Extended Research Project (PHYS7743)

Course overview

This course provides an introduction to research in physics. Students choose a topic and a supervisor, and submit a written report by the end of semester. Students commencing in sem 1 enrol in PHYS7743 for sem 1 and sem 2; students commencing in sem 2 enrol in PHYS7744 for sem 2 and the following sem 1. Students completing in single semester enrol in PHYS7745.

Experimental, theoretical or computational project on a topic approved by the Physics Postgraduate Coursework Convenor. The major assessment item is a Masters Thesis submitted after two semesters work described the research and outcomes.ﾠ There are also two seminars to be presented. Students commencing in Semester 1 enrol in PHYS7743; students commencing in Semester 2 enrol in PHYS7744.

Course requirements

Assumed background

B.Sc. degree in the field of Physics, as well as an excellent understanding of first, second and third year courses in Physics and Mathematics relevant to the research project topic.ﾠ If you are in doubt about this, please ask the Physics Postgraduate Coursework Convenor.ﾠ This is an #8 unit - 2-consecutive semester long research project, that is generally commenced in the 2nd of the 3 Semesters for the UQ Master of Science (Physics)

For information about the UQ MSc Programme see

https://smp.uq.edu.au/study/postgraduate-coursework

For information about the available Physics Research Projects see

https://smp.uq.edu.au/research/projects

Well before the teaching semester commences you should have already discussed projects with potential supervisors and obtained permission to undertake a research project with a specific supervisor.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

Permission of Head of School

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

Additional timetable information

There is an optional `Research Training' session - 1 hour / week - There is a one hour weekly lecture time scheduled to introduce and discuss the various research milestones as the semesters proceed.ﾠ A timetable of topics will be released via Blackboard. Note that not all of these lecture times will be devoted to this course, but will be directed at several research courses, including MSc, MQTech, and Honours.

You should have regular meetings as agreed with your supervisor.ﾠ Typically this is one hour a week.

You need to map out a program of work with your supervisor in the early weeks of your project, as background to your project plan (due end of 2nd week), and discuss updates of the program at regular intervals.

You are strongly encouraged to take a recreational break during the break between teaching semesters.

Aims and outcomes

The aim of the research project is to develop the research skills of the student by carrying out a small, novel project at the cutting ede of a specialised area of physics.ﾠ It will prepare them for future reasearch careers, or entry into further postgraduate study such as anﾠ MPhil or PhD research higher degree.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

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

Outline of research

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Project

Weight

pass/resubmit/fail (100% penalty for fail/non-submission)

Due date

Friday, Week 2 at 5PM of your first semester of the project

Learning outcomes

L01, L03

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Submit pdf via email (or other method by prior arrangement) to the Course Coordinator.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

A timely submission of the research outline is required in order to receive feedback and to ensure that the project can be successfully completed during semester. Hence an extension beyond 7 days is not possible.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. Failure to submit by the due date will result in a fail for this item and a 100% penalty for the course, unless an extension has been approved.

MSc Progress Talk

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Presentation

Weight

1 grade penalty for fail/non-completion

Due date

Week 13 Mon - Fri

Week 13 of your first semester of the project

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L05

Task description

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.

Failure to attend the talk will result in a 1 grade penalty for the course. If you have circumstances (documented), please email the course coordinator within 5 days to seek rescheduling.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

1 grade penalty for fail/non-completion

Literature Review and Progress Report

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Project

Weight

pass/resubmit/fail (100% penalty for fail/non-submission)

Due date

Monday, Week 1 @ 5PM of second semester of the project

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Submit pdf via email (or other method by prior arrangement) to Course Coordinator.

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.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Masters Talk

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Presentation

Weight

1 grade penalty for non-completion

Due date

Friday, Week 12 of your second semester of the project

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L05

Task description

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.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Masters Thesis

Mode

Written

Category

Thesis

Weight

100%

Due date

5pm Monday, first week of examination period

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit pdf via email (or other method by prior arrangement) to Course Coordinator.

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.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item a penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24 hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.

Interview

• Hurdle

Mode

Oral

Category

Examination, Presentation

Weight

Helps examiners determine thesis grade (100% penalty for fail/non-submission)

Due date

Exam week 1 (second semester of project) - Exam week 2 (second semester of project)

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

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.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for extension/deferral information relating to this assessment item.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

For a detailed rubric see the Thesis Assessment Criteria in the assessment items on Blackboard.

Whilst the Thesis is worth 100% of the course assessment, there are five assessment items where penalty marks can be applied:

1. Project Planﾠ - if not submitted or graded as Fail, penalty of 100% to the Thesis mark
2. Progress Talk - if not presented or graded as Fail, penalty of 1 grade the Thesis mark
3. Progress Report with Literature Review - if not submitted or graded as Fail, penalty of 100% to Thesis mark
4. Final Talk - if not presented, penalty of 1 grade to the Thesis mark
5. Oral Examination - if not completed, penalty of 100% to Thesis mark

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 in this course will be a resubmission of the thesis after revision. To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Artificial Intelligence

Assessment tasks in this course evaluate 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.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum date applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for details. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

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.

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.