Modules may vary from year to year. The topic in forensic anthropology or osteology and palaeopathology within the context of funerary archaeology is chosen in consultation with the Course Manager for one of the two Master's courses and an appropriate staff member in the Department, who will act as supervisor. Under some circumstances, a staff member from another University Department may be selected as a co-supervisor of the dissertation research, in consultation with the Course Manager. The dissertation is intended to be a substantial piece of work, usually undertaken during and after the second semester with six additional modules of project work, and involving a topic closely related to current research in the Department. The target length of the dissertation is approximately 15,000 words.
Preparation involves classes in research design and research practice taken in Semester Two.
The dissertation goes through a rigorous process of examination internally and with an Examiner external to the Department. Dr A. Schmidt, Dipl. Phys., Dr. rer.