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Teaching
The MPhil programme in Nuclear Energy is based in the Department of Engineering and is run in partnership with °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï Judge Business School, the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, and the Department of Earth Sciences.
Students must take modules with a total value of ten credits. Five modules are compulsory and are:
NE1: Reactor physics (1 credit)
NE2: Reactor engineering (2 credits)
NE5: Nuclear safety (0.5 credits)
NE6: Nuclear policy (1 credit)
NE7: Nuclear practice (0.5 credits)
A further four nuclear energy modules are available, of which students must choose at least one:
NE3: Nuclear materials (1 credit)
NE4: Fuel cycle, waste and decommissioning (1 credit)
NE8: Computational reactor modelling (1 credit)
NE9: Advanced fission and fusion systems (1 credit)
To make up the remaining required credits, students may choose from a wide variety of modules from the Department of Engineering, the Department of Physics, the Judge Business School, and others. A long research project is required, with topics chosen from a list offered by members of staff and Industry Club members, and linked to the principal areas of energy research in their respective departments and companies.
Students are also expected to attend field visits, a Distinguished Lecture Series and weekly seminars, and are able to benefit from research skills training offered by the Department.
| One to one supervision | Approximately 20 hours per year (for the purpose of discussing the research project). The °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes | 8 hours per year. |
| Lectures | 160 hours per year. |
| Practicals | 18 in day visits, plus approximately 12 hours as part of some electives per year. |
| Small group teaching | 20 hours per year. |
| Literature Reviews | There are no formal literature review exercises, but students are expected to spend approximately two hours reading for every hour spent in class. The work for the dissertation would normally include a literature review. |
| Posters and Presentations | As part of the dissertation project, students will be required to make two assessed oral presentations: a ten-minute presentation on the "project motivation and plan" (at the close of the dissertation-planning phase), and a fifteen-minute talk at a dissertation conference taking place approximately a month before submission. |
| Taught/Research Balance | Predominantly Taught |
Feedback
Students can expect to receive reports at least termly from the course director, via an online system. Students will also be able to submit an online self-evaluation report in the first term. They will receive comments on items of coursework within four weeks of submission, and will have access to a University supervisor for their dissertation. All students will also have personal access to the course director and the other staff delivering the course. Once the research project has begun, supervisors will provide fortnightly feedback. Students will be marked on effort and progress at two key points (early March and late June).
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Students undertake a large individual research project, examined in two parts. The first part will include a report (of up to 4,000 words) and a ten-minute oral presentation. The second part is assessed through the writing of a 15,000-word dissertation, including a fifteen-minute oral presentation.
Essays
Students will be required to take ten taught modules. Some of these will be examined purely through coursework, and others through a combination of coursework and written papers. All students will be required to complete at least four items of coursework (and may be required to complete more depending on the range of modules available in the upcoming year).
Written examination
Students will be required to take ten taught modules. Some of these will be examined purely through written examination, and others through a combination of coursework and written papers. All students will take at least two written examinations of 1.5 hours each, and may be required to take more depending on the range of modules available in the upcoming year.
Practical assessment
Some coursework may be connected to laboratory exercises.
Other
The assessment of some elective modules may include an oral or poster display component.
