As part of your study during the Year Abroad, you are required to write a Year Abroad Project, which can take the form of an extended piece of research on an academic topic pertaining to your studies -- the Compulsory Dissertation --, or it can take the form of a Translation Project or a Linguistics Project. You can also undertake a dissertation during your fourth year, known as the Optional Dissertation. These are formal parts of your degree, and the marks awarded count towards your overall Part II Tripos result.
The Year Abroad Project is undertaken almost entirely during your Year Abroad, with a limited amount of supervision available to you by e-mail, letter, or telephone. For this reason, it is very important to choose your Project carefully, taking into consideration where you will be living during your Year Abroad and what kind of research facilities will be available to you.
The Optional Dissertation is undertaken during your final year, with standard supervision.
Further information on both types of Project and on the Optional Dissertation can be found on the following pages: