Project Management for Postgraduate Students

The aim of the Project is to enable the student to:

• carry out a critical, in-depth study; of an area of knowledge relevant to the course.
• demonstrate the application of techniques, acquired from the taught component of the programme, to the solution of a product development problem.

The project will be a self-contained piece of work of greater depth than could be accommodated within the taught modules. Ideally the project should encompass many aspects of the taught modules.

The postgraduate nature of the project should be evident from the overall higher standard compared with an undergraduate project. This will be reflected in the depth of the analysis and critical review, the insight required and in the complexity of the task undertaken.

The benchmark for determining the degree of success of a project will normally be whether or not the project and its report can form the basis for a publishable academic paper.

Students will be expected to demonstrate project management and presentation skills throughout the period of the project.

Topic Selection and Supervision

Most students will have already selected and developed a topic through the Research Methods module (ENGT5214), and found a supervisor. For those who have not (or perhaps have changed their mind about their topic), there are the following options.

a)Select a topic that has been set by the academics. These are posted in the Research Methods Module on Blackboard. This is probably the easiest route to select an appropriate research topic. They are only ideas and can be tailored to your interests.

b)Select a topic from the list of projects available in the individual project module. Contact the relevant supervisor and start your research.

c)If you are working, it is a good idea to select a topic that has value to the organisation you work for. This is a good route for part-time students. The topic needs to of appropriate scope and content for an MSc dissertation. Check that the organisation gives permission and can provide support for the project. You must agree the research question and research aim with your supervisor. It must not simply shadow or reproduce a work project; it must be separate and include an element of your own research, although it could certainly use materials from your work.

d)Select an area of your own interest. It can take a significant amount of time for students to identify a suitable area of appropriate scope. It is best to choose an area you are already familiar with or is related to the work you do.

e)If you are in any doubt, contact the Individual Project Module Leader / Programme Leader

Project Assessment

A project should draw upon the knowledge base and skills acquired in the taught modules; should demonstrate the integrative nature embodied in engineering and demonstrate design ability at the conceptual and practical levels.  

The academic supervisor will be the first reader of the dissertation and will mark the project.  A second reader, who is not a member of the Project Management Panel will be appointed by the Individual Project Module Leader in liaison with the Programme Leader to second mark the work to ensure uniformity of standards and assessment.

A good project demonstrates:

• Evidence of a thorough and wide ranging grasp of the domain of concern of the project;
• The technical and organisational competence to apply this understanding to a practical problem by deciding a method and logically organising and controlling the work involved to produce a solution which demonstrates it;
• Critical judgement both in discussing current work in the field and in evaluating the methods chosen in the project and practical results achieved;
• Consistent hard work
• Initiative and resourcefulness in the face of difficulties
• The communication skill to present results both orally and in writing.

Project Report (90% of total marks)

The quality of this report is a major consideration since it is where the student displays his/her understanding of the problem tackled, the solutions offered, and a critical evaluation of his/her achievements.  

Examiners look for

• Evidence of sufficient reading enabling the student to fully understand the conceptual context of the project and any related work which has been done
• Originality, a readiness to confront issues, and tenacity in dealing with them
• Sensibly ordered presentation of material which reads as the development of a coherent argument
• Sensible distribution of emphasis (so that unimportant details are not given too much discussion and difficult issues are addressed in full)
• Quality of English/readability
• A critical evaluation of the project in terms both of the results produced and the methodology adopted