Teaching
Taught element
Students will have lectures for core modules (on essential skill for planetary science and Life in the Universe) and for pathway-specific advanced modules (deepening their expertise in a particular pathway area).
The core modules will be taught in Michaelmas and Lent terms. They will cover the main material that all students are expected to master in planetary science and life in the universe: the origin of Planets, the origin of habitable environments, the origin and detection of life, the origin and evolution of biospheres. These core modules will equip students with the essential knowledge to lead multidisciplinary research in this field. Each core module is taught with lectures. Core course teaching will be accompanied by practical classes.
The pathway-specific advanced modules will be taught in Michaelmas and Lent terms. These modules reflect the diversity of science contributing to planetary science and life in the Universe. Students will be placed on one of the following pathways, which will determine the advanced courses available to them: Astrophysics, Earth Science, Chemistry and Biology.
Group based project work
Funding proposal project: In Michaelmas Term, students will be placed in small groups to review a funding proposal, for example, an application for telescope time, a new piece of analytical instrumentation, or a space agency mission.
Communication project: In the Lent Term, students will be placed into small groups to write a press release and submit a recorded podcast to present the outcome of a high-impact scientific study.
Research project: This group-based research project will run over the whole year. The research project will centre on prospecting a planet or planetary system for habitability. This challenge draws on expertise from across PSLU disciplines.
Group research projects will be designed such that each student completes an individual research project drawing on their pathway-specific expertise that fits within the scope of the overall group research project. Literature reviews form part of the research project report and students will give presentations on their project as part of the project assessment.
The programme will also feature non-assessed content designed to broaden the students' knowledge. This may take the form of short modules on specialist topics, communication workshops, and weekly seminar series.
| One to one supervision |
Students are under the general supervision of the Course Director. Each pathway is led by an academic who is able to provide guidance on students choice of modules. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Seminars & classes |
The course engages with seminars offered by host departments and partner institutions in the University. |
| Lectures |
Students will have lectures equivalent to around 52 contact hours for core modules (on essential skill for Planetary Science and Life in the Universe) and 48 hours for optional modules (deepening their expertise in a particular pathway area). |
| Practicals |
Each core module consists of 3 x 2 hour practical classes. |
| Small group teaching |
Core course teaching will be accompanied by practical classes accumulating to around 24 hours teaching. |
| Literature Reviews |
Literature reviews form part of the research project report. |
| Posters and Presentations |
The students will give presentations on their project's as part of the project assessment. As part of the Habitability Research Challenge students will create a poster which will be showcased for feedback from the Cambridge community. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Predominantly Taught
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Feedback
Feedback on the student’s performance on their written examination, their oral presentation and their coursework results is provided by the module leader; feedback on their research project progress is provided by the relevant course organiser and the course directoror.
Postgraduate students are represented on the Department's Postgraduate Education Committee, which normally meets five times a year, and consists of one or more student representatives from each of the research groups or master’s degree programmes. The committee exists to enable discussion of any issue affecting postgraduate studies and students may approach any member of the committee to suggest items for discussion.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The group research project assessment will be a summative assessment of an individually written project proposal, project report, a group-written synthesis that brings the reports together, and an individual oral presentation on the whole group synthesis. The group assessment on the synthesis requires all students to understand the background and implications of all work done (no more than 3,000 words). Each student will be required to individually write a written project proposal of two pages plus figures/references and a report of not more than 5,000 words on which they will be individually assessed. Lengths include table, figures, figure legends and appendix but exclude bibliography and illustrative code snippets. The dissertation will be on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.
Essays
Funding proposal project - assessed as a group presentation to a panel and through group written assessment (no more than 2,000 words).
Scientific Communication project - assessed as a written single press release from the group (no more than 600 words) and recording of a group podcast.