CEG8596 : MSc Project and Dissertation in Water Resources
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Professor Richard Dawson
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 5 |
| Semester 3 Credit Value: | 55 |
| ECTS Credits: | 30.0 |
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.
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 inception document as part of the project planning, including consideration of how the project contributes to your personal skills development with reference to an appropriate professional body, and to maintain a portfolio documenting the implementation of the project (submitted as an appendix to the dissertation report). You will be required to present the results of your studies to a generalist audience through an oral presentation and a written article.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 3:00 | 3:00 | PiP oral presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 120:00 | 120:00 | Dissertation writing up |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Article preparation and presentation |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 17:00 | 17:00 | Preparation of oral presentation |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 120:00 | 120:00 | Literature review |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Project Inception Report (PIR) |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 272:00 | 272:00 | Data collection, analysis and interpretation. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Scheduled on-line contact time | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | 3 x 2hour Online Synchronous seminars |
| Total | 600:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Students practice and develop their discipline related skills and knowledge, and their generic skills, through the medium of an individual research project. Some taught lecture/seminar sessions provide introduction to generic skills (eg literature reviews, writing skills). They gain the skills and knowledge delivered by the module mostly by “learning through doing” as they undertake the project. They are, in addition, supported by one or more academic supervisors who can advise on methodologies and interpretations.
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 | 100 | Written dissertation (approx. 50-70 pages), inc appendix on project planning and implementation. Includes 10% allocation for article |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 3 | M | Oral presentation of study methods and interim results. |
| Written exercise | 2 | M | Project Inception report (PIR) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The specialist and generic skills, and the knowledge and understanding practiced and developed during this module are assessed primarily through examination of a written dissertation. Complementary skills in project planning and self-assessment are practiced through the project inception report (PIR) and assessed through the portfolio. Communication skills are practiced through the oral presentation, and assessed through the article.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CEG8596's Timetable