锘� Course specification for MSC8001

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Course specification
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MSC8001 Research Project I

Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba
Short Description: Research Project I
Units : 2
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Sciences
Student contribution band : Band 2
ASCED code : 029999 - Information Technology not els
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: MCTN or MCOP or MCTE or MSCN or MCCO or MADS or have the approval of their program coordinator

Other requisites

Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.

Rationale

An in-depth project and dissertation on a specialised research topic are necessary to prepare graduates for further research, applications and responsible jobs in Applied Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics or Science. This course, in conjunction with MSC8002, enables students to develop and use research capability and an advanced level of Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics or Science skills.

Synopsis

This course forms the first part of the research component of the Masters programs in the Health, Engineering and Science Faculty, developed further in MSC8002. It develops the foundation for ultimately completing a selected project in Computer Science, Counselling, Applied Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics or Science with the supervision of appropriate staff from the Faculty. The project will consist of reviewing, researching into and reporting of a well specific area and exploring possible applications of knowledge and skills from that area. In this course, information and ideas for the project will be gathered, organised and a preliminary analysis made in a critical and evaluative manner. The topic of the project will be selected in consultation with the appropriate staff of the Faculty.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. conduct a research literature review in Applied Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics or Science;
  2. plan an investigation of a suitable and approved research topic
  3. develop advanced Applied Science, Mathematics, Statistics or Science skills which include the analysis, synthesis and evaluation of factors involved in the project.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. To be determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervisor 100.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=MSC8001)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

All materials will be available from the USQ精东传媒appDesk course web site at .

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Cater M 2013, Designing Science Presentations: A Visual Guide to Figures, Papers, Slides, Posters, and More, Elsevier Science & Technology.
Davis M, Davis K & Dunagan 2012, Scientific Papers and Presentations, 3rd edn, Elsevier Science & Technology.
Higham NJ 1998, Handbook of writing for the mathematical sciences, 2nd edn, Siam, Philadelphia.
Jaeger RM 1990, Statistics: A spectator sport, 2nd edn, Sage, Newbury Park, Ca.
Ling CX & Yang Q 2012, Crafting your research future: a guide to successful master's and Ph. D. degrees in science & engineering, Morgan & Claypool Publishers.
Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., Daniels, M. D 2016, Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods, 2nd edn, Pearson.
Strunk W (Jr) 2000, The elements of Style, 4th edn, Boston : Allyn and Bacon.
Tufte ER 2001, The visual display of quantitative information, 2nd edn, Graphics Press, Cheshire, Conn.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 80.00
Consultation 15.00
Private 精东传媒app 231.00
Seminars 4.00
Workshops 10.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
MSC8001 LITERATURE REVIEW 10 5 13 Mar 2020 (see note 1)
MSC8001 PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL 10 5 13 Mar 2020 (see note 2)
MSC8001 PRELIMINARY SEMINAR 10 5 13 Mar 2020 (see note 3)
MSC8002 SEMINAR 10 10 13 Mar 2020 (see note 4)
MSC8002 DISSERTATION 100 75 19 Jun 2020 (see note 5)

Notes
  1. Due dates to be advised by the examiner.
  2. Due dates to be advised by the examiner.
  3. Due dates to be advised by the examiner.
  4. Due dates to be advised by the examiner.
  5. Due dates to be advised by the examiner.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the student's responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them, to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course, and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. It is the student's responsibility to maintain regular contact with their supervisor according to a mutually agreed schedule.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Students will be awarded the grade of IIP (Incomplete - in progress) at the end of this course provided they have gained at least 50% of the marks available for the Preliminary Proposal, Preliminary Seminar, and Literature Review. This grade will be changed to a final grade when the course MSC8002 is completed.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks/grades obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination in this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.

  8. 精东传媒app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. Students must familiarise themselves with the USQ Assessment Procedures (

  2. If electronic submission is specified for a course assessment, students will be notified of this on the Course 精东传媒app Desk. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment irrespective of holidays. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).

  3. If hardcopy submission is specified for a course assessment students will be notified of this on the Course 精东传媒app Desk. The due date for a hardcopy assignment is the date by which a student must submit at USQ or despatch the assignment to the USQ irrespective of holidays.

  4. USQ will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile unless expressly requested by the course examiner.

  5. A grade of IIP (Incomplete, In Progress) will be temporarily awarded for this course when the student has completed the first three assessment items satisfactorily. A final grade for the course will be assigned upon completion and assessment of MSC8002 Research Project Dissertation. The grade calculated from all the assessment items completed in both MSC8001 and MSC8002 will be awarded to both MSC8001 and MSC8002.

  6. In exceptional circumstances and only with the prior approval of the Examiner, a student may be awarded a passing grade in this course upon Satisfactory completion of the first four assessment items and the submission of a project dissertation of a satisfactory standard appropriate for two units.

  7. The referencing system to be used in this course is supported by the School. Information on this referencing system and advice on how to use it can be found in the course materials.

Other requirements

  1. It is the student's responsibility to firstly approach staff members and discuss possible projects, and secondly to negotiate a mutually agreed project topic with a staff member who will then become the student's Supervisor for the research project in MSC8001 and MSC8002. Enrolment can only be confirmed when a student has found an appropriate project supervisor

  2. Normally a student's work in a project, their seminar and dissertation is expected to be open to public scrutiny. However, a project may generate intellectual property which a student wishes to remain confidential. If this is the case, the student, Supervisor and Examiner will meet or confer to negotiate appropriate work practices consistent with 精东传媒app policies.

  3. Normally, a student and the Supervisor will meet or confer for one hour each week. The Supervisor will: guide direction; provide formative feedback; suggest possibilities; teach methods; advise on balance and emphasis; review timelines; recommend marks to the Examiner for the Preliminary proposal, Proposal, Preliminary seminar, and Literature review; suggest dissertation Markers to the Examiner; coordinate with the Examiner, especially for the seminars; and meet as required with other supervisors.

  4. Safety Induction: All Masters students must complete the USQ Safety Induction before commencing work or within the first week of commencing work in the Faculty.

  5. Inductions for Restricted Access Areas: All Masters students expected to work in restricted access areas must complete the relevant safety induction for that location before commencing duties. The student's supervisor is to ensure all inductions for restricted access areas are completed. Induction paperwork is to be kept in the office of the relative Laboratory Manager. Academic Supervisors are encouraged to keep copies of this paperwork for their own records.

  6. Commencing Work Before All Inductions are Completed: Any Academic Supervisor who wishes their Honours/Masters student(s) to begin work before all inductions have been completed, may do so only if they provide direct supervision of the student in question until the induction(s) is completed.

Date printed 19 June 2020