Unit information: Research Project in 2015/16

Unit name	Research Project
Unit code	MATHM6301
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Dettmann
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Refer to unit Director
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Mathematics
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

This unit will give students an opportunity for independent study of a topic, either chosen from the list currently of projects available each year or agreed in advance with their supervisor. During the project they will be expected to give an assessed oral presentation on their work, and at the end of the unit they will be required to write up the work in a project dissertation.

Aims:

To give students an opportunity to study a topic of their choice, working independently, and to develop experience of report-writing and oral presentation. To provide preparation for students planning PhD research.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The projects offered may vary each year, and no general statement of the mathematical or learning objectives is possible.

In terms of general skill, by the end of the unit the student will have:

• developed his or her capacity for independence in tackling and solving problems,

• developed experience and skills in report-writing and oral presentation,

• mastered an area of mathematics at a level approaching the current research literature,

• enhanced his or her capacity for original work, either through new research or through a new synthesis of existing knowledge.

Teaching Information

Guidance from supervisor, leading to independent study with further discussion with supervisor as necessary.

Assessment Information

The student will be asked to prepare a formative interim report and presentation.

In terms of summative assessment, the student normally produces a written report of about 20000 words (90% of the assessment) and gives a short presentation (10% of the assessment).

The assessment criteria for the project will be based on a suitably modified version of the current Mathematics Department Project Assessment form. The project will be marked by the supervisor and by an independent second marker.

Reading and References

References as appropriate for each project

For technical writing:

• N J Higham, Handbook of writing for the mathematical sciences, SIAM, 1998.

• R Barrass, Scientists must write : a guide to better writing for scientists, engineers and students, Routledge, 2002.