 1897, just under five percent of pupils attended a secondary school in Scotland. The real priority for children from working class backgrounds was to find work and begin earning a wage.

The early 20th century saw increased state intervention in education, as schools came to be seen as an important agency for social welfare.

In 1959, the Association of Directors of Education proposed an Examination Board, and four years later the Scottish Certificate of Education was established.

Our site uses cookies to help give you the best online experience. Please let us know if you happy for us to use these cookies or if you wish minimum functionality only.