MAR3049 : Dissertation in Maritime Engineering
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Narakorn Srinil
- Other Staff: Mr Ian Howard-Row
- 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: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 15.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
A1. Independently formulate, undertake and report on a substantial design or research project.
A2. To carry out an independent piece of technical investigation involving project integration, design and/or some research methods.
Outline Of Syllabus
The students will spend the most time independently carrying out research on their chosen topics in maritime engineering. The following issues will be discussed in the class:
(1) The nature and basic requirements of research work;
(2) How to carry out and present a literature review, research proposal and project plan;
(3) How to write the final report in the form of a scientific journal paper and effectively communicate the findings through an oral presentation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | Dissertation Writing and presentation preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Literature Review Plan and presentation preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 25:00 | 25:00 | Collection of data, post processing and analysis |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Teaching and tutorials |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Accessing databases |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Project supervision (3 hr in each semester) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Consultation related to the project (1 hr in each semester) |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 184:00 | 184:00 | Project research activities |
| Total | 300:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The lectures provide students with the acquisition of the fundamental research skills and the project framework in terms of timetable, milestones and arrangement for supervision (IKO1-IKO2, ISO1-ISO3).
The project provides an opportunity to be able to independently formulate, undertake and report on a substantial design of research project (ISO1-ISO3).
The student should select a member of staff as a supervisor for their intended project who will help establish the scope and focus of the project.
The student should formally agree with the selected member of academic staff that they will act as their supervisor. The supervisor needs to sign both the initial project specification and literature review & project plan to confirm that they are willing to do so.
The supervisor is also responsible for helping the student with all matters relating to the project and is the primary point of contact for all technical and project management issues.
Students are responsible for maintaining regular contact with their selected supervisors and to maintain a written record of their meetings that is subsequently appended to ‘supporting materials’.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research paper | 2 | M | 50 | Journal paper limited to 12 pgs with a max of 7500 words (excld refs) and 10 original figs and/or tables reflecting project outcomes (C1-6, C8, C11, C18) |
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | 15 | Presentation on the Literature Review and Project Plan (15 minutes) identifying work packages, milestones and deliverables (C1-6, C8, C11, C18) |
| Oral Presentation | 2 | M | 35 | Presentation on Final Project outcomes (30 min) including intro, methodologies, results, discussion & conclusion. submission of supporting filed, materials, collection of spreadsheet calcs/tests and analysis data related to project (C1-6, C8, C11, C18) |
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 | 1 | M | Project Specification. maximum 600 words plus project objectives and key references |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The project is intended to provide the students with an opportunity to carry out a substantial and largely independent piece of research related to maritime technologies including the initial development of research proposal ideas enabling a project specification with aim, objectives and methodologies. The selected project is then supported by an academic supervisor. The literature review and final project dissertation are intended to assess the acquisition and application of several learning skills including the project management, time management, data management, writing a professional report and oral presentation of both the literature review and final project outcomes to verify the student's understanding and achievements as outlined in IKO1-IKO2 (C1-6, C8, C11). Oral presentations eliminate the misuse of AI in generating a textural report for the literature review and enable students to experience a professional dissemination of their project with interactive discussion and direct face to face feedback from a panel of academics.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MAR3049's Timetable