Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES)

MPhil Degree

Admission to the MPhil degree programme normally requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent with at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree and relevant work experience.

A Candidate who does not satisfy this requirement may be admitted in the first instance as a qualifying student and must satisfy specified course requirements as determined by the Institute's Entrance Committee and approved by the Board of Graduate Studies and Research (BGSR) before being finally admitted to the M.Phil degree.

PhD Degree

Admission to the Ph.D. degree programme normally requires the candidate to:

  • Have completed an appropriate post graduate qualification, or
  • Be transferred from the M. Phil. And Ph.D. degree programmes, and
  • Have the relevant work experience.

Applicants to the M.Phil and Ph.D. degree programmes are also required to submit a short research proposal which will be considered by the Institute's Entrance Committee.

Students in the M.Phil. and Ph.D degree programmes are required to complete the following:

  1. Three (3) courses; (3 credits each);
  2. Two Graduate Research Seminars (MPhil) / Three Graduate Research Seminars (PhD);
  3. A dissertation (M.Phil.)/Thesis (Ph.D.).

Core Courses

The required courses are:

  1. Directed Readings on Thesis Topic (Year long – Registration in Semester II only);
  2. Research Design and Management (Semester I);
  3. Specialised Research Methods (Semester II).

Students are also required to register for their thesis upon entry into the programme until the submission of their thesis for examination. The codes to be used are as follows:

GOVN 7000 (MPhil)/8000 (Ph.D.)– Governance

SOPL 7000 (MPhil)/8000 (Ph.D.)– Social Policy

ECDP 7000 (MPhil)/8000 (Ph.D.)– Economic Development Policy

SALI 7001/8001 - Direct Readings on the Thesis Topic (3 credits)

This individualized graduate-level reading course is tailored to align with each student's specific research area, ensuring a customized and enriching learning journey. The course operates on an individual basis, involving one-on-one in-depth interactions with the Supervisor and, as needed, collaborative exchanges with members of the Advisory Committee. Its main goal is to immerse students systematically in their relevant academic literature, fostering a deep comprehension of materials directly related to their thesis. Formal class meetings are not scheduled.

Students will be deemed to have passed or failed this course based on the written submission.

SALI 7002/8002 - Research Design and Management (3 credits)

The principal purpose of this course is to enhance students’ capacity to undertake research assignments in academic and operational contexts as well as critically evaluate research undertaken by other entities.  The course is designed to ensure that students have an appreciation and understanding of the role of the philosophy of science in the research process.  It also provides a medium for further discussion and development of issues akin to research design and ethical issues in the conduct of research.  Particular emphasis is placed upon exposing students to quantitative and qualitative methodologies associated with scholarly research processes.  In both contexts, where appropriate, topics for discussion will include conceptualization and measurement, data collection, survey sampling, experimentation, secondary data analysis, data preparation and data analytical considerations.  Students will be exposed to research writing practices and the preparation of research proposals.

Assessment:  Coursework 50%, Examination 50%

SALI 7101/8101 – Specialized Research Methods (3 credits)

This course is a graduate level, applications-oriented introduction to a range of specialized research methods, which are widely used in applied social and economic research, especially in the analysis of survey data.  It also involves an introduction to STATA, a specialized statistical software package used in the application of quantitative methods to real life problems involving data emanating from survey and experimental research. Course participants are required to study scholarly papers where these methods are employed, and will themselves learn to present such findings in a manner befitting professional social scientists. Students shall be required to do hands-on work in class and are encouraged to bring data and dissertation problems/ideas to class.

Assessment: Coursework 60%, Examination 40%

The length of the dissertation for the M.Phil degree candidates should not normally exceed 50,000 words excluding footnotes and appendices.

Thesis Supervision

Each student will be assigned a thesis supervisor. It is important that students consult with their supervisor on a regular basis. It is the responsibility of the students to be aware of programme requirements and deadlines; to work within these deadlines; to communicate regularly with their supervisor and to submit progress reports as required.

 

 

 

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