Department of Physics and Astronomy
BSc Project Choice Form
Name: ……………………………….
Course:……………….
The Department of Physics and Astronomy has agreed to offer the following to BSc
students for their final year:
Please tick box which you would prefer to do:
Two Term Individual Final Year Project (30 credits)
Assessment:
Type
Project Report
Presentation
Timing
Spring Teaching Week 15 Thu 12:00
A1 Week 2
Weighting
80.00%
20.00%
Two Term Group Project (30 credits)
Weight Group/Indiv. mark
Timing
Type of Assessment
10%
Group
T1 – week 2
Group Management Plan
20%
Group
A1- week 2
Group Presentation 30 mins
30%
Individual
T2 – week 12
Individual Project Diary
5%
Individual
T2 – week 12
Individual Contributions to Meetings with
Supervisor
5%
Individual
T2 – week 12
Peer Feedback for Individual
30%
Group
T2 – week 15
Group Project Report (10,000 words)
BSc_project_choice_sheet
One Term Group Project (15 credits)
Assessment
Weight Group/Indiv. mark
Timing
Type of Assessment
10%
Group
T1 – week 2
Group Management Plan
20%
Group
T1- week 6
Group Presentation 30 mins
30%
Individual
T1 – week 12
Individual Project Diary
5%
Individual
T1 – week 12
Individual Contributions to Meetings with
Supervisor
5%
Individual
T1 – week 12
Peer Feedback for Individual
30%
Group
A1 – week 2
Group Project Report (10,000 words)
In addition to the One Term Group Project you will also take another option module
from the list (15 credits).
Please also note that a Group Project will not be available unless there are sufficient
students signed up for the same project as a group.
Please also indicate if you would be interested in transferring
to the MPhys at the end of your 2nd year. If you have the
required year 2 mean of at least 55% and if places are available,
then you will be notified shortly after the Progression Exam Board
in July 2015. You will then need to respond within 2 weeks to
accept or decline the place offered.
BSc_project_choice_sheet
During their final year all Physics & Astronomy students are required to carry out a project.
This comprises a detailed study, under supervision, of an experimental, a theoretical or a
computational topic or a review of a well-defined field, and the preparation of a written report,
or dissertation, of up to 10,000 words to be submitted. The project is an important part of the
final year’s work and the marks given for it contribute with 30 credits (two-term project) or 15
credits (one-term project) to the overall degree. The quality of the project can be one of the
considerations used to distinguish between classes for borderline cases.
Project
performance is also often regarded as the best indication of research potential either in the
academic sphere or in industry.
There is a choice between an individual project running over two terms or group projects
running over one or two terms. The individual project will have to most emphasis on
research work and will therefore best suit students with a strong interest in research to be
carried out by themselves. By contrast the group projects put emphasis not just on research
but also on collaboration and the organization and management of work within a group,
which are skills that are highly valued by employers. Thus group projects would best suit
students who like working in a team where every group member can contribute their
strongest side but does not have to an all-rounder who is good at everything.
A communications skills will be tested during a 20 minute individual or 30 minute group talk
on the project work. This talk will be assessed on the basis of presentation of the available
material. (Assessors fully realise that the project may not be near completion nor have
"results"). The mark obtained will contribute 20% of the total available for the project.
Your project work will take up an average of 12–15 hours per week. The topics that have
been suggested this year are given in the following list. "E" indicates a project that involves
experimental work, "N" indicates a non-experimental project i.e. a theoretical, computational
or review one. Individual members of faculty should be consulted for further details of these
projects.
Some current second year BSc students will in fact not do projects next year, because they
will transfer to the third year of the MPhys degree. Nevertheless, because there is always
some uncertainty as to whether students achieve the required threshold and whether places
are available on the MPhys, ALL CURRENT SECOND YEAR BSC STUDENTS are
required to make a choice of project by the deadline below. But please indicate above if you
wish to apply for transfer to the MPhys.
If you have your own idea for a project, please see Dr Jose Verdu soon as possible. If the
project seems feasible he will attempt to arrange for a supervisor. Otherwise, projects on
this list will be allocated by the end of the Spring Term. It is necessary therefore for you to
consult members of faculty as soon as possible in order to decide which projects you would
prefer to undertake. Please indicate your choice, in order of preference, on the slip attached
overleaf and return this slip no later than Monday, 23 March 2015 to the School Office.
Please note that members of faculty MUST have confirmed their willingness to act as your
supervisor BY SIGNING THE SLIP ATTACHED.
BSc_project_choice_sheet
UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
FINAL YEAR BSc PROJECTS IN
PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY 2015/2016
No action will be taken on the allocation of projects until after Monday, 23 March 2015.
As far as possible first choices will be met, but there can, of course, be no guarantee
of this since it will be necessary to divide the projects evenly between the various
supervisors. Students who do not return their slip by Monday, 23 March 2015 may be
unable to do the project of their choice.
Allocation of students to projects will be made before the end of the Spring Term and
all students should see their supervisors to discuss any preliminary work for the
project.
If there are any difficulties or queries, please see Dr J Verdu
J Verdu
February 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Return to:
MPS School Office
Pevensey 2, 3A20
Name ..........................................................................
(Block capitals)
Choice
Number of Project
*
Supervisor to Sign*
First
Second
Third
You must have different supervisors for each choice.
TO BE RETURNED NOT LATER THAN MONDAY, 23 MARCH 2015
BSc_project_choice_sheet