| Unit name | Physics Dissertation 333 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYS38331 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Gersen |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
120 credit points at level I/5 of any BSc physics, joint honours with physics or Chemical Physics programme. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The dissertation is an opportunity for students to produce a major review of a single topic in physics. The dissertation is student-led and leads to a substantial report detailing the topic, combining material from a variety of sources.
Aims:
The dissertation is a substantial exercise where the student demonstrates initiative and independence, bringing a diversity of knowledge and skills to bear on a particular topic. A major component of this unit is to develop the ability to synthesise material from a wide variety of sources and analyse critically the current status of knowledge about the specific topic.
The student will:
The dissertation will be mainly library-based. Both a supervisor and an assessor will be involved during the duration of the dissertation. Generally the student and supervisor will meet weekly.
Assessment is through an interim presentation at the start of spring term and a final dissertation of about 6,000 words at the start of summer term. The interim presentation is 10 minutes long followed by 2 minutes of questions. The presentations are given individually, attended by an assessor and small group (typically 5-10) of other project or dissertation students. The presentation is jointly marked by the assessor and your peers. The final dissertation must be produced independently. The dissertation will be independently marked by an assessor and your supervisor, and you will have an approximately 30 minute interview to discuss your dissertation. The final assessment is based on day-to-day performance, the quality of the dissertation, the results and analysis. Marks will be awarded for technical ability, diligence, motivation and an understanding of the science of the dissertation. The marks will be agreed upon by the assessor and supervisor.
The final unit mark is made up of two coursework components weighted as follows
Interim presentation (10%) Final dissertation and interview (90%)
This will depend on the specific topic but may include textbooks, research journals, previous project reports and web-based material.
