BSc Project Incorporating Professional Skills (Physics, Theoretical Physics, Astrophysics) - PHY00052H

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  • Department: Physics
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Yvette Hancock
  • Credit value: 40 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2018-19
    • See module specification for other years: 2019-20

Related modules

Pre-requisite modules

Co-requisite modules

  • None

Prohibited combinations

  • None

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching cycle
A Autumn Term 2018-19 to Summer Term 2018-19

Module aims

Professional Skills

The communication skills component brings together all the skills that you have gained in the previous two years: finding and evaluating information; written, oral and poster presentations. You prepare individual contributions for a conference that will be attended by all students taking this module, namely a poster and a talk. You will also prepare a project plan, and timetable for your project.

BSc Project

The BSc project is an open-ended investigation which is conducted in small groups or individually. Each project has a specific academic supervisor who will give guidance and assistance as needed at regular supervisory meetings.

A list of the projects on offer for each academic year is made available towards the end of Term 3 of the preceding academic year. Projects will be offered in areas specific to your degree programme.

Project work builds on the expertise that you have already acquired in Years 1 and 2. The aim is to develop your ability to design, carry out and report on an extended investigation. The project will provide an opportunity for creativity and original thought on your part.

For further details, see the BSc Projects Student Handbook and assessment pro forma, which will be available on the VLE

Further details will be given by the Project Module Co-ordinator at the beginning of term 1 in the form of an induction session.

Module learning outcomes

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Professional Skills

  • Research current trends on the project topic
  • Communicate physics ideas from the project to peers
  • Communicate physics ideas from the project to a general audience in the form of a media release
  • Prepare and deliver individual oral and poster conference-style presentations
  • Participate in a conference
  • Prepare a project plan and timetable
  • Prepare a health and safety risk assessment under supervisor's guidance
  • Learn scientific writing skills and receive a training workshop on this topic

BSc Project

  • To plan, design, carry out and report on an extended research project investigation

Whilst doing this you will develop the following skills:

  • the ability to investigate an area of physics relevant to your specialist area [Experimental, Astrophysics, Physics with Philosophy, Maths and Physics, or Theoretical Physics] in a systematic way using appropriate critical assessment of literature sources, experimental, observational, computational, theoretical, and/or mathematical techniques
  • the ability to work independently and plan and organise effectively to achieve the project goals
  • to collaborate with project partners (internal and external), and, where applicable, interact with other group members
  • to acquire from databases and libraries original source references [published scientific papers, books, etc.], and to critically assess these
  • to systematically and contemporaneously record the project work carried out in a paper-based hard-bound or electronic notebook
  • to research and write background material
  • to assess the significance of your project outcomes against what is already known in the area of your project topic via the critical assessment of the literature
  • to communicate the project outcome in a final written form [formal project report] and in an oral examination [project viva]

For further details see the BSc Projects Student Handbook and assessment pro forma, which will be available on the VLE.

Module content

Students taking this module should have taken one of the stage 2 laboratory modules - either PHY00009I, PHY00020I, PHY00010I or PHY00011I. Where students have not taken PHY00030I (Mathematics II), they should have taken an appropriate maths module before selecting this module. 

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
General Progress & Notebook		 N/A 35
Essay/coursework
Media Release (Skills)		 N/A 4
Essay/coursework
Project report & oral exam		 N/A 45
Essay/coursework
Project update		 N/A 6
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Conference presentation - Poster (Skills)		 N/A 5
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Conference presentation - Talk (Skills)		 N/A 5

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

For further details see the BSc Projects Student Handbook and assessment pro forma, which will be available on the VLE.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
General Progress & Notebook		 N/A 35
Essay/coursework
Media Release (Skills)		 N/A 4
Essay/coursework
Project update		 N/A 6
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Conference presentation - Poster (Skills)		 N/A 5
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Conference presentation - Talk (Skills)		 N/A 5

Module feedback

Module feedback will be provided verbally and on the written assessment forms pertaining to all of the assessment components. Supervision meetings will provide regular and formal contact with the project supervisor for feedback discussions on lab-book keeping and written work, including project report drafts, as well as preparation for the BSc conference. Students will have the opportunity to discuss all aspects of the feedback in detail with their project supervisors at these regular supervision meetings, reflect on this feedback, and with the supervisor's guidance, suggest means of feedback implementation. Students will also be able to acquire feedback on their general progress, report any issues and request/receive further clarification on any aspect of the project module. The module co-ordinator has oversight of the project module. She will provide additional feedback sessions and is available to discuss all aspects of the project module, including providing further feedback on assessments and module support.

For further details see the BSc Projects Student Handbook, which will be available on the VLE.

Indicative reading

Reading recommendations - will be advised by the project supervisor as appropriate.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.