MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse

Page created by Manuel Mann
 
CONTINUE READING
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
MSc Student
Handbook

2017/18       lse.ac.uk/media@lse
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
TERM DATES AND SCHOOL CLOSURES
ACADEMIC YEAR 2017/18
Michaelmas Term
Thursday 21 September – Friday 8 December*

Lent Term
Tuesday 8 January – Friday 23 March**

Summer Term
Monday 23 April – Friday 8 June

*The School will be closed for the Christmas vacation from 21 December 2017 – 2 January 2018.
**The School will be closed for the Easter vacation from 13-19 April 2018.
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

                     Dear Students,
                     Welcome to the Department of Media and Communications! You
                     start your studies in the media and communications field at an
                     exciting time. The media, communications and digital environment
                     is transforming rapidly, globally and locally, and the online world is
                     reaching ever more deeply into our daily lives. This is creating new
                     opportunities, but also presenting challenges – political, ethical, social,
                     cultural and economic.
                     During your programme of study with us at the LSE you will
                     encounter new ideas about the nature and importance of the media
                     and communications in contemporary societies. We hope you will
                     find inspiration and, because you bring a wealth of experience from
                     around the world, we very much look forward to learning from you.
                     The Department was established in 2003. Our research is
                     interdisciplinary and we draw on theories and methods from across
                     the social sciences and humanities, applying these to the media, old
                     and new, and to a variety of forms of communication. This approach
                     also informs our teaching and you will see it reflected in the range and
                     content of our courses.
                     The Department’s mission is to provide a high-quality graduate
                     education in the field of media and communications, to help you
                     develop your knowledge and expertise and, by the end of your
                     programme, to enable you to conduct your own independent
                     research. London is a wonderful setting for your studies with
                     valuable professional, educational and research benefits due to
                     our proximity to media and communication public, private and third
                     sector organisations.
                     Our think-tank, Polis, offers events connecting your studies with
                     journalism practice and our Media Policy Project offers events linking
                     the Department to the UK and international policy communities. We
                     will be warmly welcoming you to their events and to many public
                     lectures and seminars.
                     With my academic colleagues, Catherine Bennett, our Department
                     Manager, and the Department’s professional services team, I wish you
                     a very rewarding year!

                     Professor Robin Mansell
                     Head of Department

                                                                                                   1
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
CONTENTS

    KEY INFORMATION                                      5    3   MSc PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT
    1.1 Where We Are                                     5        and FEEDBACK                                     14
                                                              3.1 Programme Learning and Feedback                  14
    1.2 How to get in touch and give feedback             5
        Contacting Professional Service Staff             5   3.2 Formative assessment                             14
        Contacting Academic Staff for Advice and Guidance 5       Formative Assessment Task                        14
        Academic Advisers/Supervisors                     5       Formative Coursework Submission Instructions     15
        Student/Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC)            6       Formative Assessment Feedback                    15
        Student Suggestions and Concerns                  6
                                                              3.3 Summative Assessment                             15
        Attendance/Absence                                6
                                                                  Summative Coursework                             15
        Communicating With You                            6
                                                                  Word limits and word counts for summative
        Requesting Written References for
                                                                  essay coursework                                 15
        Employment/Further Study                          7
                                                                  Submission procedures for summative coursework   16
    1.3 S chool Wide Procedures for Quality Assurance            Coversheets/Plagiarism Declarations              16
         and Management                                  7        Format/Binding                                   16
                                                                  Extensions and Penalties for Late Submission
    1.4 IT resources for LSE students                    8
                                                                  of Summative Coursework                          16
        Moodle                                           8
                                                                  Provisional Grades and Feedback for
        LSE for You                                      9
                                                                  Summative Assessments                            17
        Timetables                                       9
                                                                  Preparation for Examinations                     17
    1.5 Resources for Department of Media and                     Guidelines for Essay Writing                     18
        Communications Students                          9
                                                              3.4 Avoiding Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty          18
        Media Policy Project (MPP)                       9
                                                                  LSE Policy                                       18
        Polis                                            9
                                                                  LSE Statement on Editorial Help for Students’
        Study Skills Workshops (MC499.2)                 9
                                                                  Written Work                                     18
                                                                  Departmental Guidelines                          19
    2   THE DEPARTMENT’S MSc PROGRAMMES
                                                                  Self-plagiarism                                  19
        and COURSES                                      10
    2.1 MSc Programmes                                   10   3.5 General Guidelines for Formative and
        Programme Details                                10       Summative Assessment                             17
        Requests to Change Programmes within                      Time Planning                                    17
        the Department                                   10       Good Practice for Citations and Referencing      20
        Interruption of Studies/Withdrawal from                   When Should You Cite the Literature?             20
        the School                                       10       LSE Library Resources for Academic Citation      20
        Programme Structure                              10       How to cite the literature using the APA
                                                                  5th style guide                                  20
    2.2 Courses                                          10
                                                                  Additional Information about Citation
        Teaching                                         10
                                                                  and Referencing                                  21
        Units and Courses                                11
        Compulsory Courses                               11   3.6 Formative and Summative Assessment Criteria      22
        Optional Courses                                 11       General Information                              22
        Outside Options                                  11       General Assessment Criteria for Coursework
        Research Ethics Policy                           11       and Examinations                                 23
        Course Availability                              12       Dissertation Assessment Criteria                 23
        Course Registration                              12
        Courses in Other Departments                     13
        Auditing Courses                                 13

2
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
4   FORMAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
    and REGULATIONS                                    24
4.1 Candidate Number and Marking Process               24
4.2 Examinations                                       24
4.3 The Role of the External Examiners                 24
4.4 Formal Assessment Regulations                      24
    Boards of Examiners                                24
    Award of Degrees and Classification Scheme         24
    Course Marks                                       25
    Eligibility for award of degree                    25
    Rules for the calculation of the award of degree   25
4.5 Deferral, Special Examination Arrangements and
    Exceptional Circumstances                          26
    Deferral of Coursework or Examinations             26
    Disability/Dyslexia: Special Examination
    Arrangements                                       27
    Exceptional Circumstances                          27
4.6 Notification of final results                      27
    Provisional Grades                                 27
    Examination Boards                                 27
    Failures and Resits                                27
    Appeals                                            28
    General School and Programme Regulations           28
    Presentation Ceremonies                            28
    Degree Certificates                                28

5   LSE SERVICES and RESOURCES for STUDENTS            29
    Services and People Who Can Offer Advice           29
    Student Services Centre                            30
    Health and Well-being                              30

Annex - Key Dates 2017-18                              31

                                                            33
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF
    MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

    For more detailed information about events, consult the Department of Media
    and Communications website.

    KEY ACADEMIC STAFF
     Head of Department                                       Professor Robin Mansell
     Deputy Head of Department                                Dr Bingchun Meng
     Director of Graduate Studies                             Dr Shakuntala Banaji
     Exam Board Chair                                         Dr Shani Orgad
     Programme Director, MSc Global Media and                 Dr Bingchun Meng
     Communications (Fudan)
     Programme Director, MSc Global Media and                 Dr Wendy Willems
     Communications (UCT)
     Programme Director, MSc Global Media and                 Professor Terhi Rantanen
     Communications (USC)

     Programme Director, MSc Media and Communications Dr Bart Cammaerts (MT),
     and MSc Media and Communications (Research Track) Dr Omar Al-Ghazzi (LT/ST)
                                                       Dr Jean-Christophe Plantin (Research Track)
     Programme Director, MSc Media and Communications Dr Seeta Gangadharan
     (Media and Communication Governance)
     Programme Director, MSc Media and Communications Dr Alison Powell (MT )
     (Data and Society)                               Dr Jean-Christophe Plantin (LT/ST)
     Programme Director, MSc Media, Communication             Dr Shakuntala Banaji
     and Development
     Programme Director, MSc Politics and Communication       Dr Nick Anstead
     Programme Director, MSc Strategic Communications         Dr Lee Edwards
     Programme Director, MPhil/PhD                            Professor Sonia Livingstone
     Director of Polis, Director of Media Policy Project      Professor Charlie Beckett
    See website for full contact details of all staff.

    PROFESSIONAL SERVICE STAFF
     Department Manager                                       Catherine Bennett
     MSc Programmes Manager (Regulations                      Sylvia Ibezi
     and Assessment)
     MSc Programmes Manager (Teaching Delivery)               Nicole Garnier
     Departmental Research Manager                            James Deeley
     Departmental Administrator                               Lwam Tesfay
     Events Manager and Polis Executive                       Michael Etheridge

4
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
1. KEY INFORMATION

1.1 WHERE WE ARE                                 1.2 HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
We are on the 6th floor of Tower 2, and
                                                 AND GIVE FEEDBACK
the 7th floor of Tower 2 and Tower 3.
Contact details:
                                                 CONTACTING PROFESSIONAL
                                                 SERVICE STAFF
Department of Media and Communications
London School of Economics and                   The Department’s administration is based
Political Science Houghton Street London         in TW2.601.J, and is open to queries from
WC2A 2AE                                         students all year round.
The Departmental Student Common
Room (TW2.601.I on the 6th floor of              CONTACTING ACADEMIC
Tower 2) is for use by students registered on
Media and Communications programmes.             STAFF FOR ADVICE AND
The Departmental kitchens (TW2.602 and           GUIDANCE
TW2.702) are available to all MSc students
from the department.                             Academic staff can be contacted during
                                                 Feedback and Advice Sessions (drop- in
                                                 sessions and bookable meetings). Use the
FORMAL TEACHING                                  ‘Office Hours’ link on LSE For You (LFY) to
                                                 book Feedback and Advice Sessions.
Formal teaching is usually completed by the      You may drop in without booking an
end of the Lent Term. Examinations for MC        appointment during drop-in sessions.
courses taken in both terms will normally        Academic staff do not hold Feedback and
be held during May and June. Some                Advice sessions during reading weeks or
departments hold examinations                    outside term- time. Feedback and Advice
                                                 sessions for all members of staff are
in January. Supervision of dissertations
                                                 displayed on their doors and on the notice
takes place throughout all teaching terms,
                                                 board next to the Departmental Student
including Summer Term. The remaining
                                                 Common Room.
months of the degree are used by students
to work independently on completing              Messages can also be left in the staff
their dissertation. It is not essential for      pigeonholes on the 6th floor of Tower 2.
students to remain in London during the
summer break as long as the Dissertation         Note that Feedback and Advice sessions,
is submitted in person or by post by the         seminars and lectures should only be
deadline in August. Members of academic          recorded with the explicit permission of
staff will be on research leave during the       the member of staff.
Easter break and after the end of the
Summer Term and will not be available
                                                 ACADEMIC ADVISERS/
for supervision but Graduate Teaching
Assistants will be available for practical       SUPERVISORS
dissertation support during this period.
                                                 At the start of Michaelmas Term (MT) each
                                                 student is assigned an Academic Adviser,
CONTACTING STAFF                                 whose role is:
OUTSIDE TERM TIME                                • To provide academic guidance and
                                                 feedback on course choices, a student’s
Students should organise their workload to       progress and performance and to discuss
allow time to see their Academic Adviser or      any academic issues.
Supervisor during term-time, especially for
dissertation supervision during the Summer       • To provide pastoral support on non-
Term. Professional service staff are available   academic issues and to refer students,
all year round.                                  as necessary, to the appropriate support
                                                 agencies within the School.
LSE closes during the Christmas and Easter
public holidays. During this time, all the       • To implement the provisions outlined
Department’s offices will be closed and          in Inclusion Plans (IPs) for students with
there will be minimal facilities available at    disabilities in liaison with the School’s
the School. Details about which buildings        Disability and Wellbeing Service.
will be open will be published online.
                                                                                               5
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
• To maintain regular contact with the                        and to make suggestions on issues that                        SSLC meeting. The Department has the
    student on academic and pastoral issues                       affect the student body as a whole.                           following procedure in place for teaching
    through direct one-to-one meetings, group                                                                                   and course specific feedback:
                                                                  Dates for the termly meetings will be
    supervision sessions, and other means
                                                                  announced on Moodle.                                          If students have issues with individual
    of communication, such as emails. The
                                                                                                                                members of staff, they should first try
    number and nature of meetings may vary                        Programme representatives (two per
                                                                                                                                and speak directly to this person.
    between departments and programmes.                           programme) are chosen by students as
                                                                  early in the Michaelmas Term as possible.                     If it is to do with the course in general or
    • To inform the Programme Director and
                                                                  It is up to students in each programme to                     you feel talking to the individual teacher
    School of any student whose progress is
                                                                  decide how to select these representatives,                   does not solve anything, speak to the
    not satisfactory.
                                                                  one of whom will be elected to represent                      Course Convenor.
    Towards the end of Michaelmas Term                            the Department on the Taught Graduate
                                                                                                                                If it is to do with your programme,
    students will be assigned a Supervisor who                    Students’ Consultative Forum,
                                                                                                                                speak to the Programme Director.
    takes over the role of the Academic Adviser                   convened by the Dean of the Graduate
    and in particular advises the student on                      School. Student representatives are                           If things cannot be resolved in these
    their dissertation – although any member of                   expected to represent the whole cohort                        places then you can speak to the
    staff can be consulted on questions related                   in their programme and be responsible in                      Director of Graduate Studies or the
    to dissertation research. It is a student’s                   representing others’ views.                                   Head of Department.
    responsibility to make appointments to
                                                                  Names and contact details of student                          In addition, the School has a procedure
    see their Supervisor or visit during drop-in
                                                                  representatives and agendas and minutes of                    for student concerns and complaints.
    Feedback and Advice Sessions.
                                                                  SSLC meetings will be published on Moodle.                    Should you decide to express a concern
    Academic Advisers will hold start-of- year                                                                                  or pursue a complaint outside the
    group meetings for all advisees.                                                                                            Department, we ask that you also inform
                                                                  STUDENT SUGGESTIONS                                           the Head of Department so that she is
    Students should regard their Adviser/
    Supervisor1 as the first port of call in relation
                                                                  AND CONCERNS                                                  aware of any problems.
    to academic and welfare matters. Any issues                   We hope that you enjoy your studies in
    not resolved with your Supervisor can be                      the Department, and that you are pleased                      ATTENDANCE/ABSENCE
    taken to your Programme Director, the                         with the teaching and other forms of
    Director of Graduate Studies or ultimately to                 support that you receive. However, if you                     Students are required to attend the School
    the Head of Department. If the relationship                   have any suggestions or concerns, we                          for the full duration of each term. Students
    between a student and their Supervisor                        aim to respond to these constructively                        who wish to be away for good reasons in
    is not satisfactory, a change of Supervisor                   and address any problems as promptly as                       term-time must first obtain the consent
    may be requested through the student’s                        possible. Specifically, if you have a concern                 of their Supervisor. Students away due
    Programme Director. If the Programme                          about your programme or any aspect of the                     to illness or other reasons must inform
    Director is the student’s Supervisor, then the                Department’s activities, you are invited to                   their supervisor and seminar teachers
    student can request a change through the                      raise this as early as possible with any of                   and, where the absence is for more than
    Director of Graduate Studies.                                 the following:                                                two weeks, the Student Services Centre.
    Programme directors also offer advice                                                                                       Students are required to attend seminars
                                                                  • The relevant course teacher or                              and attendance will be recorded in LFY on a
    and support on course choice and other                        course convenor
    programme related matters.                                                                                                  weekly basis. Supervisors have an overview
                                                                  • Your Programme Director                                     of the seminar attendance registers in LFY
                                                                                                                                and will follow up if you are not attending
                                                                  • The Director of Graduate Studies
    STUDENT/STAFF LIAISON                                                                                                       regularly. In particular, you should note the
                                                                                                                                attendance requirements placed on you by
    COMMITTEE (SSLC)                                              • T he elected student representatives for
                                                                                                                                your funding body and/or your visa status.
                                                                     your programme (see section above on
    The Department of Media and                                      Student/Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC))
    Communications has an MSc Student/Staff
    Liaison Committee (SSLC), which comprises
                                                                  • The Department Manager                                      COMMUNICATING WITH YOU
    representatives from each of the MSc                          • The Head of Department                                      The School and the Department will use
    programmes. This committee meets each                                                                                       your LSE email address to communicate
                                                                  Departmental practices for giving feedback
    term to provide a forum for students to                                                                                     with you so you should check it regularly.
                                                                  on teaching are explained during the first
    discuss courses and programmes with staff

