Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

None

Co Requisite Comment

None

Aims

The aim of this module is to enable students to put their specialist skills, knowledge, and understanding into practice through the medium of a significant individual research project and written dissertation.

Summary:
This module represents the major individual research project that students must complete as part of their degree.

Outline Of Syllabus

Your project might involve you working within one of the School's established research groups, or you might work elsewhere in collaboration with another industrial or academic partner. Wherever you work, you will be supervised, throughout your project, by an experienced scientist or engineer. Your supervisor will provide advice on the approaches and methods that are best suited to your research problem and on your collection/analysis of data, and will guide you in producing a well-written dissertation.

You will be required to complete a project outline document as part of the project planning, and to maintain a portfolio documenting the implementation of the project and reflecting on your personal skills development. You will be required to present the results of your studies to a generalist audience through an oral presentation.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of this module, students will have developed an advanced knowledge and understanding in one or more of the aspects of their discipline.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of this module, students will have had opportunities to enhance their skills in the generation, interpretation and use of data relevant to their discipline. In particular, they will have: (a) critically assessed the value of data and other information on a topic; (b) formulated or recognised key hypotheses, and identified key data/information which would allow these hypotheses to be tested; (c) in many cases, generated such data, through field, laboratory, or other means, and (d) presented and summarised such data, and critically appraised their significance, using appropriate numerical and other techniques.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Students practise and develop their discipline related skills and knowledge, and their generic skills, through the medium of an individual research project. Taught lecture/small group teaching sessions provide introduction to generic skills and knowledge (e.g. project design and planning, literature reviews, writing skills, etc.) during which students participate in lecturer led, group based, peer interactive exercises conducted in seminar format. These are complemented by a “learning through doing” approach as they undertake the project, with the support of one or more academic supervisors who can advise on methodologies and interpretations.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The specialist and generic skills, and the knowledge and understanding practised and developed during this module are assessed primarily through examination of a written dissertation. Complementary skills in project planning and in communication skills, are practised and assessed through the project inception report (PIR) and presentation.

General Notes

N/A