Writtle University College and ARU have merged. Writtle’s full range of college, degree, postgraduate and short courses will still be delivered on the Writtle campus. See our guide to finding Writtle information on this site.

Student dissertation prize

Does your dissertation link to sustainability? If so, you could be eligible for entry into our sustainability dissertation prize competition.

Eligibility and criteria

The prizes are open to any student who submits a dissertation/major project as part of their degree that directly addresses specific criteria. View full details of the prize in our Guide.

Submissions

One dissertation per school is submitted by the Head of School by email attachment to [email protected]. Submissions should include the student’s SID and degree course as well as a reflective piece, and a copy of the marker's feedback where possible.

Submissions will be judged by staff from the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI).

Deadline for submissions:

  • Undergraduate: Closed 
  • Postgraduate: December 2020, exact date to be confirmed.

Previous undergraduate winners

2019/20 - Fashion and Pro-environmental behaviour: investigating relationships with happiness, self-esteem and external environmental locus of  control. Saffron Owen, BA (Hons) Psychology with Clinical Psychology.

2017/18 -Tilbury Riverside G.A.R.D.E.N.S - Gardens, Allotments, Regeneration, Docks, Engagement, Nature, Sustainability. Megan Pledger, BA (Hons) Architecture student. You can read Megan's dissertation, or watch Megan's reflective video.

2016/17 - Assessing Neighbourly Limited's approach to corporate social responsibility, stakeholders and sustainability reporting. Joe Ball, BSc (Hons.) Business Management.

Highly commended

The following dissertations were highly commended by the judging panel.

2019/20 - "Hopelessly Hopeful" alias the last recording of Kauai Oo. One of a number of pieces submitted by Stepanka Facerova for her Major Project, BA Fine Art 

2019/20 - An exploratory study of Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) used for reducing the medication waste in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC). Nadina Duma, BA (Hons) International Business Management. 

2017/18 - Cigarette butt litter: An underestimated environmental issue? Thomas Starkey, BSc (Hons) Zoology.

2017/18 - Nudging towards sustainability: The potential role of the Michelin Guide. Alisha Fearon, BSc (Hons) Business Management.

2016/17 - Lorry trailer redesign adjustable roof for fuel efficiency through drag reduction. Alan Marks, (BEng) Mechanical Engineering.

2016/17 - An investigation into the effectiveness of re-purposed food based organic powders when used for enhancing latent fingermarks. Craig Griffiths, BSc (Hons) Crime and Investigative Studies.

Runners up

2019/20 - Pre-owned perceptions: A consumer behaviour-based study on second hand clothes consumption in Italy. Giorgia Dimiccoli, BSc (Hons) International Business Management

2017/18 - The impact of uncorrected refractive error as a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment; conflicted trends in prevalence between western sub-saharan Africa and East Asia. Penny Ardley, BSc (Hons) Ophthalmic Dispensing.

2017/18 - Empathy as a new way 'in': Exploring empathy as a success factor for female leaders in the context of the changing leadership requirements in the 21st century. Claire Deschler, BSc (Hons) International Business.

2016/17 - Boal in applied theatre today: Voicing the marginalised. Margaret Humphery, BA (Hons) Music and Performing Art.

2016/17 - Tri-dimensional foraging -niche segregation of woodland birds at Brampton Wood, Cambridgeshire. Gaius Anthony de Smidt, BSc (Hons) Zoology.