    1 In the rest of this document the term Supervisor will be used to refer to both Academic Advisers and Supervisors unless the issue discussed explicitly refers to academic advisers

6
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
If you change your term-time or permanent          • Make sure that you have filled out your        assessment. They also set out
home address and/or telephone number,              part of any form you submit.                     your responsibilities, ie, what the
you must update your personal contact                                                               School expects of you.
                                                   • State clearly what you would like your
details online via LFY. It is essential that you
                                                   referee to do with the reference once
keep these details up to date. Your address
                                                   written, eg, either send it off directly (you    QUALITY ASSURANCE
is protected information and will not be
                                                   should provide an email or postal address)
disclosed to a third party without your
                                                   or leave it for you to collect.                  The Academic and Student Affairs
permission unless it is for reasons of official
School business.                                                                                    Committee (ASC) is responsible for quality
                                                   • Once someone agrees to be a referee,
                                                                                                    assurance and enhancement. One of
                                                   they have an obligation to do the job on
                                                                                                    the ways it discharges this responsibility
                                                   time. Inevitably, busy people writing scores
REQUESTING WRITTEN                                 of references sometimes forget, so gentle
                                                                                                    is by reviewing academic departments.
                                                                                                    These are known as ‘ASC reviews’. They
REFERENCES FOR                                     reminders are worthwhile.
                                                                                                    take place about every five years for
EMPLOYMENT/                                                                                         each department. Review teams identify
FURTHER STUDY                                      1.3 SCHOOL WIDE                                  examples of good practice in departments
                                                                                                    and share them across the School. They
During the year, and/or after you have             PROCEDURES FOR                                   also flag any concerns about standards and
left LSE, you may need to request                  QUALITY ASSURANCE                                make recommendations to departments for
references in support of applications              AND MANAGEMENT                                   addressing them. The Department’s most
for employment or further study. Your                                                               recent ASC Review was in 2016 when the
Supervisor is the first person to whom                                                              Department was strongly commended for
you should address a reference request,            CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE:                           its MSc teaching.
following these guidelines:
                                                   TEACHING, LEARNING AND                           ASC is serviced by the Teaching Quality
• Use the Reference Request Form                   ASSESSMENT                                       Assurance and Review Office (TQARO).
(See Departmental Moodle site).                                                                     This office is responsible for supporting the
• Please allow ten working days for your           The Code of Good Practice for Taught             School’s quality assurance infrastructure.
referee to write the reference.                    Master’s Programmes explains the basic           This includes acting as the School’s point of
                                                   reciprocal obligations and responsibilities of   contact with the Quality Assurance Agency,
• Please do not give someone’s name as a           staff and students. They set out what you        a national body that safeguards quality and
referee without asking them in advance.            can expect from your Department – and            standards in UK higher education.
• Provide all the information needed to            what Departments are expected to provide
help your referee write the reference,             – in relation to the teaching and learning
for example your coursework grades,                experience. The Code covers areas like the
CV, scholarships awarded, internships              roles and responsibilities of Supervisors and
undertaken and information on the post/            MSc Programme Directors; the structure of
course for which you are applying.                 teaching at the School; examinations and

                                                                                                                                                    7
MSc Student Handbook - 2017/18 lse.ac.uk/media@lse
STUDENT CHARTER                                  students irrespective of their age, gender,         For further advice or information, please
                                                     disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national   visit the School’s Equity, Diversity and
    “This Charter has been written by LSE            origin, religion, sexual orientation or personal    Inclusion webpages.
    students and staff with the aim of               circumstances. The School has developed an
    introducing you to the School community.         overarching Single Equality Scheme as the
    It sets out how LSE’s mission and ethos          main School strategy on Equity, Diversity and       DISRUPTIVE INCIDENTS
    are reflected in the education you can           Inclusion. The scheme sets out a commitment
    expect to receive here, and in the diverse,      to ensure policies and procedures comply with       The School has strategies for potential
    equitable and inclusive community that           the law, and that services reflect the diverse      disruptive incidents, these are concerned with:
    all students and staff can take pride in,        needs of staff, students and visitors. LSE sees     • Planning to ensure that the School runs
    contribute to, and value. It is not a contract   it as its duty to:                                  as normally as possible during known or
    and should therefore be read in conjunction                                                          predicted major events and occurrences and
                                                     • Eliminate discrimination, harassment
    with the School’s formal policies and                                                                predicted pandemics such as flu;
                                                     and victimisation,
    procedures, which include details of the
    institution’s and students’ obligations and      • Advance equality of opportunity                   • Planning the School’s response to and
    disciplinary sanctions that can apply when       and foster good relations between                   recovery from the impact of possible major
    they are breached.” (taken from Student          diverse groups                                      incidents causing the loss of access to the
    Charter 2017).                                                                                       site (such as a bomb threat), or a major loss
                                                     In response to the duty, the School                 of infrastructure or facilities (such as power
                                                     has developed an overarching set of                 failures, IT outages);
    STUDENT SATISFACTION                             Equality objectives.
                                                                                                         • Managing less serious occurrences and
    SURVEYS                                          In practice, this means we will expect              events which may adversely affect the work
                                                     students and staff to:                              of the School, such as adverse weather
    The Teaching Quality Assurance and                                                                   conditions or disruption to travel from the
    Review Office (TQARO) conducts two               • Actively oppose all forms of
                                                                                                         weather or other causes such as industrial
    School-wide surveys each year to assess          discrimination and harassment;
                                                                                                         disputes. These occur from time to time
    students’ opinions of teaching, one in           • Reflect on prejudices, including                  and we do all we can to keep the School
    each of the Michaelmas and Lent Terms.           examining the use of inappropriate                  running and keep you informed about what
    They give students the opportunity to            language and behaviour;                             action is being taken.
    give feedback on their lectures and class/
    seminar teaching. They provide lecturers         • Strive to create an environment in                The main method of communication with
    and teachers with important information          which student goals may be pursued                  students and staff during all disruptive
    about the perceived quality of their             without fear or intimidation;                       incidents is the LSE website and it is
    teaching, and the School with a measure                                                              therefore important that you check the
                                                      • Not victimise any student who has
    of general teaching standards. They are                                                              website regularly.
                                                     complained, or who has given information
    conducted via questionnaires distributed         in connection with such a complaint;
    during classes and lectures.
                                                     • Challenge and/or report unacceptable              1.4 IT RESOURCES FOR
    Teaching scores are made available to            behaviour which is contrary to equality             LSE STUDENTS
    individual teachers, heads of departments,       legislation and principles;
    course convenors, the Director of the
    Teaching and Learning Centre and Pro-            • Treat all peers fairly and with respect;
    Director (Teaching and Learning). In addition
                                                                                                         MOODLE
                                                     • Foster an inclusive environment for all
    to producing reports for individual teachers,    students to access opportunities, and               Moodle is LSE’s virtual learning
    TQARO produces aggregated quantitative           participate fully in the learning process;          environment. It is a web environment that
    data for departments and the School, which                                                           contains a range of teaching resources,
    provide important performance indicators.        • Equip students with the skills, concepts
                                                                                                         activities, assignments, information and
                                                     and values which enable them to challenge
    Please do not wait until the student                                                                 discussions for courses. The content of
                                                     inequality and injustice in their future work;
    satisfaction surveys to give feedback on                                                             Moodle is the responsibility of the teacher
    teaching, bring up constructive feedback         • Ensure that learning or any other materials       and so it will vary from course to course.
    as early as possible!                            do not discriminate against any individuals         You can access Moodle from any device
                                                     or groups;                                          connected to the internet, on and off
                                                                                                         campus. Go to moodle.lse.ac.uk/ and use
                                                     • Ensure that learning resources are equally
    EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND                            accessible by all students.
                                                                                                         your LSE user name and password to log
    INCLUSION AT LSE                                                                                     in. This page also has links to help/ advice
                                                     Within the Department of Media and                  on using Moodle. If you have any technical
    The School is committed to ensuring equal        Communications students with concerns               problems with Moodle you should contact
    access, treatment and opportunity for all        relation to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion         the helpdesk at it.helpdesk@lse.ac.uk
                                                     should contact Catherine Bennett.

8
You must subscribe to Moodle and join         1.5 RESOURCES FOR                               MEDIA POLICY PROJECT
the course area for courses that you are
taking. You may choose also to join the
                                              DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA                             (MPP)
Moodle area for LSE courses which you         AND COMMUNICATIONS                              The Media Policy Project (MPP) is a
wish to audit or are interested in. You       STUDENTS                                        research and stakeholder engagement hub
will automatically be enrolled for the                                                        managed by Polis for the Department of
Department’s general Moodle area.                                                             Media and Communications at LSE. The
In Moodle courses you will find direct
                                              POLIS                                           MPP’s goal is to start conversations between
access to some readings covered by the                                                        policy makers, civil society actors,
                                              Polis is the journalism think tank              and media professionals about the latest
School’s Higher Education Photocopying        based in the Department of Media and
and Scanning Licence. Access to other                                                         media research. MPP provides tools for
                                              Communications, with the mission to:            anyone looking to stay up- to-date on
readings for courses is provided through
the LSE Library to online journals, e-books   • Provide a forum for public debate on key      media policy issues, though our briefings,
and other resources. Publishers impose        issues in journalism.                           event calendars, dossiers, and lists of on-
restrictions on printing in some cases.                                                       going consultations.
                                              • Provide a space where practitioners and
Copyright laws do not allow us to supply      academic researchers can deliberate the         Our students have been working with
printed course packs as well as online        impact of mediation and journalism in our       MPP on organising events, writing and
versions of the same items.                   societies.                                      moderating blogs, and helping form current
In addition to Moodle subscription you                                                        debate and research as project assistants.
                                              Polis hosts regular guest speakers,
must register for all of your courses on      publishes research reports, runs a blog         For more information look at the blog or
LSE For You.                                  and social media to foster a lively debate      follow MPP on twitter @LSEMediaPolicy.
                                              around the most topical issues in media and
                                              journalism. The director Charlie Beckett is a
LSE FOR YOU                                                                                   STUDY SKILLS WORKSHOPS
                                              professor in the Department and a regular
LSE For You is a personalised web portal      commentator on journalism.                      (MC499.2)
which gives you access to a range of          Work experience: At the beginning               The department offers optional
services. For example, you can:               of each academic year Polis recruits a          study skills workshops taught by
• view or change your personal details        number of MSc students for unpaid work          Graduate Teaching Assistants who are
                                              experience placements to manage our             PhD researchers in the Department. These
• monitor and pay your tuition fees online    social media channels. There are also           sessions are designed for students from a
• register for courses                        opportunities to write for the Polis blog,      range of academic backgrounds and focus
                                              and ad hoc research assistant                   on skills and knowledge that will help you
• sign up for seminar groups
                                              Media and Communications in Action              succeed in your study and future careers.
• book Feedback and Advice sessions with      Talks (MC408): This is a speaker series         The workshops are also an opportunity to
academic staff                                combining theory and practice, hosted as        develop research skills in preparation for
                                              part of MC408 Theories and Concepts in          work on your original project.
• view exam timetable and provisional marks
                                              Media and Communications, and organised         These sessions are available throughout
• access a wide range of resources (on        by the Director of Polis, Professor Charlie     the year only to students registered on MSc
accommodation, fees, study rooms etc)         Beckett. It is not assessed, but attendance     programmes in the Department. Details of
You can also access online tutorials on       is compulsory. Speakers include a mix of        how to sign up are available on Moodle and
how to navigate and personalise LSE           practitioners, regulators, journalists, and     the sessions are timetabled with the same
For You via its login page. Use your LSE      other media professionals. See Moodle, and      code as the Dissertation (MC499). Places
network username and password to login        the School’s timetable for MC408.               are limited and are allocated on a first
via lse.ac.uk/lseforyou                       Follow Polis at @PolisLSE                       come, first served basis.
                                                                                              Additional workshops are organised
TIMETABLES                                                                                    by LSE Life.

Timetables for all courses and teachers
are available on the LSE website, listed
according to course code. The Department
cannot provide you with an individual
timetable and students are responsible for
keeping an eye their own timetable on
LSEForYOU and timetables pages

                                                                                                                                             9
2. THE DEPARTMENT’S MSC
     PROGRAMMES AND COURSES

     2.1 MSC PROGRAMMES                               will be granted on an exceptional basis        TEACHING
                                                      as students are not normally expected to
     MSc Global Media and                             change programmes.
     Communications (Fudan)                                                                          TEACHING HOURS
     MSc Global Media and                             INTERRUPTION OF                                Most half unit courses in the Department
     Communications (UCT)
                                                      STUDIES/WITHDRAWAL                             of Media and Communications are taught
     MSc Global Media and                             FROM THE SCHOOL                                as a weekly lecture (1 hour) and a weekly
     Communications (USC)                                                                            seminar (1 hour), thus two hours for each
                                                      Students who wish to interrupt their studies   half unit course. Check the Calendar entry
     MSc Media and Communications
                                                      (with the approval of their department) or     for each course for further details, and
     MSc Media and Communications                     decide to withdraw from the School must        for information on courses outside this
     (Data and Society)                               inform their Supervisor, the Programme         department. Friday is a research day for
                                                      Director and the Student Services Centre       most Department faculty. A few faculty
     MSc Media and Communications (Media
                                                      in writing by email. Failure to inform the     members teach on Friday and therefore
     and Communication Governance)
                                                      School could result in a demand for fee        take Monday as a research day. Students
     MSc Media and Communications                     payments for the full session. More detail     should generally not expect responses to
     (Research)                                       at: lse.ac.uk/registration                     communications from faculty on research
                                                                                                     days, or at weekends. The Department’s
     MSc Media, Communication
                                                                                                     Professional Services staff are available on
     and Development                                  PROGRAMME STRUCTURE                            all working days.
     MSc Politics and Communication
                                                      All the MSc programmes offered by
     MSc Strategic Communications                     the Department, with the exception of          LECTURES, SEMINARS (OR
                                                      the two-year MSc Global Media and
                                                                                                     CLASSES) AND WORKSHOPS
                                                      Communications, run for a year through to
     PROGRAMME DETAILS                                submission of the dissertation in August.      Teaching for each course normally consists
                                                      All programmes except for the MSc Global       of lectures and seminars (plus computer
     Programmes and courses in the Department
                                                      Media and Communications and the MSc           classes and workshops for Methods
     of Media and Communications are
                                                      Strategic Communications can be taken          courses). Students are allocated into smaller
     theoretical in nature, informed by the
                                                      part-time over two calendar years.             groups for seminars.
     intellectual and empirical insights of the
     teaching staff and the academic field of                                                        Courses offered by the Department of Media
     media and communications. Our courses            2.2 COURSES                                    and Communications generally are taught
     include opportunities to consider how                                                           through the combination of a weekly one-
     theory and empirical research are applied                                                       hour lecture plus a weekly one hour seminar.
     in particular settings, but we do not offer a    	This section provides essential              Lectures may be delivered to large groups
     sustained practical training of the kind one       information for planning your                of students, depending on the numbers of
     might expect from, for example, a business         selection of courses.                        students who select that course.
     or journalism school.                            	The online School Calendar                   Seminars normally are taught in smaller
                                                        contains official programme                  groups (unless special permission for larger
                                                        documentation. The information               seminars has been granted by the School)
     REQUESTS TO CHANGE                                                                              by full-time faculty, LSE Fellows and Guest
                                                        given in the Calendar takes
     PROGRAMMES WITHIN THE                              precedence over all other sources            Teachers. MC499.2 Study Skills Workshops
     DEPARTMENT                                         and should be regarded as the                are taught by appropriately trained
                                                        central point of reference:                  Graduate Teaching Assistants.
     Exceptionally, students may be permitted
     to change programmes. If you wish to             	Programme Regulations for each               Students are required to attend regularly
     transfer to an MSc programme within                MSc programme.                               and to participate in seminars; attendance
     the Department, you must complete and                                                           will be recorded. The LSE Registry will
                                                      	Graduate Course Guides for all               directly contact students, seminar teachers
     submit the online form by 9am on Monday            courses taught in the School.
     of MT2. If you submit the form after this                                                       and Supervisors where there is an irregular
     deadline, it may take longer to consider                                                        pattern of attendance. LFY sends out
     your application and a transfer is less likely                                                  automated messages to the student, their
     to be approved.                                                                                 teacher and their Supervisor

     Students will be notified whether or not                                                        Lectures start in the first week of term
     their request has been approved by email,                                                       (MT1 and LT1). Seminars start in the first
     by 5pm on Thursday of MT2. Approval                                                             or second week of term (MT1 or MT2, and
                                                                                                     LT1) – for all details check the timetable.

10
UNITS AND COURSES                               MC4M1/2 (Advanced) Methods of                    as the Academic Adviser assigned when
                                                Research: Michaelmas Term – weekly               you arrive, but from the beginning of LT
Students are required to take four units to     lecture (1 hour), weekly quantitative analysis   the Supervisor also becomes your point of
complete an MSc programme. These are            lecture (2 hours), and computer class (1         contact for your overall progress.
made up of taught courses to the value of       hour); Lent Term – one revision lecture
three units and the Dissertation to the value   (1 hour), an assignment support session
of one unit. Some courses are equal to one      (2 hours), two workshops (6 hours) for           OPTIONAL COURSES
unit; most are equal to a half unit. Each       MC4M1 and 10 workshops (30hrs) and
programme has compulsory courses and            a weekly quantitative analysis lecture and       Students will choose option courses to
optional courses. For most courses, students    computer class for those taking MC4M2.           the value specified in their programme
will attend one lecture and one seminar         Summer Term – one Q&A and methods                regulations, selected from the lists of
each week per course in either Michaelmas       assignment support session.                      available options. Courses are usually
Term or Lent Term.                                                                               taught only once in each academic year
                                                MC499 Dissertation: Michaelmas Term              (ie, courses taught in the Michaelmas Term
Part-time students normally take courses to     – group meeting with Academic Adviser.           are not offered again in the Lent Term).
the value of two units in each year of study.   Lent Term – two lectures (2 hours each),         Consider how your option choices will
                                                two group supervision sessions                   affect the balance of your workload over
                                                (2 hours); Summer Term – group supervision       the year and be realistic about what you
COMPULSORY COURSES                              (2 hours). Individual supervision during         can do in the Michaelmas Term.
                                                feedback and advice hours throughout
The compulsory courses are the central
                                                Michaelmas, Lent and Summer Term.
focus of each MSc programme, providing                                                           RESEARCH ETHICS POLICY
an advanced understanding of theories,          For the Dissertation, students conduct
concepts and methods in media and               original research which develops                 Students should familiarise themselves
communications research. There are              their particular interests. Full details         with the LSE Research Ethics Policy. The
departmental compulsory courses that every      of dissertation requirements and the             School attaches considerable importance to
student has to take and, in addition, each      Supervisory process are set out in the           the maintenance of high ethical standards
programme has a compulsory course that          Dissertation Guide issued during the             in research undertaken by its staff and
is tailored to that programme and not open      Michaelmas Term. More information can            students. This applies to all research
to students on other programmes.                be found on Moodle.                              undertaken by students in preparation for
                                                At the end of Michaelmas Term, Dissertation      essays and dissertations.
The compulsory departmental courses for
all MSc students in this department are         Supervisors are allocated in order to            You will be required to submit an ethics
taught as follows:                              provide the best possible match between          form to your Supervisor in connection
                                                students’ dissertation topics and academic       with the Dissertation in the Lent Term.
MC408 Theories and Concepts:
                                                staff research interests. The Dissertation       Instructions are provided in the department’s
Weekly lecture (1 hour) and weekly
                                                Supervisor may not be the same person            Dissertation Guide and more information
seminar (1.5 hours),

