- Department: Natural Sciences
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Katherine Selby
- Credit value: 60 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
- See module specification for other years: 2021-22
- Notes: This is an independent study module
This module represents the climax of the entire MSci Natural Sciences programme. It brings together knowledge that has been accrued and skills that have been developed during the previous three years.
The project is an open-ended investigation that generates new knowledge. (The applied methodology may itself be either mature or less well established.)
Natural Sciences projects have interdisciplinary aspects that reflect the students’ individual pathways through the programme. Depending on the subject of the investigation, the project may be conducted in a group – for example constituted of Natural Scientists from different final subject areas. Even in the case of a group project, each student’s project will have distinct individual elements.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
This module represents the climax of the entire MSci Natural Sciences programme. It brings together knowledge that has been accrued and skills that have been developed during the previous three years.
The project is an open-ended investigation that generates new knowledge. (The applied methodology may itself be either mature or less well established.)
Natural Sciences projects have interdisciplinary aspects that reflect the students’ individual pathways through the programme. Depending on the subject of the investigation, the project may be conducted in a group – for example constituted of Natural Scientists from different final subject areas. Even in the case of a group project, each student’s project will have distinct individual elements.
The aim of this module is to develop and demonstrate the ability to design, plan, carry out and report on an open-ended investigation that generates new knowledge.
A list of projects on offer for each academic year is made available during the Summer Term of the preceding academic year. Students submit an ordered list of their preferred projects and the Project Module Coordinator then assigns students to projects. Projects are offered on a variety of topics to suit students from all Natural Sciences pathways.
Further details are given by the Project Module Coordinator in the briefing session at the beginning of the Autumn Term.
On conclusion of this module, a successful student will be able to:
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Oral Presentation to peer group & staff |
N/A | 20 |
Essay/coursework Project report |
N/A | 70 |
Oral presentation/seminar/exam Project Plan (inc. risk assessment and ethical approval) |
N/A | 10 |
None
The oral presentation to the peer group and staff is not re-assessable given that the assessment requires students to communicate the project's motivation, objectives and results to a general audience comprised of peers. As such, if this component of the module is failed and attains a mark below 40, there is no opportunity for reassessment. There is however, no requirement for students to pass every component of the module (including any non-reassessable elements) but rather to attain a cumulative mark of above or equal to 50%. Where a student has been awarded a marginal fail mark of 40- 49 for the dissertation element they will have an opportunity to make amendments which would enable a passing threshold to be reached. Only the dissertation component can be reassessed.
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Project report |
N/A | 70 |
All (re)assessments are provided with written feedback (on standard proformas) within two weeks of the submission deadline.
This is dependent on the project and will be directed by the project supervisor(s).