How to turn your dissertation from a 2:2 into a 2:1...

When you are given your first piece of coursework as an undergraduate, you are also given (or should be) a copy of the marking criteria which will be applied when your work is assessed. Although by the time you reach the point of writing a dissertation you will be approaching the culmination of a course of study, the same basic judgements will be made. Of course, there is always a margin allowed for tutors and lecturers to apply their own judgement – it is never simply a ‘numbers game’, and the dissertation you present will always be marked by more than one person, but basically the same criteria will be applied at whatever level you are working.

So, how do you raise your dissertation from the mediocrity which is represented by a 2:2, to the degree of excellence represented by a 2:1? Essentially, the difference in terms of actual marks is often minute: a 2:2 would normally be the result of a mark between 50% and 59%, whereas a 2:1 represents a mark between 60% and 69%. Look at the borders here, not the maximum of each: the difference between a 2:2 and a 2:1 could be as little as 2%. In reality, this is rarely the case. Your work will be marked interpretively and therefore in order to be sure of upping that grade, you need a comfortable difference, not a borderline one.

Approach this logically and you will see that you need to consider how your work can be improved in each of the applicable criteria in order to raise your grade and you should think about this from the outset. Before you begin your dissertation, look carefully at the marking criteria and note where the differences between a 2:2 and a 2:1 lie. You’ll notice that the criteria for either a 2:2 or 2:1, requires the following:

  • Understanding of the question
  • Identifying the major themes
  • The ability to develop a well-structured argument
  • The inclusion of supplementary evidence from primary texts, correctly referenced
  • A strong conclusion
  • A bibliography using the referencing style of your academic institution.

Having probably been in academic life for some time before attempting a dissertation you should be thinking ‘this is all pretty standard’ - and if you are not, then that 2:1 is just a dream because the way to turn a 2:2 into a 2:1 is down to your ability to recognise just where each of these basic requirements needs to be expanded.

In general, the key differences between a 2:2 and a 2:1 exist in the depth of research and the quality of analysis. That being the case you should focus on your level of research and your analytical ability to improve your grade. Also, this ability to research and analyse must be linked seamlessly to your argument. To earn a 2:1 you must make your points cogently and show that you have expanded your reading beyond the merely required towards the comprehensive. A good way of doing this is to look at the bibliographies of a primary text because you will then be using a credible source to develop your research base. From here, you can begin to analyse, i.e. literally take apart and comment critically on the evidence so that it informs your dissertation argument and never at any point appears separate from the central themes.

A 2:1 dissertation reflects a much deeper level of thought than a 2:2, which is why it is the minimum requirement of most respected universities in order to carry out post-graduate research. However, even within the 2:1 there are divisions of which you should be aware in order that you are sure of your 2:1, rather than hoping just to scrape through. In other words, you need to be aiming for a mark in the region of 65% to 69%. To achieve this, you need to demonstrate:

  • that you can not only develop an argument but that you have anticipated some of the possible challenges to it
  • that your reading goes beyond the basic in both collation and coherence
  • that your analysis has added to your argument and developed your thinking
  • that you have produced a conclusion that does more than just summarise your argument but also provides a genuine synthesis of wide-ranging yet focussed thought.

Remember, that the award of a 2:1 grade reflects on the level of excellence of the academic institution to which you belong as much as you so it will not be given lightly but that, of course, is what makes it worth having, isn’t it?

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