Dissertation students may choose to work in a University library or study space, or remotely. However, expectations differ by department and should be discussed with the supervisor at the beginning of the supervision relationship.   

Attendance on campus is not required for the dissertation submission.  Students and supervisors should discuss their expectations for the frequency of face to face and remote meetings, which should, in most cases, be led by the student.  

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Key information, tools, and resources for current postgraduate students can be found here. 

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Submission of Dissertations and Extensions

Dissertations are due on or before the last day of your final semester, unless an extension has been approved. Dissertations are submitted by email in pdf format with the file name clearly identifying the student University ID number, student name, and MSHc Dissertation. Please consult with your supervisor and departmental graduate adviser for who to submit your dissertation to and whether there are any plagiarism reporting requirements.  

Students requiring an extension must provide evidence to support their application. More information on the extension process is available on the postgraduate student website here.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Use of Generative AI (Gen-AI)

Use of Generative AI (Gen-AI) tools are increasingly becoming commonplace in our lives. Gen-AI can be useful to support your learning at University. But the use of Gen-AI also comes with many risks. It is important that you remember that you are accountable for all of your own work, and that your use of these tools must not breach the Student Academic Conduct Statute. 

For more information about using Gen-AI in your studies, please visit Studying with Generative Artificial Intelligence

Please also visit Advice for students on using Generative Artificial Intelligence in coursework

Some of the concerns with Gen-AI include bias in the data, errors in the outputs (Gen-AI can produce false outputs and references), copyright concerns (using generated data can be a copyright breach), and privacy issues. You may use Gen-AI to aid your study, learning and support you with your dissertation/thesis, but it shouldn't do the work for you. For example, you could use tools to assist with exploring topics, refining your writing (e.g. Grammarly), to test your knowledge, or to create images. Although you may use GenAI tools to help with proofing, (e.g., Grammarly), you may not use GenAI to write your thesis/dissertation for you.

If you do use Gen-AI to support your dissertation/thesis, it is important that you adhere to all relevant University policies and that you take full responsibility for the work you submit. The final work submitted should be your own work, reflecting your learning and performance. Further, you must correctly acknowledge your use of Gen-AI tools; any use of Gen-AI in assignments should be correctly referenced and cited (e.g. for example, if you use an AI-generated image in your thesis, you need to state the source and prompt used to generate the image). Here is an example of how to cite AI:

Format: Company. Year, Product Name, [Type of AI model], Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL. Prompt.

Example: Google. 2026, Gemini [Large language model], Retrieved March 6, 2026, from https://gemini.google.com/appLinks to an external site.. Prompt: Generate a summary of XYZ

For more information about citing AI see this site.

You are encouraged to keep a log of Gen AI use throughout your dissertation/thesis.

Want to find out more about how to use Generative Artificial Intelligence responsibly in your studies? See GenAI Essentials.

 [HE1]Provided by Rosie Dobson

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, advise your supervisor as soon as possible.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.