Teaching
The course comprises a 'taught' component, and a 'research' component.
The taught component consists of of eight taught modules. Of these, six will cover material in core areas of electrical and electronic engineering. The remaining two will be chosen from a list of modules which will include both additional modules in electrical and electronic engineering, as well as some modules related to other engineering disciplines.
The research component consists of a 'Researcher Development Course' (providing training in researcher skills), a 'Research Seminar Course', and an independent research project leading to a dissertation.
Learning and teaching methods will include lectures, practical sessions associated with some lecture courses, student- and tutor-led seminars, group discussions, small group supervisions/meetings with research supervisor/advisor, research seminars, and the opportunity to give presentations and receive feedback on them.
| One to one supervision |
10 contact hours with the project supervisor per year. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
16 hours per year. |
| Lectures |
128 hours per year. |
| Practicals |
Practicals, i.e., lab work, might be designed to complement the lectures and assignments as part of the taught modules as well as the research project. |
| Small group teaching |
16 hours in the researcher development course. |
| Journal clubs |
16 hours in the Research Seminar Course. |
| Literature Reviews |
A literature review will form part of the research project dissertation. |
| Posters and Presentations |
Students are required to give assessed oral presentations as part of the Researcher Development Course and the Research Seminar Course, and will give an assessed oral presentation on their research project prior to the submission of their dissertation. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Equal Taught/Research
|
Feedback
Students can expect to receive termly reports from their course director, via an online system, and will be able to submit an online self evaluation report in the first term. Students will receive comments on items of coursework and will have access to a University supervisor for their dissertation. All students will also have personal access to the course director and the other staff delivering the course.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
All students write a research dissertation with a word limit of 15,000 words. Ten percent of the marks for the research component will be assigned through the pre-submission presentation.
Essays
Some modules will be assessed wholly or partly through coursework. The Research Development Course will also be assessed partly through coursework. The research seminar course will be assessed partly through the production of written summaries of each seminar.
Written examination
Some modules will be assessed wholly or partly through written examination.
Practical assessment
Some modules will be assessed partly through practical assignments.
Other
At the discretion of the examiners, candidates may be required to take an oral examination on the work submitted during the course, and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.