| Unit name | Practical Project |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL30202 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Cuthill |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Normally 120 CPs of appropriate level 2 units in Biological Sciences |
| Co-requisites |
Biology or Zoology programmes |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
A research or practical project selected from a wide choice of subject areas covering many aspects of biology and a broad range of transferable skills.
This unit can only be retaken by attending in the following year.
Through your practical project, you will develop a range of skills and techniques through your independent work; some will be specific to your study area and some will be generic skills applicable to biological research in general. The nature of projects varies but in a typical experimental project you will be able to develop abilities in experimental design, planning and organising your work efficiently, and you will acquire a range of practical and technical skills relevant to the research field in which you are working. Most projects will involve recording, analysing and interpreting data, and you will present your data and conclusions in a project report written in the format of a scientific paper, and explain them in an oral presentation.
The Practical Project takes 12 weeks, consisting of 9 weeks of 'practical' time followed by 3 weeks for analysis, report preparation etc. Students have access to facilities, supervisor input etc. during the 9 weeks only.
Oral presentation, Continuous assessment mark (25%), Project Report (1st mark 45% and 2nd mark 30% = 75%).
• Students (normally as project pairs) give an oral presentation on their project work during the exam period immediately after Christmas. The oral presentation provides a means for giving feedback to each student prior to submission of their report. Completing the oral presentation to a satisfactory level is a requirement for award of credit points.
• Submission of the written report will be at the start of the second teaching block.
Depending on the topic, references are chosen from the current primary literature by students.