                                                                                                                                                 11
can be found on the MC499 and MC4M1/2            More detailed information regarding course      FULL-TIME STUDENTS
     Moodle pages. You need ethical approval          choice can be found at: www.lse.ac.uk/
     from your Supervisor for any empirical           intranet/students/ registration                 All full time students must select courses to
     work conducted as part of your MSc.              TimetablesAssessment/ Registration/             the value of FOUR units only, no fewer, no
     This includes the MC4M1/2 summative              Course/Graduate/pgcoursechoice.aspx             more. This includes compulsory courses, for
     assignment, the dissertation and any other       and at: lse.ac.uk/registration                  which students are automatically registered,
     research work conducted for courses that                                                         and option courses, for which students have
                                                      MSc students are required to make
     are part of your MSc.                                                                            to register, to be taken in both MT and LT.
                                                      their course selection online via LFY.
                                                      Information on how to activate your             You must not de-select the compulsory
     COURSE AVAILABILITY                              LFY account can be found via the online         courses for your programme.
                                                      application tracker system.
                                                                                                      You must not de-select MC408
     Media and Communications
                                                      The online course selection facility will be    and MC499.
     courses (MC-prefixed)
                                                      accessible during the following periods:
                                                                                                      You must not de-select MC4M1 (or
     Students in the Department can take most
                                                      Welcome Week ‘browsing’ period,                 MC4M2 for Research Track students).
     MC-prefixed courses on offer as long as
                                                      followed by the active periods:
     they are not core courses on other MSc                                                           Do not separately select MY451 or
     programmes. Access to optional courses,          Michaelmas Term: from MT0 to MT3                MY452 when you register as these
     both within this Department and in other                                                         Quantitative Analysis courses are already
                                                      Lent Term: from LT0 until LT2
     departments, is often limited.                                                                   included in your compulsory courses
                                                      During the ‘browsing’ period you will           MC4M1 or MC4M2.
     Controlled access courses are either
                                                      be able to access the Graduate Course
     ‘capped’ (ie, their availability is limited by                                                   ‘Controlled Access’ Courses
                                                      Choice facility to familiarise yourself with
     numbers) or ‘restricted access’ (ie, their                                                       As noted above, some courses are ‘capped’
                                                      its functionality and the options available
     availability is limited by other criteria).                                                      or have ‘restricted access’ so an application
                                                      to you. However, no course selections
     Students may request approval to take                                                            will have to be made to the person teaching
                                                      will be saved during this period. If you are
     controlled access courses through LSE For                                                        the course before it can be selected (see
                                                      logged in when the system switches to live
     You (LFY), LSE’s web-based self-service                                                          above for more information). If a personal
                                                      in Welcome Week, you may need to refresh
     student administration system, with the                                                          statement is required, this will be indicated
                                                      your browser in order to start making
     opportunity to include a statement in                                                            on the LFY course choice system.
                                                      course selections. You must select four units
     support of your request where this is
                                                      of courses during the MT registration period    Registering for Seminar Groups
     required. LFY operates an automated
                                                      (expect for Part-time students who may          Students should sign-up for seminar
     waiting list for controlled access courses.
                                                      select up to 2.5 units).                        groups via LFY after registering for a
     Once the request is submitted, a decision
                                                                                                      course. In some instances, the teacher will
     will be made. You will be notified of the        For all courses, please refer to the online
                                                                                                      assign a student to a seminar group. You
     outcome of this process via email. You           Calendar. For further information on courses
                                                                                                      must register for an MC4M1/2 computer
     then have two working days to register           outside this department, please contact the
                                                                                                      class in Michaelmas Term. Registration for
     for that course.                                 teacher listed in the Calendar entry.
                                                                                                      MC4M1 Lent Term workshops will become
     Full unit courses are taught across                                                              available during MT9 and registration for
     Michaelmas and Lent Terms. Most half             DROPPING COURSES                                MC4M2 Lent Term workshops will become
     unit courses are taught in either the                                                            available during MT8. All the information
     Michaelmas or Lent Term.                         To withdraw from a course, click the ‘Select’   about MC4M1including registration
                                                      button and then put a tick in the box           is provided during the first lecture in
                                                      alongside the course you wish to drop. You      Michaelmas Term and in the MC4M1
     COURSE REGISTRATION                              cannot select or change a Michaelmas Term       Handbook, a hard copy of which will be
                                                      course after LFY Graduate Course Choice         distributed during the first lecture.
     All course choices are subject to the final
                                                      closes in MT3.                                  LSE courses are generally offered from
     approval of your MSc Programme Director,
     and will be reviewed during MT3. If your         You should make all of your course choices,     09:00 on Monday to18:00 on Friday. The
     choices are approved this will be indicated      for both Michaelmas and Lent Terms, by          School expects that full time students will be
     on LFY; if your Programme Director needs         MT3, thereafter, students may not drop          available for classes at any time during that
     more information or wants to speak to            a Michaelmas Term course and replace            period. LFY allows you to select the seminar
     you before approving your choices, this          it with a Lent Term course. Changes             group of your choice, provided that places
     too will be indicated on LFY. You may also       to course selection will be subject to the      are available. We understand that you may
     receive an email asking you to contact the       approval of your Programme Director.            wish to sign up for certain seminar groups in
     Department about your course choices.                                                            order to create the most convenient personal
                                                                                                      timetable, however, we are not able to
                                                                                                      guarantee that you will be able to enrol for
                                                                                                      the seminar group of your choice.

12
PART-TIME STUDENTS                             COURSES IN OTHER                                  AUDITING COURSES
All MSc Programmes in the Department of
                                               DEPARTMENTS                                       You may be permitted to audit lectures
Media and Communications can be taken          Some courses are limited to a certain             (attend without credit) subject to the
part-time over two years except the MSc in     number of students. Students should               approval of the course teacher, whom
Global Media and Communications and the        consult the department in which the course        you must contact directly for permission.
MSc Strategic Communications.                  is offered, and follow the instructions given     Normally you may not attend the seminars.
Part-time students normally select courses     there. If you are choosing a course offered
to the value of TWO units in each year         by another department, discuss this choice
of study. The MC499 Dissertation should        with your Academic Adviser if it is not listed
be selected in the second year. Part-time      as an option for your MSc programme and
students must meet the same requirements       with the course teacher (in accordance with
as full-time students over two years. It is    any course restrictions as listed in the School
the responsibility of part-time students       Calendar). Students should check the
to ensure that other commitments allow         arrangements for seminar group allocation
them to attend their lectures and seminars,    with the department offering the course.
complete written assignments and attend        Students should note that at LSE
examinations. The Department will try to       the summative assessment differs by
accommodate requests from part-time            department. Students taking courses
students who wish to sign up for specific      other than those with an MC prefix should
seminars to avoid clashes with paid            consult the course convenor early in the
work and other formal commitments: if          term to verify methods of assessment and
conveniently timed seminars for a particular   coursework submission deadlines.
course are full, please contact the course
convenor to discuss reallocation.

                                                                                                                                             13
3 MSC PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK

     3.1 PROGRAMME LEARNING                            and summative assessment. The following        Feedback will take the form of written
                                                       provides details about expectations,           comments on the strengths and areas
     AND FEEDBACK                                      deadlines, and the requirements for            for further development according to
     Throughout your MSc programme in the              formative and summative assessment.            the assessment criteria. Requirements for
     Department of Media and Communications,                                                          courses outside the Department of Media
                                                       You may discuss your overall progress and
     you will receive feedback in diverse                                                             and Communications might vary – check
                                                       your plans for formative and summative
     forms and on a variety of aspects of the                                                         with the course convenor.
                                                       coursework with your Supervisor during
     development of your understanding of the          their weekly Feedback and Advice hours.        In general, formative essays should
     field of media and communications and on          The feedback you obtain from course            be 1,500 words in length including
     your performance.                                 teachers in response to the submission of      footnotes but excluding references.
     • You will receive oral feedback during           formative assessments will be helpful in       An important aim of the exercise is
     seminars with your seminar teachers as            planning your summative coursework.            to demonstrate your ability to write
     you develop your ideas and participate in                                                        within the boundaries set for any assessed
                                                       The official departmental assessment
     seminar activities.                                                                              work. If you find it difficult to stay within
                                                       guidelines can be found on the
                                                                                                      this word limit, you should seek advice
     • You will work in small groups on occasion       departmental Moodle page.
                                                                                                      from your Academic Adviser, Supervisor,
     in your seminars, interacting with your                                                          course teacher or LSE LIFE on how to write
     peers, giving you feedback on how your                                                           in a more precise and focused way, and
     learning is progressing.
                                                       3.2 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
                                                                                                      how best to edit your work. There are some
     • You will receive face to face feedback          The purpose of formative assessment            variations of formative assessment types
     from your Academic Adviser in Michaelmas          is to support the learning process and         and students should always refer to the
     Term and from your Supervisor in Lent and         to help you to prepare for summative           assessment section on a course’s Moodle
     Summer Term. This feedback may be about           assessment. Formative assessment is often      page for the exact details of formative and
     your overall learning and progression, on a       based on a short essay on which you will       summative assignments.
     specific aspect of your development, or on        receive written feedback from the course       Essays should be appropriately and
     your performance in a specific assignment.        teacher. You will receive a grade to help      correctly referenced using a standard
                                                       you develop analytical and writing skills      bibliographic format.
     • You will receive oral feedback on the           in preparation for the formally assessed
     development of your dissertation ideas from       summative coursework.                          Timed essays should normally be
     your Supervisor during feedback and advice                                                       completed under simulated exam
     hours and group supervision sessions.             Formative assessment does not count            conditions, ie, handwritten and timed
     Feedback and advice hours of other staff          towards your final mark for the course.        by you. The specific requirements for
     are also good opportunities to receive            Students are also expected to complete         timed essays will be provided by the
     feedback on the development of your               advance reading and prepare seminar            course teacher. Your teacher will mark
     dissertation ideas.                               presentations as required by course teachers   your essay on the assumption that you
     • During the year you will receive written        on which they will receive oral feedback       have followed these instructions and it will
     feedback on your formative and summative          during the seminars or workshops. If           benefit you to do so, in order to gain a
     assessment assignments. This written              courses are taken in other departments,        realistic assessment of your performance. If
     feedback can then be discussed with your          you must check their expectations for          you decide you do not wish to prepare your
     Supervisor and the course teacher for             formative assessment.                          formative essay under these conditions,
     the assessed course. After the conclusion                                                        you will be asked to indicate that on the
     of the dissertation marking process, you                                                         cover page of your essay when you submit
     will receive written feedback on your             FORMATIVE                                      it. It will then be marked without taking
     dissertation. You will not receive written or     ASSESSMENT TASK                                into account what can be achieved under
     oral feedback on your examinations.                                                              simulated exam conditions.
                                                       Students are expected to submit a piece
     • You also will receive oral feedback from                                                       Formative Assessment for MC4M1/
                                                       of formative assessment for each MC
     teachers providing any extra-curricular                                                          MC4M2 (Methods Courses) There
                                                       course for which they register. Formative
     courses you register for during the year, for                                                    is a special formative assignment for
                                                       assessment is set by the teacher for each
     example, on essay writing, citation practice                                                     these courses; the assignment guidelines
                                                       course and generally takes the form of an
     or language skills. You will receive feedback                                                    are made available on the MC4M1/2
                                                       essay of 1,500 words unless otherwise
     from mentors if you choose to engage in                                                          Moodle page.
                                                       specified. Usually you can choose from
     internship activities facilitated by LSE and by   a selection of essay titles available in the   Formative Assessment for MC499
     the Department and from the Director of           assessment section of each course’s Moodle     (Dissertation) The MC499 Dissertation
     Polis if you volunteer for work experience        page. For courses that are assessed by         Guide contains further information about
     placements with Polis.                            an exam you may be asked to prepare a          the two formative dissertation plans
     You will complete two kinds of assessment         timed essay – details will be discussed in     (submitted to your Supervisor in LT) and
     during your MSc programme: formative              each course. Check the specific course         the dissertation research process, and can
                                                       Moodle page for details on assessment.
14
be accessed via the MC499 section of            writing references. This applies particularly
Moodle. You will receive oral feedback          to students on the MSc Global Media
from your Supervisor.                           and Communications (USC) programme
                                                where mid-year references are required
                                                by USC for scholarships and teaching
FORMATIVE COURSEWORK                            assistant positions.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
See Annex ‘Key Dates’ for submission dates.     3.3 SUMMATIVE
• Formative assignment essays should be         ASSESSMENT
printed on A4 or American letter paper,
                                                The purpose of summative assessment
using a font of at least 12pt, with standard
                                                is to evaluate your performance in each
margins, double or 1.5 line spacing and
                                                course and to determine the Class of
double-sided printing.
                                                Award to be made at the end of the
• Electronic submission to Moodle is            programme of study (i.e. Fail, Pass,
required, refer to your teacher for whether     Merit, Distinction). The marks awarded
you must also submit a hard copy.               for summative assessment determine
                                                or contribute to the final course mark.
• Upload an electronic copy of your
                                                Summative assessment is formal and can
essay to the assessment section of
                                                be based on presentations, coursework
Moodle. You must name the file as
                                                essays and other written work, exams or
follows: MC4xx_ For example,
                                                the dissertation.
MC408_Jenny Jones.
                                                The Department uses a diverse range
• A standard submission sheet (Formative
                                                of summative assessment methods to
Coursework Coversheet, available on
                                                evaluate your performance and to support
Moodle) must form the first page of the
                                                you in developing a range of skills and
formative assessment.
                                                knowledge during your studies. The most
• Formative assessment coursework should        common form of summative assessment is a
be submitted to your seminar teacher            coursework essay (which might also include
(according to each teacher’s instructions) in   a case study). Check Moodle and discuss
your Week 7 seminar, except for MC408           individual course assessment methods
(Theories and Concepts) and MC4M1/              with your course teacher. The Methods of
MC4M2 (Methods) as indicated below.             Research courses (MC4M1/ MC4M2) and
                                                the Dissertation (MC499) have distinct
• For MC408, the formative essay must be
                                                forms of summative assessment appropriate
submitted during seminars in MT5, or to
                                                to the course aims and should be discussed
seminar teacher’s pigeonholes by 4pm on
                                                with your Supervisor.
Thursday, of MT5.
• For MC4M1 or MC4M2, submit the
formative assessment coursework to              SUMMATIVE COURSEWORK
your Supervisor by 12:00 (midday) on
                                                Word limits and word counts for
Tuesday of MT11 an electronic copy
                                                summative essay coursework
via email and on Moodle (instructions
for submission on the MC4M1 Moodle              When writing summative essays students
page). You must name the file as follows:       should adhere to the stated word limit on
MC4M1.                                    summative coursework. A 10% margin
                                                on word length is acceptable unless
                                                specific course assignment guidelines state
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT                            otherwise. Where the word count of an
FEEDBACK                                        essay is considerably over or under the limit
                                                this will be taken into consideration during
Important: Students should note                 the marking process.
that grades awarded for formative
coursework throughout the year,                 For all summative coursework including the
in the absence of provisional                   dissertation the word count will include the
summative coursework grades,                    entire text (including abstracts, footnotes or
may be used by your teachers when               endnotes). Tables of Content (including lists
                                                of figures and tables), Acknowledgements/

