Loughborough University
Leicestershire, UK
LE11 3TU
+44 (0)1509 222222

Programme Specifications

Programme Specification

MSc Conversation Analysis (Full-Time - SSPT48; Part-Time - SSPT51); and MSc Discursive Psychology (Full-Time - SSPT49; Part-Time - SSPT52)

Academic Year: 2014/15

This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided.

This specification applies to delivery of the programme in the Academic Year indicated above. Prospective students reviewing this information for a later year of study should be aware that these details are subject to change as outlined in our Terms and Conditions of Study.

This specification should be read in conjunction with:

Reg. XXI (Postgraduate Awards) (see University Regulations)
Module Specifications

Summary
Aims
Learning outcomes
Structure
Progression & weighting

Programme summary

Awarding body/institution	Loughborough University
Teaching institution (if different)	n/a
Owning school/department	Department of Social Sciences - pre 2018
Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body	N/A
Final award	MSc or PG Certificate or PG Diploma
Programme title	Conversation Analysis; Discursive Psychology
Programme code	SSPT48/49/51/52
Length of programme	1 year (full-time), or 2 years (part-time) for MSc only. 1 year for PG Certificate for Conversation Analysis only. 1 year for PG Diploma for Conversation Analysis and Discursive Psychology.
UCAS code	N/A
Admissions criteria	A typical offer would be a good first degree (normally an Upper Second or First class award) or equivalent. Alternatively, offers may be based on evidence of senior professional experience. Where relevant, qualifications in written and spoken English will also be required.
Date at which the programme specification was published	Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:36:05 GMT

1. Programme Aims

PG Certificate in Conversation Analysis

To enable students to gain advanced understandings of theoretical, empirical and applied studies of social interaction.
To develop students' skills in analysing social interaction using conversation analytic methods.
To enhance students' career and employment opportunities on graduating.

PG Diploma in Conversation Analysis

To enable students to gain advanced knowledge and understanding of issues in communication and interaction through specialist study and research.
To develop students' skills and competences in the full range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of social interaction.
To enhance students' ability to question existing theories and research findings on the basis of a thorough knowledge and understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks and research methods.
To enable students to demonstrate their command of relevant concepts, theories and methods by undertaking a series of research-based coursework assignments and practical exercises.
To enhance students' career and employment opportunities on graduating.
To provide students with a comprehensive introduction to current thinnking and analytic techniques, and a critical awareness of developments and debates in the key areas of conversation analysis.

PG Diploma in Discursive Psychology

To enable students to gain advanced knowledge and understanding of issues in communication and interaction through specialist study and research.
To develop students' skills and competences in the full range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of social interaction.
To enhance students' ability to question existing theories and research findings on the basis of a thorough knowledge and understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks and research methods.
To enable students to demonstrate their command of relevant concepts, theories and methods by undertaking a series of research-based coursework assignments and practical exercises.
To enhance students' career and employment opportunities on graduating.
To provide students with a comprehensive introduction to current thinking and analytic techniques, and a critical awareness of developments and debates in the key areas of discursive psychology.

MSc

To enable students to gain advanced knowledge and understanding of issues in communication and interaction through specialists study and research.
To develop students' skills and competences in the full range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of social interaction.
To enhance students' ability to question existing theories and research findings on the basis of a thorough knowledge and understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks and research methods.
To enable students to demonstrate their command of relevant concepts, theories and methods by undertaking a series of research-based coursework assignments and practical exercises, and devising and executing a sustained piece of original research on a topic of their choice to be presented in their dissertation.
To enhance students' career and employment opportunities on graduating.

Specific to the MSc in Conversation Analysis Degree Pathway

To provide students with a comprehensive introduction to current thinking and analytic techniques, and a critical awareness of developments and debates in the key areas of conversation analysis.

Specific to the MSc in Discursive Psychology Degree Pathway

To provide students with a comprehensive introduction to current thinking and analytic techniques, and a critical awareness of developments and debates in the key areas of discursive psychology.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

QAA Master’s Degrees Characteristics

FHEQ Level 6 & 7 grade descriptors

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of the programme (PG Certificate in Conversation Analysis), students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

K1. The major traditions, theories and debates relevant to the analysis of social interaction.

