This course allows the student to present and discuss the progress of doctoral research, available research methodologies and relevant literature with the supervisor and peer doctoral students.

 By the end of this course students should be able to better

• present, discuss and defend central aspects of their dissertation theses,
• accept and understand other views and theoretical angles,
• appreciate the range of research methods and epistemologies,
• understand the application of methods in different contexts,
• and appraise the stage of their research relative to other doctoral projects.
  

The course will focus on formative assessment as part of the instructional process to help the student develop the dissertation thesis further towards its completion. Formative assessment means to involve the student in the assessment to inform both the student and the supervisor. In the process feedback will be provided to the student to stipulate learning. In addition, summative assessment is achieved through assessing submitted short papers, which are self-contained parts of the dissertation.