By Dr Daniel Woodley
DLD College London has been running the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) for many years. What began as an extra-curricular activity has developed into a formal timetabled course. Undertaking the EPQ is a challenging yet rewarding experience. It involves reading widely around a particular topic, developing independent study and research skills, delivering a presentation in front of staff and students, and producing a substantial piece of academic writing underpinned by secondary and primary research.
Students who successfully complete projects demonstrate an ability to work independently, use their initiative and write fluently and coherently about the reliability of their source material. Not only is the EPQ a formal academic qualification, earning students extra UCAS points, it also highlights their ability to work outside the confines of the A-Level syllabus. Oxbridge and the Russell Group universities have welcomed the EPQ because they know that it is an excellent preparation for students’ future studies.
Academic support
To facilitate their research, students follow a rigorous programme of study skills which covers research methodology, how to use primary and secondary sources, compile a bibliography, academic referencing and formatting. One of the most important requirements for a successful EPQ is a logical mode of presentation, with arguments developed in the introduction, perspectives analysed in the literature survey, evidence evaluated and tested in the main body and conclusions clearly outlined in the final section. In addition to weekly classes with a supervisor, EPQ students benefit from advice and support from their Heads of Faculty.
Examples of EPQ dissertations on Humanities and Social Science topics:
Adyan Sharda
How does Binham Priory demonstrate Protestant attitudes towards Catholicism in the English Reformation?
Betty Liang
Why has the value of Brutalist architecture polarized opinion to such an extent?
Alexandra Orlova
Is there a difference between humans and animals from a spiritual or biological perspective and what are the moral implications in either scenario?
Amirreza Nanaei
Ethical analysis of competently requested end-of-life decisions within the United Kingdom’s NHS: Assisted suicide and active voluntary euthanasia
Alramina Myrzabekova
Labour power, development and value: to what extent are sweatshops an economic necessity?
Geoffrey Wang
To what extent did the Australian government’s regulation of banks and economic interventionism reduce the economic impact of the 2007/2008 financial crisis?
Dayana Chumburidze
An analysis of the possible implications of cryptocurrencies and the Blockchain technology with specific reference to Russia
Tracey Mwaniki
Have the reforms to legal aid introduced in the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) compromised access to justice in the UK?
Student testimony
“The real challenge is to process the information available to you from various sources. It was not enough just to read a book on the topic or conduct an interview just to get an opinion. You have to analyse a wide variety of factors and put them together in written form as a completed chain of analysis.”
Dayana Chumburidze (Russia)
“I think one of the most challenging bits about writing an EPQ is maintaining an objective narrative throughout the whole project. When you choose a topic for your research, it is usually one which interests you and you already have an opinion on. But what an EPQ requires is an objective and academic account of your findings, and I found that it was not quite as easy as it may seem to avoid personal bias and subjectivity."
Betty Liang (UK)