Example employment dissertation topic 10:

A review of three generations of term-time job employment prospects amongst undergraduates of the University of Bristol.

Those fortunate enough to have started their undergraduate degrees in 1992 benefitted from a full maintenance grant as well as tuition fees paid by the government. Ten years later, in 2002, the maintenance grant had disappeared. By 2012 undergraduates enrolling upon the same course were expected to contribute some £9,000 per annum towards tuition costs. Noting the dominant socio-economics of undergraduates attending Bristol University, these financial changes have resulted in term-time work becoming for many a necessity whereas twenty years ago, the number of students engaged in paid-work during term time was far fewer. This dissertation reviews the effects that these funding changes have had on the need to work and the perceptions of working whilst studying amongst students. This is achieved by interview 15 sets of undergraduates (five from each of the intake years of 1992, 2002 and 2012) and thereafter analysing the results. This is a dissertation that has the potential to make a most useful contribution to issues pertaining to student finance and government policy in both short and medium terms.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Callender, C. (2008). ‘The impact of term-time employment on higher education students’ academic attainment and achievement’. Journal of Education Policy, vol. 23(4), pp. 359-377.
• Purcell, K. (2010). ‘Flexible employment, student labour and the changing structure of the UK labour market in university cities’. Warwick: Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick.
• Robotham, D. (2012). ‘Students’ perspectives on term-time employment: An exploratory qualitative study’. Journal of Further and Higher Education (ahead-of-print).