Dissertation

For the successful realization of this non-teaching UC, it is important to assess the interest of the master, to assess what best meets their skills and professional and research needs. On the other hand, it is essential that the master’s student can make use of the skills acquired during the teaching part and apply them in the work they develop, whether through the Project or the completion of an Internship, or the completion of a Dissertation. Each Master’s student is accompanied by an advisor, usually a professor at ISCAC and also, in the case of the Internship, by an external supervisor, from the welcoming entity.

The Dissertation / Project Work / Internship and Report will be supervised by one or more professors and, in the case of an Internship, accompanied by a supervisor of the welcoming entity. The 8 hours of seminars are intended for the interim presentation of the work, allowing the sharing of experiences and difficulties, encouraging mutual help and promoting the completion of the respective work with the desired levels of quality.

The works are supervised by an Advisor (ISCAC Professor) and may involve one or more Co-advisors (other ISCAC professors, professors from other universities or Law Specialists in the case of internships carried out in offices, companies or institutions). The work must be accompanied by the institution’s supervisor and co-advisor in case of internships carried out in external institutions. The student’s activities must be oriented towards the objectives of the work, and any type of dispersion by other activities outside the scope of the Dissertation/Internship must be avoided.

The subject Dissertation/Internship aims to integrate the knowledge obtained in the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

During the academic period, the student must acquire and/or develop skills of analysis and synthesis, research, criticism, within the scope of this UC and in accordance with the defined objectives.

The aim of this curricular offer is to support the training of autonomous and efficient, imaginative and rigorous researchers. They will be able to structure interdisciplinary and comparative approaches regarding the themes taught in the Master’s.

Students must develop, accompanied by a supervisor, and eventually one or more co-advisors (and also a supervisor, in the Internship), knowledge and methodological skills that will be applied in the execution of a project work or a professional internship expressed in a report Final.

The elaboration of the dissertation has an underlying scientific or more applied nature, aiming to foster the capacity for initiative, autonomy in research and the application of acquired knowledge, decision and work organization by the master’s student.

Learning objectives (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by students): complete and present an advanced research level on a law topic; integrate and apply some of the concepts and skills obtained from or derived from other course units; develop the dissertation or the project academically in a cohesive and appropriate way; demonstrate a deep critical knowledge of the area; apply a degree of originality within the research field; evaluate and apply established research techniques to the area of interest and develop intellectual skills to be critical from a theoretical and practical perspective; conduct an in-depth review of the comprehensive literature by evaluating alternative research methodologies; propose hypotheses and manage complex issues in a creative and systematic way; and demonstrate independent learning and written communication skills as well as analytical skills to solve problems.

Depending on the specific objectives pursued by each of the master’s students, they have the autonomy to select the type of work to be carried out. To support the completion of the elaboration of the Dissertation / Project Work / Internship and report, including the 8h course of seminars that are intended for an interim presentation of their work, by the masters, sharing experiences and difficulties, and obtaining feedback and contributions from everyone present at the session to more efficiently complete their work.

Conducting the Dissertation, or Project Work, or Internship and respective Report, with the tutoring of the Supervisors, and possibly co-advisor(s), as well as, with the support of the Supervisor in the case of an Internship.

In the Dissertation and in Project Work, the themes are framed within the scope of the course themes and that respect its objectives. In the case of Internships, their realization will favor law firms and/or solicitors and/or legal departments of companies.

The syllabus aims essentially to provide students with the necessary skills to carry out scientific research in the field of law sciences. This fact is in line with the objectives of the curricular unit, insofar as they intend to motivate students to develop research that is based on contributions to law theory. It is also intended that students design their dissertation in a structured way, providing them with the necessary skills for the development of the various phases that constitute it.

SIM

The bibliography is specific for each Dissertation / Project Work / Internship and Report carried out, being in accordance with the theme chosen for the work developed.