HR909-60 Project/Work Placement/Dissertation
Introductory description
The project is a stand-alone component of the MSc allowing the Student to experience, first hand, research skills, hypothesis development, hypothesis testing, data collection, data handling, data evaluation and result presentation.
Module aims
As part of the project the student will present and discuss plans, data and outputs with group members and supervisor. The topic will relate to knowledge gained during the taught modules and be an opportunity to exploit
both this knowledge and the core skills developed during the course. The problem will be relevant to current and developing research programmes or work practices and will make a contribution to the ongoing operation of the host group.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Students will have the choice of a lab-based research project, a dissertation based on work
relevant to the MSc or a work placement. Numbers to lab-based work and placements may be
limited by availability.
For lab-based projects students will choose projects from a list of ongoing departmental research programmes. The student will have a discrete project and, after appropriate training, be involved in design, analysis and execution of all appropriate experimental work. The student will write the project up as a thesis. Supervisors on lab-based projects will be responsible on a day-to-day basis for instruction and training.
For placements, the student will undertake to work to a project plan agreed with a line-manager and supervisor, collecting experience, examples, data, viewpoints etc. as a dataset to include in a placement thesis. On placements, day-to-day responsibility will be held by the local line-manager who will liaise regularly with a placement supervisor in the department. The departmental supervisor may also visit the placement and talk to all parties during its duration. For those choosing a dissertation, a supervisor will set (or a student may select and agree) a suitable topic for research and introduce the student to appropriate sources of information, analysis and interpretation.
The project represents 3 months enquiry and data collection, one month thesis write-up. Students will prepare and deliver a short seminar on their project in month 4.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- By the end of the module the student should have an advanced and critical knowledge of a selected aspect of a topic related to the degree.
- By the end of the module the student should be able to communicate contemporary practice and discuss critically relevant practices and achievements. Presentation of a reasoned argument or experimental plan is expected.
- By the end of the module the student should be able to recognise, suggest and exploit appropriate strategies.
- By the end of the module the student should be able to collect and analyse data and use it to help solve commodity problems.
Research element
Research project
Subject specific skills
By the end of the module the student should be able to collect and analyse data and use it to help solve commodity problems.
Transferable skills
Communicate contemporary practice and discuss critically relevant practices and achievements. Present a reasoned argument or experimental plan.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Project supervision | 6 sessions of 1 hour (1%) |
| Private study | 594 hours (79%) |
| Assessment | 150 hours (20%) |
| Total | 750 hours |
Private study description
Research
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group A4
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Performance | 16% | No | |
|
Research performance mark awarded by project supervisor based on supervisor assessment of performance through project. |
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| Seminar | 20% | 30 hours | No |
|
Seminar presentation. Maximum duration time to include questions. |
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| Written Report | 64% | 120 hours | No |
|
15000 words dissertation or 6000 words formatted scientific journal article. |
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Feedback on assessment
Assessors write a commentary on each element of the written component and all comments are presented to the student on via Moodle. \r\n\r\nAssessor record and feedback forms are collated after the seminar component and all comments are presented to the student on via Moodle. \r\n
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A1 Postgraduate Taught Environmental Bioscience in a Changing Climate
-
THRA-D4A3 Postgraduate Taught Food Security
- Year 1 of D4A3 Food Security
- Year 1 of D4A3 Food Security
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A2 Postgraduate Taught Sustainable Crop Production: Agronomy for the 21st Century