Before being considered for the award of an honours degree, all engineering candidates need to demonstrate that they have abilities in project management as well as the ability to apply a wide range of the material developed within their programme in a single project. In addition, they need to demonstrate that they can work independently. This course aims to give candidates the opportunity to demonstrate such abilities.

1.2. Aims

· To develop the ability to integrate material from different subject areas previously studied in the candidate’s individual named programme;

· To promote the ability to work on an individual basis, with limited direct supervision;

· To foster enhanced problem-solving skills;

· To convey an understanding of the needs of industry.

1.3. Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the course the candidate shall be able to:

· Undertake a substantial programme of work on an individual basis that integrates various facets of their named programme of study;

· Use a wide range of skills to solve problems;

· Disseminate the findings of the project by an oral presentation;

· Present the project in a comprehensive and properly structured written report.

1.4. Indicative Content:

Projects fall into three categories:

1. Laboratory investigations.

2. Design, construction and evaluation.

3. In depth and critical appraisal of some existing or proposed engineering scheme or system.

Ideas for projects are provided by members of staff within the School, by industrial organisations, and optionally by candidates themselves. The main criteria for the acceptability of a project are that it offers a substantial challenge to the candidate's initiative, that it involves activities appropriate to the role of a developing professional engineer and that it is directly relevant to the programme of study of the candidate.

Projects are carried out on an individual basis. The candidate takes responsibility for his or her own decisions whilst undertaking the project knowing that, in general, there is no one unique solution to most engineering problems. This means that the candidate plans and carries out the project with a degree of independence, under the general guidance of the academic supervisor.

1.5. Teaching and Learning

Candidate centred activity and weekly tutorials with the project supervisor amounting to one day per week for the whole of the final academic year.

Each project supervisor will have their own way of supporting your project so it is important to find out from your supervisor, at the start of the project, how they plan to support you.

The key dates for the course are as follows:

University Week	Description	Date
Term 3, Week 3	Introduction Briefing Session	20-05-2008
Term 1, Week 2	Project Proposal Briefing Session	02-10-2009
Term 1, Week 6	Project Proposals Submission	06-11-2009
Term 1, Week 11	Progress Report Briefing Session	04-12-2009
Term 2, Week 2	Progress Report Submission	15-01-2010
Term 2, Week 4	Final Report Briefing Session	05-02-2010
Term 3, Week 3	Final Report Submission	07-05-2010
Assessment Weeks	Oral Presentations	Between 10-05-2010 - 28-05-2010

1.6. Brief Assessment Details

The following lists the overall mark breakdown for the course. A more detailed breakdown of marks is available later in this document.

Title	Weighting	Outline Details
Project Proposal	5%	Short written report
Progress Report	5%	Written report
Oral Presentation	10%	Oral presentation with visual aids
Supervisors Mark	5%	Awarded for effort throughout the project
Final Report	75%	Substantial written report

1.6.1. Assessment Checklist

Before submitting any work for this course it is essential that you agree to the following:

1. Where I have included the work of others (materials, ideas, images or text, etc.) I have indicated clearly in every location where the work of others appears and where the work comes from.

2. I have understood the marking scheme and assessment and if I did not understand I have taken reasonable steps to achieve that understanding by discussion with the course tutor.

3. I have tackled each of the marking scheme areas and have made clear in my submission which sections of the work are compartmented against the marking scheme.

4. I have used, as required, a wide range of tools and techniques as taught on the course and have examined other techniques that may have been referred to and I am satisfied that this assignment demonstrates the full breadth and depth of my understanding of the knowledge taught and learned in the context of the chosen problem.

1.6.2. Things you must remember

1. The Final Year project is worth 30 credits and is a double course so it demands considerably more individual effort than any of your other courses.

2. It is almost unheard of for a student to gain a classification of degree more than 5 marks above the mark for your Final Year Project. (i.e. you cannot gain a 1st class degree with a project mark that is below 65%!) Although arithmetically this may be possible, the examination board tends to put significant weight on the score from your project.

3. The Final Year Project is marked in detail by two members of staff, your supervisor and an assessor. Assessors are assigned in April and will generally be other members of the Computer and Communications Departmental Staff team. These two marks are moderated at a board of tutors meeting that takes place in June.

4. The Final Year Project is designed to give you an opportunity to work in an open and largely unstructured environment, apart from contact with your supervisor and the assessment criteria. Your whole degree has been leading up to this in many senses. However your supervisor will be able to give you all the support you need provided you do maintain close contact with them.

5. There is a Small, Very Small, budget for students who need to purchase particular items of software or hardware for their Final Year Project. Your supervisor can advise you about this.

