Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- 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 a literature review in 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 literature review, 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 literature review in regular consultation with the supervisor.
The literature review can be a systematic review of the topic based on desktop literature search and evaluation of literature. It does not require collection of new experimental data.
In this course, students and supervisors develop a close working relationship to decide the overview and topic of the literature review. 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 AGFS academics to identify and select your supervisor:ﾠhttps://agriculture-food-sustainability.uq.edu.au/about/our-people
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-food-sustainability.uq.edu.au/current-students/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 his/her consent 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. The student will also upload their approved Learning Contract to the course blackboardﾠsite by Friday of week 1 of semester.ﾠ
At the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, we are committed to creating an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. We value and respect the diverse range of experiences our students bring to their education, and we believe that this diversity is crucial for fostering a rich culture of knowledge-sharing and meaningful exploration. We hold students and staff accountable for actively contributing to establishing a respectful and supportive learning environment.
Bullying, harassment, and discrimination in any form are strictly against our principles and againstﾠUQ Policy,ﾠand will not be tolerated. If you have any concerns about your experience in this course, we encourage you to tell a member of the course teaching team. Your well-being and a positive learning atmosphere are of utmost importance to us.
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 activities and assessment.
Course contact
Timetable
Additional timetable information
Students need to arrange regular meetings with their supervisor.
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% |
24/10/2025 2:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Pre-recorded Presentation
|
35% |
31/10/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Literature Review
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 65%
- Due date
24/10/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
The purpose of the literature review is to define the problem and identify a framework to investigate the problem. It should demonstrate your overall understanding of the literature and develop an argument, often by answering specific questions. It shouldn't just list and summarise what you've read. Unlike other assignment types, you're often expected to determine the purpose of a literature review yourself.
Commonly, a literature review is written to help develop and justify a novel research question. But they have many other uses. For example, you may use a literature review to develop an argument that:
- justifies the significance or interest of a research question
- demonstrates your professional competence in a field of research
- critically reviews theory or methodological approaches
- weighs evidence to reach a conclusion or recommendation.
UQ Literature Review Guide: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills/assignment-writing/how-write-literature-review
Scientific Literature Search UQ Library: https://web.library.uq.edu.au/research-tools-techniques/library-search
Word count: 4000 words (excluding references).
Referencing guide: https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa7
The Assessment Criteria describes how the Assignment will be assessed (please refer to the AGRC7200 blackboard site for criteria).
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) tools, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which AI or MT will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
The use of AI or MT must be referenced appropriately. Please see assessment guidelines in blackboard course site for specific instructions.
Submission guidelines
The Literature Review must be uploaded through Turnitin on Blackboard. 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 and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard, in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedure (located in the Policies and Procedures section of this course profile) which outlines the requirements for requesting extensions to assessment due dates. Extensions require the correct evidence/documentation to support the requested length of time of the 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.
For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
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).
Pre-recorded Presentation
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
31/10/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04
Task description
Students are required to submit a 10-minute-long pre-recorded video presentation in speaker mode via the course Blackboard site.
Your presentation should focus on:
- what you did to reach the conclusion based on your literature review
- what information you discovered
- why is the information important.
Avoid spending too long discussing your research methods – the information from the literature review and their impact are more important.
You may use the following presentation structure as a guide:
- Context and why the research is important
- Objective and methods
- Results/Key information from literature review
- Discussion/Conclusion
- References
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.
UQ student presentation guide: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills-and-learning-advice/study-skills-and-learning-advice-overview/presentation-skills
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) tools, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which AI or MT will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
The use of AI or MT must be referenced appropriately. Please see assessment guidelines in blackboard course site for specific instructions.
Submission guidelines
Submit your pre-recorded Presentation via the submission link in the course blackboard site by the due date and time. Please start to upload it earlier than the due time, because pre-recorded presentations are big files and take time to upload. You should also keep 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 / Document / Policy and Procedure Library and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard, in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedure (located in the Policies and Procedures section of this course profile) which outlines the requirements for requesting extensions to assessment due dates. Extensions require the correct evidence/documentation to support the requested length of time of the 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.
For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
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).
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. |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
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
Unless specifically indicated by the course coordinator,ﾠevery attempt will be madeﾠto haveﾠthe results for progressive assessment available within 3 weeks of submission. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop | This is a research topic course and you will need your own laptop. | own item needed |
Additional learning resources information
The AGRC7200 Blackboard Site Blackboard for course communication and submission of assessment.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Not Timetabled |
Topic choice Discuss topic with academic supervisor and complete the learning contract if you haven't already. Schedule meetings with your supervisor. Learning outcomes: L01 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 11 |
Not Timetabled |
Literature Review Start reading and plan Literature Review. Submit draft to academic supervisor at the end of this period. Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Multiple weeks From Week 8 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Presentation Start planning the Presentation. Discuss Presentation with academic supervisor and incorporate changes based on supervisor's feedback. Submit Presentation for grading at the end of this period. Learning outcomes: L04 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Not Timetabled |
Literature Review - revision Discuss Literature Review with academic supervisor and incorporate changes based on supervisor's feedback. Submit Literature Review for grading at the end of this period. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Additional learning activity information
Above is a suggested schedule. Students need to arrange regular meetings with their supervisor. 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.
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 for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.