University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2014/15 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Science > School of Physics > Functional Nanomaterials (MRes) > Specification
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Programme code | 2PHYS024T |
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Programme type | Postgraduate Taught Degree |
Programme director(s) |
Terence McMaster
|
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
School/department | School of Physics |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 1 years (full time) |
This programme aims to develop the student’s interest in, and knowledge and understanding of, functional Nanomaterials. It is an interdisciplinary training programme beyond undergraduate H- and M-level taught courses. It will function as a preparatory programme of study and research for a PhD programme, or will enable the successful graduating student to enter industry or commerce with a higher standard of training that that obtained from an undergraduate programme. All students recruited to the programme in Functional Nanomaterials will already have an MSci/BSc undergraduate degree in one of the core disciplines of Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science or Engineering, and the MRes programme of study will build on this foundation. This MRes programme is an exit award at the 12 month checkpoint of an integrated 4-Year PhD programme, the Bristol Doctoral Training Centre in Functional Nanomaterials. The 12-month MRes will be based on a Tapered Training model comprising: (1) for months 1-6, an approximate 50:50 blend of taught material and interdisciplinary practical training across a wide range of techniques in Exploratory Training Assignments (ETAs); and (2) for months 7-12, a tapering component of seminars, ongoing transferable skills training, and public engagement with an increased investigative component in the form of an Extended Project. The programme of taught and research project material, with associated credit point units and modes of assessment are as follows: Functional Nanomaterials lecture courses 40 Written examination, extended essay Advanced Tools for Nanoscience 20 3,000 word essay Industrial Training Module 20 Assessed group work exercise Exploratory Training Assignments (ETAs) 30 Formal Lab Report of 1st ETA, and presentation of 2nd ETA Contextualisation 10 One hour interview (2 academics) on course content and activity log Extended Project 60 15,000 word Thesis The 12-month timeline for these units is shown in the attached “Bristol Functional Nanomaterials MRes timeline”, which also details the points at which the student, in consultation with the Personal Tutor and DTC Director, would decide to take the MRes programme as a qualification (and exit from the 4-year PhD programme). A key part of the MRes framework will be the e-learning BCFN Portal for postgraduate studies in Nanomaterials Science. This is a virtual experimental environment, which leads into, complements, and enriches the hands-on practical teaching. This strategic innovation will support the study of practical sciences with an online environment that helps to prepare the student for laboratory work. It will principally support the formal unit, Advanced Tools for Nanoscience, and to a lesser degree the units of ETA’s, and Extended Project. Each MRes student will have a Personal Development Passport (PDP) that will be a dynamic and evolving record, which will function as a Competency Tracker, allowing the student to (i) record the progress of skills acquired and courses taken, (ii) prompt discussions between the student and their Personal Tutor, (iii) ensure grounding in each Core Competency and equipping for interdisciplinary research, and (iv) record regular formal and informal assessments of their training. The Passport, which each student will open as part of the Year 1 induction period, will be an online document in the style of an ePortfolio comprising a record of their personal goals and transferable skills, and which will be continually updated in response to the training. For a more detailed description of the educational aims & vision of the programme see the attached funded proposal “ EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre in Functional Nanomaterials ” (EP/G036780/1; £6.4M) It is not envisaged, at this stage, that the MRes will be available as a stand alone degree. It will initially function as a safety net for the rare occasion that a registered PhD DTC student does not satisfy the assessment criteria in the first year. It is intended that PhD students will be recruited to a 4-year PhD programme, and will not be offered the MRes qualification as part of this programme.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Lectures, workshops, literature reviews, group work, BCFN Portal |
Methods of Assessment | |
Written examination, monitored reading, extended essay, literature review, critical technique presentation, assessed group work exercise Formal Lab Report of 1st ETA, and presentation of 2nd ETA Thesis to be examined in a viva voce examination (Extended Project) |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Practical tuition in equipment use BCFN Portal Exploratory Training Assignments (ETA’s) Extended Project Industrial Training module |
Methods of Assessment | |
Written examination, monitored reading, extended essay, literature review, critical technique presentation, assessed group work exercise Formal Lab Report of 1st ETA, and presentation of 2nd ETA Thesis to be examined in a viva voce examination (Extended Project) |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Workshops on Contextualisation of Nanoscience BCFN Portal Group seminars Personal Tutor system Group work (as part of Industrial Training Module for example) Training on Writing and Presenting Entrepreneurship training |
Methods of Assessment | |
Written examination, monitored reading, extended essay, literature review, critical technique presentation, assessed group work exercise Personal feedback via Personal Tutor Formal Lab Report of 1st ETA, and presentation of 2nd ETA Thesis to be examined in a viva voce examination (Extended Project) |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level M/7 - Postgraduate Certificate |