6. Each student will have a supervisor who works with them on the project throughout the year.

· Once submitted, each student’s work will be marked by the supervisor and an assessor, who will also observe the Final Presentation.

· The supervisor and assessor will agree the final mark for your project between themselves.

· Disputes will be resolved through the external examiner process.

2. Assessment Details

2.1. Project Selection

In order to initiate your final year project, you must first choose a project. Choosing a project is very important as you have to remain focused on the project for an entire academic year and it has to maintain your interest for the duration.

You will be provided with a list of projects based upon the interest areas of the department’s academic staff. These projects range greatly in subject area and tend to be specialised to a specific programme field. The projects provided by staff give a good indication as to their areas of interests and expertise but you are not limited to those projects; if you have a good idea of your own that you feel could be turned into a final year project then you should seek out a member of staff suitable and available to support your project idea.

The selection of your project is made based upon a number of important factors:

· The project must be suitable for your degree. The idea of the project is to allow you to take the skills gained throughout your degree and put them into practice within an extended project.

· The project should provide you with a suitable challenge. It is important that you choose a project that gives you the opportunity to stretch yourself and so you should be looking for one with enough substance and room for personal development.

· The project should be unique. Normally only one student may choose a specific project.

· The project should be suitable for your degree type. If you are studying a BEng programme, your project should provide you with the opportunity to tackle a full development lifecycle, from analysing an abstract problem through to system testing. A BSc project may differ in that it could focus on specific phases of the development lifecycle, or use a more rapid development approach to tackling a given problem.

If you are in any doubt about choosing an appropriate project then arrange to speak with your programme leader or a tutor from your field of study to seek further advice.

2.2. Project Proposal (5%)

This is the first item of assessment and carries 5% of the marks. It is your opportunity to set out your project in terms of:

· Its outline title and description. (1-2 pages of A4)

· A description of your understanding, from discussions with your supervisor, as to their expectations from you, what they require you to do, the process they expect you to follow and how they expect you to meet the supervisor mark.

· A project plan setting down the key tasks and milestones of the project on a Gantt chart using Microsoft project or similar suitable software. This should include, and of course take account of, the hand in dates and briefing sessions. (1-3 sides of A4 depending on detail and font size.)

· A brief look at the feasibility of the project with an assessment of the project risks, (2-3 pages of A4 in total). Some important risks to consider may include (where appropriate):

o The technology you propose to use. Might it let you down? Is it unstable? Do you know enough about it? etc.

o The knowledge you have and/or intend to gain during the project. How have you ensured you will be able to gain the knowledge you need?

o Any health and safety issues that may arise.

o Any other risks that you perceive for the project.

o Risks do not need to include social and domestic risks, like falling ill or suffering bereavement.

· A list of the key reference sources for the project that you have identified. (10 or so references)

2.3. Progress Report (5%)

The progress report allows you to let your supervisor know exactly where you have got to in your project. The report should provide an honest look at your progress so far with the view to identifying problems and proposing solutions as to how those problems can be addressed. If, for example, you are running behind, explain how you will be able to adjust your project plan to accommodate in order that you can still meet the final deadline.

As an indication, the progress report should include:

· A discussion of the progress made so far including problems experienced and solutions found to help overcome those problems. (4-5 pages of A4)

· A revised project plan (Microsoft Project Gantt chart) that highlights the tasks completed and reflects adjustments required to help the project stay on task for meeting the final fixed deadline. (1-3 Sides of A4 depending on detail and print scale.)

· Optionally, you may find it useful to present some of your results to your supervisor, in a formal way, in order that you can obtain some useful feedback in preparation for the final report at the end of the project. For example, by the time the progress report is due, you may have completed the analysis and started the design phase of the project and therefore it may be appropriate to present your findings of the project so far to your supervisor, to ensure you are on the right track. This should be included within the reports Appendix and referenced within the report.

2.4. Final Report (55%)

2.4.1. Section Contents

Below are set out the sections that should appear in your project report. You may choose to subdivide any of these sections as you see fit into sub-chapters, sections or in any other way that allows you to describe your project clearly. Also it is important that these sections of the report are written in the third person.

There is NO restriction to the length of your project. In the past, the length of a good project has been around 70 pages including essential diagrams. You will not be penalised for a project that is 100 pages long provided that you are not repeating yourself or being evasive or vague. A project report is as long as it needs to be. But remember that the reader appreciates an informal and economical report.

2.4.2. Introduction and Outline

You inform the reader as to the nature of the project, reasons for its development and set the scene for the project itself. It is often easier to leave the main introduction until you have completed the main body of the report.

