MEng Aeronautics Individual Project
Module aims
The Individual Project is the culmination of your undergraduate studies and constitutes a piece of individual research that must include some element of originality. For this module you will complete an individual research project in your chosen area of research, either working with one of the Department’s specialist researchers and academics and their research group, or by undertaking an external project working with an internationally leading engineering company, typically at their site.
Learning outcomes
On successfully completing this module, you should be able to:
1. plan and manage a research project over an extended period;
2. take personal responsibility for your work;
3. tackle open-ended research work and apply prior theoretical knowledge to practical situations;
4. find, critically analyse and synthesize information from a wide range of sources;
5. select and use appropriate computational and/or experimental methods towards the successful completion of your project aims;
6. communicate the outcomes of the project work effectively and accurately, in both a written and oral format.
7. evaluate the safety, security, sustainability and ethics implications your project and propose appropriate mitigations for any issues identified.
Module syllabus
Content varies annually based on project tiles proposed by students and staff, and student preferences.
Teaching methods
You will carry out the individual project under the supervision of a member of academic staff or an external industrial supervisor. You will spend the majority of your time in self-directed study, reviewing literature, utilizing theoretical, computational or experimental methods to complete your project objectives. You will be supported by regular meetings with your supervisor, presenting your progress, discussing your findings and agreeing on future plans.
Assessments
- Your ability to communicate your work and findings in writing and orally is summatively assessed through a final Thesis (40 pages max) and the Final Oral Examination (30 minutes), where your review of literature, methodology and findings are presented and discussed.
- You are further offered the opportunity to have a short section of your report (5 pages max) formatively assessed by your supervisor.
- Your research plan, review of the literature and initial findings are assessed during an Interim Oral Examination, where feedback is provided.
- Your conduct throughout the project is summatively assessed by the supervisor.
- Your ability to assess and plan for the security, safety, sustainability and ethical considerations associated with the conduct and outcomes of your projects will be assessed through a planning document assessed by your supervisor on a pass/fail basis. Where the initial submission does not meet the expected standards, you will be able to improve your plan and resubmit it until the stipulated final deadline.
The Safety, Security, Sustainability and Ethics assessment is a must pass component and must be resubmitted in session to the satisfaction of the assessor.
If module is failed, the typical reassessment offered will be resubmission of the project thesis followed by an oral assessment (if deemed necessary by the Board of Examiners).
| Assessment type
|
Assessment description
|
Weighting
|
Pass mark
|
| Practical
|
Project Carry-out
|
10%
|
50%
|
| Practical
|
Interim Oral Examination
|
10%
|
50%
|
| Practical
|
Final Oral Examination
|
20%
|
50%
|
| Coursework
|
Thesis
|
60%
|
50%
|
| Coursework
|
Safety, Security, Sustainability & Ethics Plan
|
0%
|
100%
|
You will receive oral feedback on your progress on a regular basis throughout the project from your supervisor, primarily during supervision meetings. You may also ask for a short piece of scientific writing (5 pages maximum) to be reviewed by your supervisor for feedback. You will further receive oral feedbackfrom yoru supervisor on your safety, security, sustainability and ethics plan, such that any deficiencies may be addressed.
More structured feedback will be given orally at the end of the interim oral examination (which you will be asked to summarize, in writing, and reflect upon), by both the project supervisor and a second examiner.