Course information 2012/13

EG5085

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

COURSE INFORMATION SESSION 2012/13

EG 5085 Advanced Topics for MEng Study

CREDIT POINTS
30
COURSE CO-ORDINATOR
Dr R Neilson

Email: r.d.neilson@abdn.ac.uk

COURSE ORGANISERS
Dr R Neilson
CONTRIBUTORS
School of Engineering staff
SCRUTINEER
Dr O Menshykov
PRE-REQUISITE
EG 4511 or EG 4513
CO-REQUISITE
None
NOTE
(i)
(ii)

Only available to students in programme year 5 of an MEng programme or with the

permission of the Head of the School of Engineering.
A full-time student undertakes this course in the first half-session. The timing for a
part-time student is determined on an individual case basis.

AIMS
To provide the student with the opportunity of pursuing in depth technical studies in discipline
specific topics.
DESCRIPTION
The course comprises two exercises, which involve in depth technical self-study on a topic
related to the MEng specialism of individual students. The exercise may take the form of, for
example, an intelligent synthesis of published material on a topic, critical analysis of literature,
comparison of methods of analysis or back analysis of case studies. Each exercise requires the
student to produce a written paper on the specialist topic. The first exercise is examined by
continuous assessment. The second exercise is examined by continuous assessment and by
conference presentation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course students should:
A: have knowledge and understanding of:
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Course information 2012/13

discipline specific topics in depth

B: have gained intellectual skills so that they are able to:

solve problems of non-routine nature

C: have gained practical skills so that they are able to:

work independently

D: have gained or improved transferable skills so that they are able to:

communicate technical information effectively orally and in writing

SYLLABUS
Each student undertakes two exercises, each of six weeks duration. Each exercise requires output
in the form of a written PAPER. The papers are expected to be of high quality both in terms of
content and presentation. The first paper is to be submitted by the end of week 17 with the
student getting feedback by the end of week 19. Topics for the second exercise are issued in
week 18. The second paper is to be submitted by the end of week 23. Each student is also
required to give a conference presentation on the topic of the second exercise in week 29.
Students work individually although a single topic will be selected for students following a
particular degree programme.
The topics will be selected to ensure that students gain further technical understanding in their
chosen specialism. The attached document provides example topics.
TIMETABLE
First half-session, weeks 12-23, 29.
ASSESSMENT
The first paper is weighted 30%. The second paper is weighted 50% with the conference
presentation being weighted 20%.
The two papers should describe the students findings on two distinct technical exercises.
Students are encouraged to pursue and demonstrate technical depth in the conduct of the
exercises. The assessment of the papers will emphasise those aspects of the exercise associated
with technical depth. The first paper should be approximately 15 pages long with 14pt line
spacing and the second paper approximately 20 pages long with 14pt line spacing.
Penalties for late or non-submission of in-course work are as follows:
i) for late submission, 1 CAS mark will be deducted for each day late (including weekends):
ii) for non-submission, a CAS mark of 0 will be awarded.
If late or non-submission is due to medical or other circumstances outwith your control you must
submit a medical certificate or other formal evidence to the School Office as soon as is
practicable but no later than the end of Revision Week (Week 27).
GROUP WORKING AND PLAGIARISM
You should note that although the design or laboratory exercise is carried out in conditions
which are intended to encourage collaboration between students, your written submissions must
be entirely your own personal work. This is true both for the written record in the logbook and
for the design report, abstract or any other work which is submitted at the conclusion of the
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EG5085

exercise. Copying one anothers submitted work and plagiarism will be regarded as cheating and
may lead to disciplinary action as indicated in the Academic Quality Handbook
(http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/). Plagiarism is the use, without adequate
acknowledgement, of the intellectual work of another person in work submitted for assessment.
Information on how to reference the work of another person in your report is given in section
7.5.

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