Mechanical Engineering Honours Project module (ME40005)

The Honours Year Project module is an exciting opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in planning, organising, and carrying out a program of practical project work in one area of engineering. The exact nature of each student’s experience will depend upon the subject matter of the particular project they choose to undertake.

This module is perfect for students who are interested in gaining practical experience in Engineering. Students will have the opportunity to work on a project that is tailored to their own interests and skills. They will learn how to plan, organise, and carry out a program of practical project work, which will provide them with valuable experience that they can use in their future careers.
 

What you will learn

In this module, you will:
 

• explore academic journals, books, conference papers, and other relevant sources to gain an understanding of the current state of knowledge in the field
• develop skills in defining research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies, determining sample sizes, and designing data collection procedures
• apply theoretical knowledge to real-world research scenarios and developing practical research skills
• apply appropriate statistical or qualitative analysis techniques to answer research questions or test hypotheses
• explore various reporting formats, including academic papers, presentations, posters, and reports
   

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• project management skills, which will be essential to prepare you for industry
• plan and organise your time effectively
• problem-solve, by understanding your results and re evaluating your concept and designs
• enhance your communication skills, working with a range of different stakeholders, such as academic, technical and industrialists

Assignments / assessment:

• conference-type poster (5%)
• supervisors mark (10%)
• final thesis report (80%)
• video presentation (5%)

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable:

• regular meetings between the students and the project supervisor. These meetings will help the student to plan and organise their time over the two semesters. It will largely be up to the student to allocate and make the most of their available time for working on these independent projects.
• A project descriptor, interim report, and log book are all submitted throughout the year to make sure project aims are on track and milestones are being met, whilst also updating a Gantt chart for assessing time management.
• timetabled sessions for each student to meet their supervisor at least once a week and work out with these sessions spending a minimum of 12 hours per week on project-related study. The planning and organising of time spent on the project will be an integral part of the project and details will be arrived at through consultation between the student and their supervisor to suit the needs of the specific project. A hard-backed or digital log book must be kept detailing all project work, activities, and meetings, and should be updated daily.

This module is worth 45 credits and therefore 450 hours is nominally associated with student learning.