Students are expected to have developed a modern, solid foundation of subject specific skills underpinned by the interdisciplinary, scientific principles (quantitative, bio- physico-chemico) underlying functional Nanomaterials. Students will be able to apply the principles more widely and undertake more in-depth analysis, and be able to communicate with others in a sound scientific manner. Students will be more at ease in being able to guide themselves in analysis of their own performance, and of setting and achieving their aims |
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Level M/7 - Postgraduate Diploma |
Students will have an expanded range and depth of subject specific knowledge, through the study of the units. Assigned and assessed work in these units will have allowed students to become confident in the ability to collect, synthesise, and evaluate data, so as to be able to communicate and defend their own ideas and interpretation of the work. |
Level M/7 - Postgraduate Masters |
Most of the work undertaken at this level will be at, or informed by, the latest research findings and concepts, and will provide an opportunity to work closely with the international research community within the DTC Academic and Student cohort. This will enable the student to be fully conversant with the principles of a research-led learning environment. Students will undertake planning, management and data collection for a research project, and communicate the results and interpretation in a mature manner to a scientific audience |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the postgraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/postgraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
During the summer before arrival in Bristol, the students will be sent a portfolio of introductory reading, complemented with online resources, including components of the BCFN Portal. This emphasis will continue in the pre-sessional 2-week period with the Foundations for Nanoscience course (not for credit) that will be attended by all students, and which will serve to harmonise the diverse scientific languages and experiences. The course will comprise components necessary for interdisciplinary Nanomaterials research, and will establish from the outset a robust culture of peer-learning. It is essential that our diverse cohort learn a common vocabulary of interdisciplinarity, and the pre-sessional course will set the agenda for all that follows, provide essential knowledge-transfer activity, create space in the formal teaching programme that starts immediately thereafter, and fulfil an essential role in establishing a vibrant and vigorous group dynamic. Prior to the start of their Extended Project, each first-year MRes student will undertake an exploratory 2-week visit over the Easter vacation (5-6 month timeline) to a partner International Nanoscience Centre and participate in the academic life of the Centre. These visits will greatly enhance the training of the students on the MRes course and will broaden their experience, benchmark their training and individual expertise against other leading centres of research, and stimulate ides for research projects as they embark on their Extended Project. We will host reciprocal visits for a comparable number of students from each of the Centres hosting our own MRes students.
Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1FD
E-mail: bcfn-info@bris.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 117 3940018
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Functional Nanomaterials Lecture Course | PHYSM0004 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Advanced Tools for Nanoscience | PHYSM3401 | 20 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
Industrial Training Module | PHYSM3404 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Exploratory Training Assignments | PHYSM3402 | 30 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Contextualisation | PHYSM0005 | 10 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
Extended Project | PHYSM3403 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
180 |
The pass mark set by the University for any level 7(M) unit is 50 out of 100.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
All taught masters programmes, unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to exit from the programme with a postgraduate diploma or certificate.
To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.
To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.
An award with Merit or Distinction is permitted for postgraduate taught masters, diplomas and certificates, where these are specifically named entry-level qualifications. An award with Merit or Distinction is not permitted for exit awards where students are required to exit the programme on academic grounds. An exit award with Merit or Distinction may be permitted where students are prevented by exceptional circumstances from completing the intended award.
The classification of the award in relation to the final programme mark is as follows:
Award with Distinction*: at least 65 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation. **Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.
Award with Merit*: at least 60 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 60 out of 100 for the dissertation. Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.
* The MA in Law has separate regulations for awarding distinction and merit.
** For the award of Distinction, the Faculty of Engineering requires at least 70 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation.
All taught masters programmes, unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to choose, or be required, to leave at the postgraduate diploma or certificate stage.
To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.
To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
University of Bristol,
Senate House,
Tyndall Avenue,
Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000