Course coordinator
Dr Nick Hudson
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
An advanced piece of work in a specialist area relevant to the student's program & conducted under the supervision of a member of academic staff.
Students must submit the AGRC7200 Learning Contract to agriculture@enquire.uq.edu.au by: The first Thursday of February for students commencing in semester 1; or the first Thursday of July for students commencing in semester 2; or the first Thursday of summer semester for students commencing in summer semester.
Students enrolled into a 2-year Masters program should not enrol into this course until they have completed 16-units of study (2 semesters full-time equivalent). Students enrolled into a 1.5 year Masters program should not enrol into this course until they have completed 8-units of study (1 semesters full-time equivalent).
In this course, students have the opportunity to pursue an area of research in which they are particularly interested. Students from all postgraduate coursework programs within AGFS can take this course. It's designed as a mini research project, driven by an alignment between the student's own interests and those of their academic supervisor.
Students decide on a research topic at the beginning of the semester then undertake the mini project in regular consultation with the supervisor.ﾠ
In this course, students and supervisors develop a close working relationship. Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisors and ask for feedback as they progress. Supervisors generally give detailed feedback to students throughout the semester
STEP 1:
The first step, if you want to take this course, is to approach an academic supervisor who you want to work with and ask if they will supervise you. Introduce yourself and tell them about your research interests and the kinds of projects you would like to work on; tell your potential supervisor why you want to work with them in particular. See the list of AGFSﾠacademics to identify and select your supervisor: https://agriculture.uq.edu.au/team/academic
In some cases, you can approach a supervisor outside of the School but they must be an academic staff member and the arrangement must be approved before you can undertake your studies (see Step 2).
STEP 2:
Once you have found a supervisor, you can submit an Application Learning Contract form (download from the Student support page on our website)ﾠhttps://agriculture.uq.edu.au/student-support/support-honours-and-postgraduate-coursework-students
Provide your details, a brief description of your research topic and the details of your nominated supervisor/s and theirﾠconsent to supervise your topic. Email completed forms to agriculture@enquire.uq.edu.auﾠOnce the application is approved, you will be able to enrol in the course.
The Learning Contract should demonstrate that you have a clear plan which has been agreed on by you and your supervisor before you begin. Only brief details are needed for each section of the Learning Contract, perhaps 3–5 sentences outlining the content of the Report and Presentation. The key thing is to show that the student has a clear plan, and that this is agreed on by the student and supervisor before you begin.
It is essential that these details are negotiated at the start of the course and outlined in the Learning Contract. Completed and signed copies of the Learning Contract are held by the Administration Officer, by the academic supervisor, and by the student.ﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students are expected to be sufficiently advanced in their program of study to be able to benefit from an in-depth investigation of a topic of interest to them. They are also expected to have suitable literature retrieval skills (or to seek them with assistance from the library staff).
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
AGRC6631
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- Another instance of the same course
All content is shared with AGRC7200 In Person in a combined blackboard site.
Course contact
Timetable
Additional timetable information
Students mustﾠscheduleﾠmeetings (preferably weekly) with their supervisor and ask for feedback as they progress.
Aims and outcomes
To provide students with the required skills in analysing an research related issue and disseminating these findings.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Define the problem and identify a framework to investigate the problem
LO2.
Review relevant information and literature
LO3.
Analyse the information and literature
LO4.
Determine and discuss specific strategies or recommendations
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Literature Review | 65% |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Presentation | Presentation | 35% |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Literature Review
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 65%
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students will develop a Literature Review on their chosen topic. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure a draft assessment is submitted to the supervisor with enough time for the supervisor to provide detailed feedback.
Students should discuss submission-feedback-revision schedules with their supervisor at the beginning of the semester.
The Assessment Criteria available in blackboard describes how it will be assessed. The word limit is in the range of 4,000 - 6,000 words.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Presentation
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L04
Task description
Students are required to submit a 10-minute-long pre-recorded video presentation based on their research topic, via the course Blackboard site.
Discuss the Presentation with your academic supervisor and incorporate changes based on supervisor's feedback.
Students should use appropriate visual aids (e.g. PowerPoint Slides) based on the UQ template to assist your presentation, also clearly showing the presenter's video on the presentation. The UQ powerpoint template and an example Presentation, and marking criteria, will be available in blackboard.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit your Presentation via the submission link in the course blackboard site by the due date and time.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 34 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 0 - 34% |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 35% - 46% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 47% - 49% |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 50% - 64% |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 65% - 74% |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 75% - 84% |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 85% - 100% |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Please note the following when writing assignments
You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy
TurnItIn Assignments
Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site. If you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating, and you will be held liable for this action.
Results
For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will not be available until grades release day.ﾠResults and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.
Feedback in this course
Students are entitled to feedback on their work and this will be provided by the academic supervisor. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure their assignments are submitted with enough time for the supervisor to provide detailed feedback. Students should discuss submission-feedback-revision schedules with their supervisor at the beginning of the semester.
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| AGRC7200 Blackboard site | http://learn.uq.edu.au/ |
Additional learning resources information
None applicable.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Not Timetabled |
Topic choice Discuss potential topic with Course coordinator and academic supervisor. Complete and submit the learning contract if you haven't already. Learning outcomes: L01 |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 11 |
Not Timetabled |
Literature Review - preparation Start reading and plan Literature Review. Submit draft to academic supervisor at the end of this period, or earlier, to ensure you allow time for revision. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
In-Semester break |
Multiple weeks From Week 11 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Presentation - preparation Start planning the Presentation. Discuss Presentation with academic supervisor and incorporate changes based on supervisor's feedback. Submit it by the due date. Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Multiple weeks From Week 12 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Literature Review - revision Discuss Literature Review with academic supervisor and incorporate changes based on supervisor's feedback. Submit the Literature Review by the due date. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Additional learning activity information
Students should discuss submission-feedback-revision schedules with their supervisor at the beginning of the semester. See blackboard for further details about how External students can access the writing workshop resources.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.