Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE PPL2219

 
TITLE Professional Practitioners' Seminar

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Policy, Politics and Governance

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is composed of a number of seminars and lectures wherein senior executives within the Public Service are invited in class to discuss specific strategies and operations with academics and students. This series of seminars would also inspire students on the choice of their research themes for dissertation purposes. To this effect, students are expected to deliver classroom presentations at the end of the study unit wherein they would indicate the research parameters of their dissertation proposals.

Study-unit Aims:

The aims of this study-unit are twofold.
- First, it exposes students to the different strategies and operation programmes across different ministries and departments. This exposition would enhance student’s understanding of grounded realities within the Public Service and, at the same time, engage them in networking and debate with senior executive officers who coordinate policy at ministerial and managerial level.
- Secondly, the series of seminars with the involvement of experienced practitioners would provide students with a wide selection of relevant themes and empirical case studies that can be further investigated through dissertation research. To this effect, students are expected to draw, present and submit their dissertation proposal by the end of the study-unit.

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• comprehend grounded realities within the Public Service, including specific strategies and operation programmes;
• understand how cross-sector collaboration within Public Service entities and beyond is practised and set in motion;
• relate theoretical frameworks that have been exposed in other study units to actual performance and decision-making rationale within the Public Service;
• formulate the research proposal for dissertation purposes.

Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• engage actively in public debate;
• improve questioning skills;
• network and interact with practitioners and academics;
• perform effective public presentations;
• write focused research proposals.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Text

- Bell, J. (2018), Doing Your Research Project, UK: Open University Press.
- Various Policy Documents published by the Maltese Public Service.

Supplementary Text

- Dale Carnegie (2015), How to Develop Self-Confidence And Influence People, USA: Pocket Books.
- Stephen Lucas (2014), The Art of Public Speaking, USA: McGraw-Hill Education.
- Levin, P. (2008), Excellent Dissertations, UK: Open University Press.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Seminar

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM1 Yes 50%
Presentation SEM1 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Amanda Cassar
Mario Thomas Vassallo

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit