Course coordinator
Dr Tony Heynen
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - )
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 8
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Chemical Engineering School
Students are required to complete a professional project (4 course equivalence) in their chosen field of study before the end of the third semester. Students will be encouraged to select a suitable project or a dissertation topic upon enrolling, ideally with a suitable industry partner, and to continuously consider their topic throughout the program, adding value from the different courses they undertake.
ENGY7114 is the MSE Professional Project course that spans Semester 2 and Semester 1, sequentially.ﾠﾠ The course's ﾠsubmissions must represent academic effort attributable to ﾠ8 units in total. It is designed to be the culminating experience of the MSE program, with students designing and undertakingﾠ self-directed Project work that consolidates and applies the concepts, principles and methodologies learned to date. Students are strongly encouraged to anchor their Project on a focal issue of personal or professional development interest. The rationale behind the Project will be firmly rooted in a current, emerging or forecast challenge facing the energy sector, explored through integrated stakeholder and disciplinary viewpoints.
Permission from the Course Coordinator is required to enrol in this course, usually after completion of all MSEﾠ Part A coursework.ﾠﾠ
Modes of the Professional Project delivery are flexible, enabling students to tailor a Project to their demonstrated strengths and personal and professional development aspirations. Options include:
- An applied research Project involving fieldwork and data collection
- A professional placement Project around an internship or placement in an external organisation or current workplace
- Aﾠ desktop critical review of a particular energy related issue, and
- A multimedia submission including videos, posters, pamphlets, phone apps and web sites
Students must negotiate the scope of the Project with the Course Coordinator. Students are required to secure at least one, and preferably two, supervisors ﾠprior to submitting the Project Proposal. At least one of these advisors should be a UQ staff member or MSE lecturer.ﾠﾠ It is up to the student to negotiate with the Supervisor/s their role and responsibilities.
Course requirements
Assumed background
The Professional Project in the Master of Sustainable Energy (MSE) commences following the completion of MSE Part A foundation courses.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
Completion of 16 units from Part A towards Master of Sustainable Energy
Restrictions
Restricted to MSE students.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Tony Heynen
Dr Run Zhang
Timetable
Additional timetable information
Course information and resources are available on Blackboard.
Aims and outcomes
Through this course, students will be able to conceptualise, develop and ﾠexecute a project that contributes to critical aspects of the sustainable energy transition, building on the knowledge they have gained in their MSE coursework. In so doing, students will:
- Synthesise and communicate project outcomes appropriate to the relevant audience, and delivered to academic and industry standards;
- Contribute valuable and innovative insights on the complex challenges facing energy stakeholders, including ﾠprivate and governmentﾠ sectors and academic and research institutions.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Knowledge of field - Identify and scope a professional or research area of inquiry, and develop related questions, in a critical area of sustainable energy.
LO2.
Knowledge of field - Locate and evaluate relevant literature and prior art; locate, access, select and use technical and commercial information from various sources; relate prior knowledge to the problem to identify how it can best be applied to tackle the problem.
LO3.
Knowledge of field - Conceptualise, develop and implement a methodology to produce results for the Project, delivered to academic and professional standards.
LO4.
Analysis and critical thinking - Collect and analyse data; elicit project requirements and academic concepts.
LO5.
Analysis and critical thinking - Draw conclusions based on evidence and argument in a field of sustainable energy.
LO6.
Analysis and critical thinking - Contextualise outputs relevant to current research and industry practice.
LO7.
Communication - Build professional links and networks with energy practitioners as part of the Project experience.
LO8.
Communication - Produce a written report or other instrument that eloquently communicates integrated, reflective approaches to the sustainable energy challenge.
LO9.
Communication - Deliver an oral presentation at a professional level (similar to an international conference or 'board of directors' briefing), including answering questions in the context of the sustainable energy transition.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Milestone 1: Project Proposal
|
5% Hurdle |
5/08/2024 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Milestone 2: Interim Report
|
10% Hurdle |
10/03/2025 1:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Milestone 3: Oral Presentation
|
15% Hurdle |
8/05/2025
Presentation Schedule TBA |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Milestone 4: Final Report
|
70% Hurdle |
23/05/2025 1:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Milestone 1: Project Proposal
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 5% Hurdle
- Due date
5/08/2024 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05, L06
Task description
For the Professional Project, a project proposal must be submitted by the due date in the first semester of the course. In cases where proposals fail to meet the required standards (as outlined in the Professional Projects Handbook), students will be allowed a week in which to revise the proposal document in response to feedback but with their mark capped at 50%. If the revised proposal is still unacceptable, the student will receive a grade of 1 for the course.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence 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.
Hurdle requirements
To receive a 4 or higher you must pass all Milestones.Submission guidelines
Project Proposals are to be submitted via the link on Blackboard.
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.
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.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
Milestone 2: Interim Report
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 10% Hurdle
- Due date
10/03/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09
Task description
An interim or draft version of the final report (or other agreed outputs) should be prepared and discussed with your supervisor, and submitted to the Course Coordinator at the agreed due date during the project. Further information on requirements can be found in the Professional Project Handbook, available on Blackboard.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence 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.
Hurdle requirements
To receive a 4 or higher you must pass all Milestones.Submission guidelines
Interim Reports are to be submitted via the link on Blackboard.
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.
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.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
Milestone 3: Oral Presentation
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 15% Hurdle
- Due date
8/05/2025
Presentation Schedule TBA
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07
Task description
You will be expected to present an overview of all of your research findings to date to your peers and academic supervisors, and where appropriate, to industry partners.
The presentation should not be any more than 15 minutes and 15 minutes of questions and answers.
Students who are off campus will do this via Zoom or other online web interface.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
To receive a 4 or higher you must pass all Milestones.Submission guidelines
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.
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.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
Milestone 4: Final Report
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 70% Hurdle
- Due date
23/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09
Task description
The Final Report is the principal output of the Professional Project. Further information on requirements can be found in the Professional Project Handbook, available on Blackboard.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence 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.
Hurdle requirements
To receive a 4 or higher you must pass all Milestones.Submission guidelines
Final Reports are to be submitted via Turnitin on Blackboard.
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.
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.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall course mark typically < 20%. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall course mark between 20-44%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Overall course grade typically between 45-49%, OR overall grade > 50% but a Hurdle assessment (Milestone 1, 2, 3 or 4) failed. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The candidate has produced a competent and comprehensible Final Report, which satisfies the assessment criteria to the satisfaction of the examiners. Overall course mark typically between 50-64%. Must pass all Hurdle assessments (Milestone 1, 2, 3 and 4). |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The Final Report is judged by the examiners to be of interest, showing competence in the disciplinary areas applied, and with sufficient structure and content to support its approach and findings. Overall course mark typically between 65-74%. Must pass all Hurdle assessments (Milestone 1, 2, 3 and 4). |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The candidate has demonstrated creative, adaptive, and proactive behaviour in their Professional Project. The Final Report is original in conception, effectively written and presented, and represents a useful contribution to the relevant area of practice. Overall course mark typically between 75-84%. Must pass all Hurdle assessments (Milestone 1, 2, 3 and 4). |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Outstanding achievement in all aspects of the Professional Project. The Project demonstrates critical analysis and original insight, understanding of large-scale system processes and interactions between these (ecology, economics, climate, culture, history), the relevance of the 'big picture' to local contexts, and an innovative response to the specific research problem. Overall course grade typically >85%. Must pass all Hurdle assessments (Milestone 1, 2, 3 and 4). |
Additional course grading information
To receive a 4 or higher you must pass all Milestones. Failure to pass the Proposal (Milestone 1) or Interim Report (Milestone 2) will result in a grade of 1. Failing both the Presentation (Milestone 3) and the Final Report (Milestone 4) will result in a maximum grade of 2. Failing one of the Presentation or Final Report will result in a maximum grade of 3. A pass mark for all pieces of assessment is 50%.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Other Supplementary Assessment Information
Supplementary assessment for failure of any of the assessment milestones (hurdles) will involve resubmission of the assessment milestone.
Students are presented with the assessment criteria at the commencement of the Professional Project.
Two markers are allocated to each student project (one being the supervisor). Each marker should independently assess the submission, providing a mark out of 100 and written feedback.ﾠ
In cases where grades are significantly different between markers (>10%) the Course Coordinator will provide a third review and mediate a final score in consultation with both markers. The average of the total marks should provide the final mark out of 100 and the ultimate grade for the submission.
Deductions from the overall mark for those submissions significantly over or under the word limit.
e.g. 5% if > or < 500 words; 10% if > or < 1000 words.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Not Timetabled |
Research and report writing Activities vary according to project scope and delivery mode, and may include field work, industry placements, interviews and surveys, desktop modelling and analysis, software design, and thesis writing. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09 |
Seminar |
Presentation seminar Students will present their Professional Project at a Presentation 'conference' session (schedule TBA). Students are expected to attend the entire session to support their peers, which may also include students undertaking MSE Mini Projects. Learning outcomes: L09 |
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.