Importance of the Project, Project Report and Dissertation(s)

The project and dissertation(s) components make up 50% of the marks towards the award of the MSc degree.

The Dissertation(s) Component makes up one third of this 50%, ie 1/6th of the total marks for the degree.

The Project and Project Report Component makes up 2/6th of the total marks for the degree.

Submission of Dissertations and Project Reports

These should be submitted as WORD document files on non rewritable CDs 2x copies). Two printed copies are also required. A representative of the University will attend the lecture day to collect the reports.

Please note that all submissions will be subjected to the latest plagiarism detection software. Where serious plagiarism can be proved, this may result in a student being asked to withdraw from the course without the possibility of a degree being awarded. For more information on plagiarism please see: www.as.bham.ac.uk/study/assess/sca/plagiarism.shtml

Dissertation

The substance of the dissertations may be an audit, literature survey or report of a project.

Around 2-3 months should be spent on this component

Dissertation (s) Reports

This component may be satisfied by the submission of one long dissertation or two short dissertations.

A long dissertation must be comprised of approximately 10,000 words, not including references and acknowledgements.

If the student is submitting two short dissertations, each must be of approximately 5,000 words, not including references and acknowledgements.

Each document should contain:

• 1st page - title, name and UB number of student, address of hospital laboratory where the student was working when the document was written and whether it is a long dissertation or a short dissertation
• 2nd page - summary of dissertation (200 words maximum), plus statement affirming that this is the student’s own work. (NB. Copies of a signed statement to this effect must be submitted with all copies of the report).

The Harvard system of referencing is recommended.

References should include titles of articles and first and last pages.

Project

The substance of the project may be a major audit or report of an original laboratory project, either of which should have the potential to produce results that are likely to be acceptable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Approximately 6 months, including write-up time should be spend on this component

Project Report

The report should be a minimum of 12,000 maximum of 20,000 words in length, not including references and acknowledgements.

The document should contain:

• 1st page - title, name and UB number of student, address of hospital laboratory where the student was working when the project was carried out. Please also specify that this is project report.
• 2nd page - summary of project (200 words maximum), plus statement affirming that this is the student’s own work.(NB. Copies of a formal signed statement to this effect must be attached to all copies of the report ).

The Harvard system of referencing is recommended.

References should include titles of articles and first and last pages.

Project viva voce

In July of the final year a viva voce will be conducted on the project. The viva will take approximately 15minutes, the first 10 minutes of which will be taken by the student giving their presentation. After the presentation the student will be questioned by a panel of examiners including the external examiner . At least three working days prior to the viva, students should submit a PowerPoint presentation by email or CD or to Jane Norton and ascertain that this file has been received before the day of the viva.

The viva constitutes 20% of the final project mark.

Please note that the onus is on students to attend this viva. Only in exceptional circumstances will alternative dates be arranged.

(Holidays and/or conference attendance do not constitute exceptional circumstances.)

For further details please contact

• Jane Norton (J.C.Norton@ bham.ac.uk)
• Dr Glen Matthews (G.M.Matthews@bham.ac.uk)

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