K2. The process of data collection, corpus building and advanced interactional analysis.

On successful completion of the programme (PG Diploma in Conversation Analysis), students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

K1. The major traditions, theories and debates relevant to the analysis of social interaction.

K2. The process of data collection, corpus building and advanced interactional analysis.

K3. Analysis of data from real-life indsitutional settings in order to identify its significant constitutive practices.

K4. The generation of analytic findings that will be useful to practitioners and improve the effectiveness of institutional interaction.

K5. The extensive literature of the application of conversation analysis to the fields of medicine, education, psychotherapy, the law, helplines and other institutions where talk is a central feature of service-delivery.

On successful completion of the programme (PG Diploma in Discursive Psychology), students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

K1. The major traditions, theories and debates relevant to the analysis of social interaction.

K2. The process of data collection, corpus building and advanced interactional analysis.

K3. Analysis of data from real-life indsitutional settings in order to identify its significant constitutive practices.

K4. The generation of analytic findings that will be useful to practitioners and improve the effectiveness of institutional interaction.

K5. Is not applicable to this pathway.

K6. The major theoretical and methodological arguments and issues in contemporary debates about discursive psychology.

K7. The range of conceptual issues that arise in discursive psychology, including epistemics, construtionism, relativism/realism, and apply them in analysis of interactional data.

On successful completion of the programme (MSc), students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

K1. The major traditions, theories and debates relevant to the analysis of social interaction.

K2. The process of data collection, corpus building and advanced interactional analysis.

K3. Analysis of data from real-life indsitutional settings in order to identify its significant constitutive practices.

K4. The generation of analytic findings that will be useful to practitioners and improve the effectiveness of institutional interaction.

Specific to the Conversation Analysis MSc degree pathway:

K6. Is not applicable to this pathway.

K7. Is not applicable to this pathway.

K8. Specific interactional practices or phenomena, through application of past literature and independent analysis in a conversation analytic dissertation.

Specific to the Discursive Psychology MSc degree pathway:

K5. Is not applicable to this pathway.

K6. The major theoretical and methodological arguments and issues in contemporary debates about discursive psychology.

K7. The range of conceptual issues that arise in discursive psychology, including epistemics, construtionism, relativism/realism, and apply them in analysis of interactional data.

K8. Is not applicable to this pathway.

K9. Specific discursive practices or phenomena, through application of past literature and independent analysis in a discursive psychological dissertation.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of the programme (PG Certificate in Conversation Analysis), students should be able to:

C1. Compare and evaluate the theoretical and technical differences between casual conversation and communication in more formal environments.

C2. Critically engage with the historical underpinnings of the study of language in interaction.

On successful completion of the programme (PG Diploma in Conversation Analysis), students should be able to:

C1. Compare and evaluate the theoretical and technical differences between casual conversation and communication in more formal environments.

C2. Critically engage with the historical underpinnings of the study of language in interaction.

C3. Explain the different affordances of different kinds of communicative medium (face to face, telephone, social media and others).

C4. Discuss the problems of research requiring the collection, storage and analysis of linguistic data.

C5. Critically evaluate the theoretical linkages between psychological, linguistic and sociological levels of analysis in understanding the use of language in interaction.

C6. Demonstrate a reflexive approach to research and the issues it raises.

C7. Evaluate and apply conversation analytic research and methods in understanding interaction in institutional settings.

On successful completion of the programme (PG Diploma in Discursive Psychology), students should be able to:

C1. Compare and evaluate the theoretical and technical differences between casual conversation and communication in more formal environments.

C2. Critically engage with the historical underpinnings of the study of language in interaction.

C3. Explain the different affordances of different kinds of communicative medium (face to face, telephone, social media and others).

C4. Discuss the problems of research requiring the collection, storage and analysis of linguistic data.

C5. Critically evaluate the theoretical linkages between psychological, linguistic and sociological levels of analysis in understanding the use of language in interaction.

C6. Demonstrate a reflexive approach to research and the issues it raises.

C7. Is not applicable to this pathway.

C8. Evaluate and apply discursive psychological research and methods in understanding social interaction and behaviour.

On successful completion of the programme (MSc), students should be able to: