68998 Honours (Physics) 1
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Credit points: 24 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
The honours program is designed to enhance the skills and knowledge necessary for research and other career paths that require critical thinking and problem solving. The principal activity is an individual research project in which the student, under supervision, plans and undertakes a research study in an area of applied physics. Typically, a project is designed based on a literature study, then data are collected and subjected to analysis and interpretation under the guidance of the supervisor. Students learn to define objectives and aims, work to available time and resources, use appropriate research methods, critically assess information, develop complex arguments in detail, and present their work in seminars and a thesis.
Students participate in a journal club where they present papers allocated to them, and discuss them in a group. The purpose of the journal club is to broaden the students’ knowledge base beyond their research projects, and to learn to communicate complex concepts in advanced physics.
The two Physics Honours Research subjects (68998 and 68999) combine over two semesters to form a single, continuous honours program.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Critically review and analyse scientific literature |
|---|---|
| 2. | Propose a research question or problem based on gaps identified in the literature, and design sound experimental plans or theoretical research frameworks |
| 3. | Execute experiments or simulations/calculations, and collect publication-quality data |
| 4. | Analyse and interpret data, and generate new disciplinary knowledge |
| 5. | Communicate literature studies, as well as research plans and outcomes in seminars |
| 6. | Write up a research project and research outcomes in a thesis |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Examine and combine knowledge to apply appropriate techniques and experimental/computational approaches to critically analyse and provide solutions to solve problems in physics. (1.1)
- Identify, scope, and investigate problems, design and execute research projects, and make complex logical deductions using scientific knowledge and evidence. (2.1)
- Demonstrate advanced and high-quality written and oral presentation skills to communicate scientific findings effectively to peers in physics and other scientific audiences. (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Graduate Attribute 1: Disciplinary Knowledge
Students will deepen their knowledge of applied physics, learn to critically review scientific literature, and to generate new disciplinary knowledge by conducting research.
Graduate Attribute 2: Research, Inquiry, and Critical Thinking
The research project and journal club are designed to stimulate critical thinking and to develop problem solving skills. Students will learn to design and execute a research project, and to collaborate effectively with their peers. At the start of their project, they will formulate a problem and design a project based on a gap in the scientific literature. They will then develop the skills needed to execute the project, analyse and interpret their results, and present their outcomes in a thesis and in seminars.
Graduate Attribute 5: Communication
Effective communication is essential at all stages of the honours program. Development of verbal and written communication skills is built explicitly into assessments of the honours program — discussions in the journal club, project progress and thesis defence seminars, and the thesis.
Teaching and learning strategies
Research group activities
Students will be embedded in research groups and will participate in group activities such as regular (typically weekly) progress update/review meetings in which all group members contribute to discussions of each other's projects. Students will be mentored by one or more academic and industry supervisors, and possibly other group members such as postdoctoral research fellows and PhD students. Effective integration in research groups will help train students to become both independent researchers and members of collaborative teams.
Journal club
The journal club aims to deepen the students’ knowledge of physics, and to improve their critical thinking and communiction skills.
Seminars
The seminars provide a venue for students to communicate their work in formal slide-based technical presentations. The seminars are attended by broad audiences which provide feedback in Q&A sessions.
Thesis
The students will be mentored in technical writing at the standard expected in scientific papers.
Content (topics)
The research project consists of a literature review, development and enunciation of a research plan, and hands-on research work. This component is conducted at UTS, or jointly with an external partner such as the The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) or the National Measurement Institute (NMI).
Students should discuss a detailed project proposal with their supervisor before starting the project and reach a clear agreement over the expected aims and outcomes of the project. A 400 word written proposal is developed in collaboration with the supervisor and submitted to the subject coordinator. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the proposal is submitted by the end of the third week of the first session.
In the first session of study students are required to develop a literature review and research plan, gain experience in the research methods and techniques relevant to their project, start collecting data, and present their work in a progress seminar. In the second session, students are required to complete the project, evaluate and write up the project outcomes in a thesis, and present the outcomes in a final thesis defence seminar.
The research component of the degree is guided by the supervisor. The form of guidance can vary between projects but it is typically provided at regular progress meetings between the student and supervisor.
Students embedded in research groups will participate in group activities such as project update/review meetings.
Students will attend a journal club, seminars and information sessions organised by the subject coordinator.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Journal Club
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary Knowledge 5. Communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed on your ability to: • Understand the scientific/technical content of physics research papers |
Assessment task 2: Seminars (project update and thesis defence)
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary Knowledge |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed on: |
Assessment task 3: Thesis
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary Knowledge |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Thesis |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 60% |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed on the following:
|
Minimum requirements
A minimum overall mark of 50% is required to pass the subject.