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Teaching
The MRes course is a mix of core and elective modules (some offered by other departments), group activities, presentations, project reports and an MRes dissertation. The taught and research training elements are aimed at providing research practice training at the first-year PhD level, and occur throughout the first year and into April of the second year. Written examinations will take place at the start of the Easter term in each year if students have taken relevant modules. Work on the MRes dissertation starts in the January of the second year.
Students will also be given extensive transferable skills and professional development training, including sessions with professionals, and will participate in the entrepreneurial programme, EnterpriseTECH.
Successful MRes students will then proceed to a four- or five-year programme of supervised doctoral research (or a three-year programme if the student switches to full-time study), during which time they will continue to be supported by the CDT. They will maintain participation in CDT seminars, conferences and outreach activities, and participate in the CDT industry days and events.
The numbers given below reflect the MRes programme only, unless otherwise specified. The workload for the programme is split equally over two part-time years, but a majority of the teaching takes place in the first year.
| One to one supervision | Students can expect at least four one-hour supervisions during the MRes dissertation project. Part-time PhD students can expect to attend at least four hour-long individual meetings with their supervisor every calendar year; full-time PhD students can expect to attend at least eight. This is in addition to the availability of daily contact with the research group in which they are placed, depending on the student's working pattern. The °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï publishes an annual which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision during the MRes year. Expectations for the PhD are set out in a separate . |
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| Seminars & classes | The MRes core modules are taught in a seminar or workshop format. Two of the core modules are taught through 16-hour seminar programmes. The third core module comprises four training days (6 hours each) and five 3-hour workshops. (Total: 71 hours in the MRes programme.)
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| Lectures | The elective modules are taught in a traditional lecture format; teaching for each module is taught through a 16-hour lecture programme. (Total: 32 hours) MRes students will also attend a 4-day intensive lecture series at the start of the EnterpriseTECH programme. |
| Practicals | Students will attend a number of site visits and study tours throughout the year. |
| Small group teaching | 40 hours (research and transferable skills workshops). Students will be split into groups for the EnterpriseTECH programme, with each group being assigned a supervisor. During the course of the programme, the supervisor will typically hold 3 supervisions with the group either in person or online. |
| Literature Reviews | Students will undertake literature reviews as part of the roadmap project, mini-project, and MRes dissertation. They may also be required to undertake literature reviews as part of a coursework for core and elective modules. |
| Posters and Presentations | There will be a number of poster sessions associated with the MRes project work. There is also an annual FIBE CDT conference at which students may have the opportunity to make a poster presentation. As part of the EnterpriseTECH course, students will be required to give a group project presentation and to answer questions on it. |
| Taught/Research Balance | Predominantly Research |
Placements
With University permission, there may be opportunities during the PhD phase for students to undertake an industrial or academic placement.
Feedback
Students can expect to receive termly online reports from the course director during the MRes programme, and from their principal supervisor during the PhD. They will receive comments on items of coursework, and will have access to a University supervisor for their MRes dissertation.
Students will have an opportunity to submit an online self-evaluation report during Michaelmas terms.
All students will also have personal access to the relevant academic and support staff.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
A major part of the MRes assessment is a dissertation of up to 12,000 words. Students will be required to give a presentation on their research prior to submission.
The doctoral thesis should be submitted by the end of the PhD phase, and must not exceed 65,000 words. A compulsory viva voce examination will follow thesis submission.
Essays
During the MRes programme, all students will be required to complete a desktop study of up to 5,000 words, to engage in a group project (as part of the EnterpriseTech module) which will be assessed partly through written assignments, and to complete an individual mini-project of up to 3,000 words. Additionally, some of the taught modules will be assessed through coursework, and others through a combination of coursework and written examination. Some modules will require the submission of coursework for which no formal mark will be awarded.
Written examination
Some of the taught MRes modules will be assessed through written and/or oral examination, and others by a combination of coursework and written and/or oral examination.
Other
The assessment of MRes elective modules may also include an oral or poster display component.
At the end of the first full year of the PhD phase (which is the fifth term if the course is being taken at 60% time, or the fourth term if the course is being taken at 75% time), students will be required to submit a report of 10,000 to 15,000 words and have an oral assessment as part of the normal requirements for probationary PhD students.