2.4.2.1. Literature Review

As part of the introduction of the project, you are expected to undertake an in depth literature review as guided by your supervisor.

This will contain a detailed view of information sources and literature covered, with particular reference to sources that provide the required information to tackle the project and fill the gaps in knowledge. This section will be a wide ranging examination of the problem and solution domains.

You are expected to review a range of different literature here. Do not confine yourself entirely to books.

Other methods of obtaining information are:

· Websites (beware – you should only use websites of established bodies, and even then be critical of the information gained. Anybody can publish to a website)

· Journals – plenty of scientific journals exist. The library will be able to help you to discover whether a particular title exists and whether a copy is available

· Magazines – technical magazines often contain useful information

· Interviews – you may interview somebody who has worked on a project that is similar to yours.

You will need to reference your information sources.

In your Literature Review, you will need to show that you have made informed decisions within your design process by reading the works of others. Sometimes you will find that all of your sources agree on the best way to implement a certain feature. In this case your job is easy.

In other cases, you may find that authors disagree when it comes to a particular point and then it is your job to argue your case convincingly. You need to examine the source documents carefully and say why you have chosen one piece of advice over another. Remember that the Literature Review is your chance

2.4.3. Analysis

The analysis phase is crucial to your project as it identifies all of the projects requirements at the start of the project. Without a properly undertaken analysis with a clearly defined set of requirements you will not know what you are designing, implementing or testing.

The analysis phase includes a number of key activities:

· You need to understand the problem domain which will require you to research around the problem, look at existing solutions and technologies that may help to solve the problem you are working on. You will need to be critical when assessing existing solution and technologies and will later need to use your research to help justify some of the design decisions you will have to make. Your literature survey will support this.

· You may need to undertake some form of stakeholder analysis, in order that you can ensure you are meeting the requirements of all interested parties. In some projects, you may find your supervisor is also your main stakeholder, in others you may find your stakeholders from elsewhere.

o When documenting your requirements, remember to try and make them quantifiable, in order that you can assess your requirements at the end of the project to determine whether you have met them with your developed solution.

· You may need to identify the methodology that is used to solve your problem. Many projects will find it useful to use the traditional Waterfall methodology to solve the problem; however, some projects may find it more suitable to use an alternative methodology, such as an iterative development lifecycle, or rapid development approach. Your supervisor can help you with this, within your specific field.

2.4.4. Design, Implementation and Testing

This section will contain details of the development processes for your solution in a way that is appropriate for your chosen methodology. You should set out the major design choices that you have made showing how each choice has been made and give reasons for that choice.

You are expected to use graphical techniques to describe ideas, concepts and outcomes where appropriate. You may need to make use, for example, UML diagrams, flow charts, use-case diagrams, cut-away diagrams or any other applicable technique to help display the workings of your project.

Remember that a good diagram can save you a page or more of text and a diagram will be much easier for the reader to assimilate. You may find Microsoft Visio a useful tool when it comes to producing diagrams. You can obtain a free copy from MSDN Academic Alliance from the My School tab on the Portal.

For showing your implementation, try and provide illustrations such as screen captures, photographs or any other evidence to show what you have done to implement your solution. If you have a large quantity of evidence, such as code, include this within an Appendix and reference the Appendix from the main report.

2.4.5. Evaluation

This section gives you the chance to tell us about the final solution to your project. You should divide this into two parts, an overall project conclusion and a personal evaluation.

2.4.5.1. Project Conclusion

The project conclusion will look at the success of the project by verifying and validating the requirements identified within the analysis phase and measuring the resulting solution against those requirements.

It would be appropriate to be critical about the progress made throughout the project, both negative such as how the project could have been improved as well as positive such as how it was successful, as well identifying future work where further projects could expand on the work undertaken with your problem domain.

Include within the Appendix, reference and discuss in your main report, the final copy of your Gantt chart, updated to reflect what actually happened showing the progression from start to finish.

2.4.5.2. Personal Evaluation

We would also like you to review your personal development throughout the lifetime of the project. Tell us what you have learnt while working on the project. You may have learnt new ideas and skills that ordinarily you would not have had the time to learn. There may be things that you have learnt that are not directly related to the project, but that you discovered during research, working on the project etc. Tell us.

2.4.6. Appendix

This section is the place to put information that is pertinent to your project report. You may include, for example, software code listings, which should be here and NOT in the main body of the report. You may wish to refer the reader to the Appendix within the main body of the report so that the reader can easily find the full results of a test, for instance, but discuss them briefly with the main body.

