RESEARCH YEAR INTERIM DISSERTATION - 2023/4

Module code: PHY3062

Module Overview

The early part of the Research Year involves a combination of developing generic research skills associated being on a research-based physics placement, and acquiring specific skills related to the particular project to enable successful completion of the student¿s own research by the end of the research year. This module reflects parts of the specific skills developed for the student¿s own project in the first half of the Research Year

Module provider

Mathematics & Physics

Module Leader

SHENTON-TAYLOR Caroline (Maths & Phys)

Number of Credits: 60

ECTS Credits: 30

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 580

Tutorial Hours: 20

Module Availability

Crosses academic years

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:
The student will carry out the first parts of their research year project, which will be through a range of either experimental or theoretical research work. This will be carried out by the student under the supervision of a local project supervisor. The first half of the Research Year is anticipated to cover approximately 600 hours over semester 2 of Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6) and this module accounts for 450 hours of that effort.

Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Oral exam or presentation Oral Presentation 20
Project (Group/Individual/Dissertation) Written Report 80

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate core competencies in physics research through independent study

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
¿ A presentation given to the student¿s research group on the status of their understanding of their research project, placed in the context of the wider field.

¿ A literature review, with project-specific context, of related previous work in the field. Depending on the nature of the project, this could draw more or less from research articles, textbooks, or internal reports

Formative assessment
The student will receive regular feedback from the local supervisory team throughout the Research Year
Feedback
The student will receive regular feedback from the local supervisory team throughout the Research Year

Module aims

  • Reflect the specialist preparatory work that the student is undertaking as part of their research year in advance of their own main original research activity
  • Encourage the student to undertake a review of previous work done in the field of their research project, to digest and understand it in such a way that they can explain the context of their work to an audience of peers

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
001 Demonstrate that they have performed an advanced literature research project. KP
002 Present a well-written, accurate and full (but selective) report, in the style of a scientific journal article PT
003 Demonstrate analytic, design, numerical and/or organisational skills required in undertaking an extended project within time constraints. PT
004 Communicate scientific ideas to a company of peers in a research environment PT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to encourage learning by independent self-study within the context of a research group

The learning and teaching methods include:
- guided self-study
- supervisor meetings
- group meetings
- laboratory and/or computational project

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PHY3062

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
Physics with Nuclear Astrophysics MPhys Cross Year Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module
Physics with Astronomy MPhys Cross Year Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module
Physics with Quantum Technologies MPhys Cross Year Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module
Physics MPhys Cross Year Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.