05.3.6 Standard

Owned by Susanna
Mar 30, 2023
1 min read

1. Postgraduate research and writing assumes an adequate grasp of the technology of scholarship and the attendant stylistic protocols. In any MA assessment piece, students must demonstrate:

  • The ability to think outside a purely ideological or confessional viewpoint as reflected in their writing and choice of bibliographical material;

  • Evidence of breadth of research, grounded in primary source material and critically interacting with contemporary scholarly work in the topic area;

  • Evidence of reading across a range of viewpoints and the ability to report empathetically on them;

  • Evidence of skills of analysis and written communication;

  • The ability to assess critically (rather than just describe) existing scholarly work;

  • Independence of thought and judgement in their critique, analysis and conclusions;

  • The ability to argue for a position or a view rather than just state it as an assumption;

  • Ability to structure a sustained and rigorous argument that avoids irrelevant issues;

  • The ability to accurately identify and understand the interconnecting structures of Christian knowledge;

  • A growing ability to identify and understand the interconnecting structures between Christian knowledge and all knowledge; and

  • The ability to appropriately synthesise from discrete aspects of knowledge.

2. The learning outcomes of an MA(Theology) essay differ from the outcomes expected in the research degrees. Therefore the following are not expected in MA(Theology) essays:

  • Advanced synthesising ability;

  • A comprehensive and penetrating assessment of scholarly literature;

  • The sustaining of extended and sophisticated argument; and

  • The emergence of an original contribution.