2.4.7. Outcome and/or Product (20%)

The outcome and/or product of your project may come under a range of categories such as a piece of hardware, a customised network configuration, a database driven website, piece of software or a game. You may present your results to your supervisor and/or assessor through a range of means, for example you may arrange to give a demonstration or provide video, executable software, ready to run virtual machine or any other easy to use method of demonstrating or submitting your work. If appropriate you should provide all forms of supporting documentation, helps files, tutorials, etc along with the outcome and/or product. For advice on how to achieve this for your project consult with your supervisor.

2.4.8. Report Format

The rules governing the layout of the final report are as follows, and you must follow them:

· Size A4, white paper, must be used.

· The thesis should be neatly typed in such a way as to be easily read (e.g. use 1.5 line spacing).

· Use justified paragraph format and page numbering.

· Double-sided printing must NOT be used.

· Margins at least 25mm must be left blank along the top of each page and a margin of at least 25 mm width, after binding, must be left along the spine edge of each page.

· The work must be suitably divided into chapters, and each chapter into sections, each with an appropriate title. Each chapter must begin on a new page and a line is to be left blank before each section.

· Each diagram or figure must have a title and should be numbered.

· Document structure:

o The cover page of the project (see Appendix 3.1).

o The front page (see Appendix 3.2)

o A page with Acknowledgements should follow.

o An Abstract, of 150 words, should occupy a page by itself.

o The title of the project and the abstract together should be self contained, so that they convey some information to the reader who has not read any part of the work.

o A Table of Contents must be included occupying a page/s by itself. It must give the title and initial page number of each chapter. Listings of sections within chapters must also be included.

o The main text should begin with the Introduction chapter and this will introduce the topic to the reader and provide some background into the subject.

o Lengthy tables, program-listings etc. referred to in the body of the thesis, should be collected as Appendices at the end of the work.

o A summary or Conclusion of work must be included with a section of future work.

o References have to appear at the end of the report, beginning on a new page. You may use footnotes.

o All sources that are referred to should be listed in the Reference Section. It is advisable to use the built-in referencing facility within Microsoft Word 2007. Each should list, in order:

1. Author’s name and initials.

2. Year of publication in parentheses.

3. Title of paper or book, without underlining or quotation marks.

4. Abbreviated name of journal.

5. Volume number.

6. Initial and final page numbers.

2.4.9. Submission to Student Centre

Two bound copies of your final report should be submitted using the correct coloured covers

(available from the Engineering School Office).

· The main body of the work and the Appendices should be bound in one copy of the report.

· The student has to submit the above copies to the Student Centre with an appropriate header sheet.

2.5. Supervisor Mark (5%)

We expect students to make regular contact with their supervisor during their final year. There is always a strong correlation between students who do well in the project and those who make regular constructive contact with their supervisor.

Such regular contact ensures that:

· You take full advantage of your supervisor’s experience.

· The more frequent the contact, the tighter the feedback loop.

· You have discharged your responsibility to keep in touch.

Each supervisor will have their own style and approach for allocating their supervisor mark and it is important that you discuss with your supervisor, up front, how this mark will be derived. The supervisor, may, for example require you to create a logbook to keep a record of your progress throughout your project and therefore may use this logbook towards this mark. Other supervisors may use regular meetings or contact with you as their basis for allocating this mark, based upon continuous assessment of your overall progress.

Make sure you are aware at the start of the project what is expected from you.

2.6. Oral Presentation (10%)

The oral presentation gives you the opportunity to present some of the aspects of your project to your peers, supervisor, assessor and perhaps even the external assessor, who is always invited to attend.

You should dress smartly. You will normally get around 8 minutes so for PowerPoint presentations any more than 8 slides is going to force you to rush.

If I were doing a project presentation, I would firstly introduce the project giving its reason for being attempted and any other relevant details. Perhaps you have chosen to attempt a new method of doing something that already exists. Explain the advantage to this new method.

8 minutes does not give you enough time to talk about your entire project, so I would pick a part of the project that I was particularly proud of and talk about this, the difficulties you have faced, solutions, design difficulties etc.

Make sure that you provide a conclusion, even a brief one so that there is a defined end to the presentation.

Rehearse your presentation several times before you give it so that you do not run out of time.

You will get asked some questions at the end. These are to clarify any points that we feel you did not make sufficiently clear. We are not trying to trip you up; instead we are trying to get you to show your project in the best possible way and our questions give you the chance to do this.

The project supervisor will provide information as to which method of oral presentation they plan to use. These may fall under the following categories:

· Viva

· Presentation

· Posters

3. Appendix

3.1. Cover Page

The cover page should be printed on the coloured card provided by the School office.