DISSERTATION PROJECT - 2025/6

Module Overview

The module provides an opportunity for students to undertake guided, individual research into a topic related to their programme of study.  Students are required to take independent ownership of their project and demonstrate this through their management of the available resources, including meetings with project supervisor(s), the timely acquisition of relevant information and experimental results. They must prepare and submit a formal, written, report to a specific deadline and subsequently present and defend their work at an oral examination.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

GUO Bing (Sust & CEE)

Number of Credits: 60

ECTS Credits: 30

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Crosses academic years

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

The Dissertation Project forms a significant component of the MSc degree.  It is intended to occupy 600 hours typically spread over about 100 working days.  Topics may be selected from a list provided by academic staff or students may suggest their own topic.  The project may comprise laboratory investigation, numerical modelling, field observations, mathematical analysis, or a combination of any of these. A critical review of the relevant literature will always be required whatever the topic, but a dissertation cannot wholly consist of a literature review.

Project topics must be related to the programme of study as outlined below:





Programme


Project Topic area(s)




Bridge Engineering


Bridge Engineering




Civil Engineering


Bridge Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Management




Structural Engineering


Structural Engineering, Bridge Engineering, Soil-Structure interaction with emphasis on the structural component




Water & Environmental Engineering


Water and Environmental Engineering




Advanced Geotechnical Engineering


Geotechnical Engineering




Infrastructure Engineering and Management


Infrastructure Engineering or Infrastructure Management





Projects are sometimes carried out in association with one of the research groups – the project supervisor will normally be a member of academic staff though some assistance may be offered by a researcher working in the project area.  In some cases projects may be undertaken in collaboration with industry, and may have a joint industrial supervisor.

Further details are given in the Programme Handbook.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they: 

• are able to undertake a sizeable research project and manage it from inception to completion 


• managed to research their topic of choice to a depth that allows an informed academic discussion;  


• are capable of defending their conclusions based on evidence and justifying their steps in arriving at these conclusions.  

Thus, the summative assessment for the dissertation project comprises both the mini-project and the full dissertation project. The mini-project is assessed on the basis of report. The dissertation project is marked on the basis of a written report and a oral examination. There is a separate mark for project management on the basis fo project documentation produced through the year (risk and ethics assessments, project plan, progress reports).

Feedback is given: 

• at supervisor meetings 


• on the interim submissions

Module aims

• To enable students to demonstrate their ability to plan and execute a research project, to have a command of the relevant literature, to present and interpret their research outputs and to draw sensible conclusions and where appropriate recommend further investigation
• To allow scope for students to demonstrate initiative, sound judgement, planning, and critical thought
• To encourage students to develop a critical appreciation of a topic and its broader context.
• To encourage students to synthesise and critically appraise their findings and those of others.
• To give students the opportunity to write a detailed and professional report, that sets out the aims, objectives, method, results, discussion and conclusions of the work undertaken

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is that the student will achieve the learning outcomes through guided individual research and study, making full use of all the appropriate resources. The learning process is supported through meetings with academic supervisors, as well as a series of introductory lectures and seminars on research skills and methods.

The mini-project is intended to develop and demonstrate research skills, including lab skills. The project is centred on around a small but complex question that must be addressed using a physical experiment. In completing the project, student gain first-hand experience in the different stages of executing a research project, from conception to interpretation, as well as the systematic way in which research projects are reported using the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion). 

This module will build on a variety of previously (and concurrently) studied modules, depending on the topic of the dissertation.  Most students will have undertaken an individual research project in their final Bachelors year, and although it was probably for fewer credits and with expectations relevant to FHEQ Level 6 rather than Level 7, it would provide a useful indicator.

 


 

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: ENGM044

Other information

Digital capabilities:   Depending on the topic, the Dissertation Project will require the student to become familiar with and use advanced software packages, such as finite element analysis and GIS.  Experimental work may develop proficiency with computer-controlled testing and data logging.

Resourcefulness & Resilience:   The Dissertation Project will, by nature, require the student to tackle open-ended problems, formulate solution strategies, overcome obstacles, and manage the overall progress, thus developing resourcefulness and resilience.

Sustainability:   Depends on the dissertation topic.

Employability:   The Dissertation Project will enable the student to develop expertise in a particular area of civil engineering, alongside professional and transferable skills, thus enhancing their employability.

Global and cultural capabilities:   All Dissertation Projects will require students to become familiar with the international literature and not just that within the UK or Europe. Some projects will go further and might for example collect and work with data collected from across national boundaries.

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 2025/6 academic year.