                                                                                                 15
Dedications, Appendices and Bibliographies     	– Check carefully that you are uploading      Extensions
     are not included in the word count.              the final version of your essay. Students
                                                                                                    Extensions are only granted in
                                                      are not permitted to alter their Moodle
     The word count must be recorded on the                                                         exceptional circumstances where
                                                      submission after the deadline of 12:00
     coversheet, which forms the first page of                                                      there is a good reason, backed by
                                                      (midday). Any attempt to do so will
     each submitted piece of work.                                                                  supporting evidence.
                                                      be counted as a late submission and a
                                                      penalty will be applied.                      If you believe that you have good cause
     SUBMISSION PROCEDURES                                                                          not to meet the deadline (eg, illness), you
                                                    Coversheets/Plagiarism Declarations
                                                                                                    can seek a formal extension using the
     FOR SUMMATIVE                                  Students must complete a coversheet,            Coursework Extension Request Form
     COURSEWORK                                     which includes the plagiarism declaration.
                                                                                                    	– This request must state the nature of
                                                    This sheet forms the first page of the
     Submission deadlines                                                                             the problem and the period (with dates)
                                                    coursework and is available on Moodle.
                                                                                                      for which work was interrupted, and
     See Annex ‘Key Dates’ for submission dates.    Omitting the coversheet may be considered         must include supporting evidence (eg, a
     • Summative coursework is submitted            as an incomplete submission. If you are           medical certificate).
     online (hard copy submission is not            required to resubmit after the deadline, you
                                                                                                    	– If you cannot provide the evidence
     required).                                     may incur a penalty for late submission.
                                                                                                      electronically and/or immediately (eg, if
     • Students must submit to course pages on      Format/Binding                                    you need to request a medical certificate
     Moodle by 12:00 (midday) on submission                                                           from your doctor), an extension can
                                                    • You must use a font size of 12pt or larger,
     day. Any work submitted after this day/time                                                      normally be agreed conditionally
                                                    1.5- or double-line spacing and standard
     will be recorded as a late submission.                                                           upon the evidence being submitted
                                                    width margins.
                                                                                                      at a later date (normally by or on the
     	– This must include the coversheet,          • Tables and figures must be numbered             extended deadline when the coursework
       bibliography and any appendices. You         and given a title and a source.                   is submitted). Supporting evidence
       must name the file as follows: MC4xx_                                                          must be in English, or accompanied by
       CANDIDATE NUMBER. eg, candidate              • All pages must be numbered.
                                                                                                      an official translation, eg, by the LSE
       number 12345 would name the MC402            • Coursework must contain complete and            Language Centre.
       electronic file as MC402_12345.              correct referencing and bibliographies.
                                                                                                    	Disability/Dyslexia: if you feel that
     	– Your name and student number must          The details above apply to all summative          you need an extension to a coursework
       NOT appear anywhere on the assignment.       coursework submitted to the Department            deadline, you must refer to your Inclusion
       Use only your five digit candidate number.   of Media and Communications (all MC-              Plan (IP) in the request. The Disability
     	– You must submit as a single pdf file.      prefixed courses) and need to be followed         and Well-being Service can provide a
       Many free pdf converter programmes are       strictly. Students submitting coursework to       letter of notification of dyslexia to attach
       available on the internet.                   other departments must check submission           to coursework.
                                                    procedures with the teacher responsible for
     	– The first page of your essay after                                                         If you miss the deadline for submission
                                                    the course.
       the cover sheet must include the                                                             but believe that you have good cause
       following information:                       For information on dissertation submission,     which could not have been alerted
                                                    please see Dissertation Guide.                  in advance, you should seek a formal
       > Course Code (eg, MC402)                                                                    extension as early as possible and discuss it
     	> Course Name (eg, The Audience in                                                           with your Supervisor.
       Media and Communications)                    EXTENSIONS AND PENALTIES
                                                                                                    	– Students should be aware that the
                                                    FOR LATE SUBMISSION OF                            Chair of the Examination Sub-Board
       > Candidate Number (eg, 12345)
                                                    SUMMATIVE COURSEWORK                              may not be able to respond to extension
     	> The question number that the                                                                 enquiries immediately. In order to avoid
       essay addresses                              LSE sets strict deadlines for formally            undue anxiety, it is in your best interests
                                                    assessed summative coursework. We                 to advise the Chair of your situation
       >Title of the essay
                                                    recognise, however, that students may,            as soon as it arises or as soon as you
       > Date of submission                         in the course of the year, face unforeseen        realise that it will affect your ability to
                                                    difficulties that prevent meeting these           meet the deadline.
     	– Try the system in the test area before
                                                    deadlines. We hope that no such difficulties
       you submit the final version of your                                                         	– Any extension granted will be
                                                    will arise during your studies at LSE.
       coursework. Do not leave it to the last                                                        confirmed in writing by email to
                                                    However, if you cannot meet a deadline,
       minute to try the Moodle submission                                                            the student.
                                                    the procedure is as follows.
       site. Inability to use Moodle to submit
       your coursework will not be accepted as a                                                    	– Each case will be determined on
       valid reason for late submission.                                                              its merits. The following is offered as
                                                                                                      a guideline:

16
You can also read