CEG8096 : MSc Project and Dissertation
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Richard Dawson
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 3 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 7 |
| Semester 3 Credit Value: | 50 |
| ECTS Credits: | 30.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
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 project and written dissertation. This can take the form of either:
(1) a major individual research project, or
(2) a consultancy project for a client identified by the project supervisor and students.
Outline Of Syllabus
Dissertation projects might involve working within one of the School's established research groups, or elsewhere in collaboration with another industrial or academic partner. Wherever they work, students will be supervised, throughout their project, by an experienced scientist, manager or engineer. These supervisors provide advice on the approaches and methods that are best suited to the problem; on collection/analysis of data; and guidance in producing a well-written dissertation.
Students will be required to complete a project inception document as part of the project planning, including consideration of how the project contributes to personal skills development with reference to an appropriate professional body.
Students present their findings both as a full written dissertation and to a generalist audience through a poster presentation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 15:00 | 15:00 | Poster presentation (including preparation) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Project Inception Report |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 1 | 420:00 | 420:00 | Project work leading to dissertation |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 120:00 | 120:00 | Dissertation writing |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Meetings with the supervisory team, student led/organised |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Introduction to module and project allocation |
| Total | 600:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The students practise and develop their engineering and/or management knowledge, and their generic skills, through independent study of an individual project. They gain the skills and knowledge delivered by the module by “learning through doing” as they undertake the project. They are supported by one or more academic supervisors who advise on experimental approach, methodology and result interpretation.
AHEP 4 assessed are: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M9, M12, M13, M16, M17
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | 3 | M | 80 | A report in the style of an academic journal. Approx. 8000 –12,000 words, to be written in a professional report style or equivalent piece of work. |
| Oral Presentation | 3 | M | 20 | Demonstration/Presentation. A1 poster |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | Project Inception Report (PIR). Project plan and design, risk assessment and COSHH ethical assessment and timeline (approx 2000 words). |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The aim of the assessment is to test the student’s ability to implement a substantial independent project according to the Project Inception Report to answer a specific research question or questions of interest to the client, to report that investigation and to present the information both to an audience in the form of a presentation and as a substantial written report in a style that meets the needs of the research/client.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CEG8096's Timetable