Students

PICT8047 – Supervised Project in Security Studies

2024 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-infrequent, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convener
Dalbir Ahlawat
dalbir.ahlawat@mq.edu.au
Contact via By email
Room 319, Level 3, 25 B Wally's Walk
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrim or MPICT or MCPICT or PGDipPICT or GradDipPICT or GradDipCPICT or MPICTMIntSecSt or MCPICTMIntSecSt or MIntSecStud or GradDipIntSecStud or MSecStrategicStudMCrim or MSecStrategicStudMIntell or MSecStrategicStudMCyberSec or MSecStrategicStudMCTerrorism or MIntellMCrim or MIntellMCyberSec or MIntellMCTerrorism or MCyberSecMCTerrorism or MCyberSecMCrim or MCTerrorismMCrim or MSecStrategicStud or MIntell or MCTerrorism or MCyberSec or GradDipSecStudCr or GradCertSecStudCr and 30cp and permission by special approval or Master of Cyber Security Analysis or admission to BSecStudMCTerrorism or BSecStudMCrim or BSecStudMCyberSecAnalysis or BSecStudMIntell or BSecStudMSecStrategicStud
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
PICX8047
Unit description Unit description

This unit gives students the opportunity to engage in the composition of a self-directed research project, under the supervision of a subject area expert. This unit will necessitate students to thoroughly engage with the existing research on their topic, using it as a stepping-stone in developing their own research skills. Students will be mentored and trained on how to devise a research questions, translate this question into a set of research tasks, synthesise an appropriate methodological framework, conduct a literature review, collect data, and write up the result of their research as a coherent long research essay. This research relies on utilizing academic secondary sources and does not require original empirical work. Students intending to take this unit must contact any of the departmental administrators in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology to discuss eligibility criteria and supervision arrangements at least four weeks before the start of semester.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a key, specific area in security studies based on a critical assessment of established academic scholarship.
  • ULO2: Apply research and time management skills in designing and delivering scholarly research projects in security studies.
  • ULO3: Develop academic writing skills that result in cogent written research submissions in the area of security studies.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Research Essay 60% No Week 12 (27 October) 23.55
Research Essay Plan 15% No Week 7 (8 September) 23.55
Research Proposal 25% No Week 4 (18 August) 23.55

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Week 12 (27 October) 23.55
Weighting: 60%

The final submission must be a complete, integrated, and synthesized piece of work. It should take account of feedback that has been provided on the earlier drafts. Submissions should be organised in a logical and structured way, including (where appropriate) sections and subsections with headings.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a key, specific area in security studies based on a critical assessment of established academic scholarship.
  • Apply research and time management skills in designing and delivering scholarly research projects in security studies.
  • Develop academic writing skills that result in cogent written research submissions in the area of security studies.

Research Essay Plan

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 7 (8 September) 23.55
Weighting: 15%

The research essay plan should be a maximum 2 page dot-point outline of the research project.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply research and time management skills in designing and delivering scholarly research projects in security studies.

Research Proposal

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 4 (18 August) 23.55
Weighting: 25%

The purpose of the research proposal is to provide an outline of the proposed research project and to demonstrate that the research question(s) can be examined in-depth within the allocated time period and word limit. The proposal should be between 750 -1,000 words in length.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply research and time management skills in designing and delivering scholarly research projects in security studies.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS  

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in Ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments.  

  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.  

  • In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.  

 REQUIRED READINGS  

  • The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.  

   TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED  

  • Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement.  

  • This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/  

  • Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.  

  • Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at  http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/  

   SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS  

  • All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.   

  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date.  

  • Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.  

  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

   LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS  

  • Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page.  

  • Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.  

  • If the number of words deviates from the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words deviation from the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).  

  • The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.  

  REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER  

STAFF AVAILABILITY  

  • Department staff will endeavour to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period.  

  • Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook