KJE150 Bachelor Thesis - Chemical Engineering

Contents and structure

The bachelor thesis is the final course in the bachelor degree, taken during the last year of the programme.

Students will complete an independent method and problem-oriented task based on a realistic engineering problem, which requires knowledge and skills of key areas of the bachelor program. The project is normally a joint student project. The project may be a partnership with a company or a government agency, or be part of the internal research and development initiatives at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).

Each team of students is assigned an internal supervisor, who will provide guidance to ensure the scientific and methodological elements are well attended. Students regularly report the progress of the project to the supervisor, and to the company contact, through oral and written reports. The team make regular entries in a project diary documenting the project activities. On completion of the project the individual students will, through a reflection paper, account for their academic and personal development while working on the project.

The thesis must be conducted in accordance with Guidelines for bachelor thesis , and a supervisory agreement must be signed.

The course ends with the exhibition EXPO where the graduating students can show the project they have been working on with posters and products.

Learning Outcome

Upon completing the course, the candidate will have attained the following learning outcome:  

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with the relevant methods and working practices relating to research and development within their own engineering field
• should be able to update their knowledge through contact with relevant academic communities and practice fields

Skills

The student should be able to

• collect, analyze and refer information in a critical and reflective way
• document and communicate project results in a systematic and scientific way

General competence

The student should be able to

• work with planning and execution of an chemical engineering project, both independently and in teams
• translate their knowledge and skills into practical solutions
• show reflective, ethical and environmental insight into their work, in accordance with relevant national guidelines

Entry requirements

To be assigned a bachelor thesis after the 4th semester, the student must have passed 100 credits, including all courses in the first year and any specialization courses relevant for the thesis. If the thesis is assigned after the 5th semester, the credit requirement is increased to 120 credits. Exemption from these requirements can be considered after application to the Program Coordinator and a consultation.

Teaching methods

Lectures and joint student project. The project is supervised and there will normally be 3 students in a team. A team of two students, four students or a student working alone, may be allowed as an exception.

20 hours of supervision is mandatory for the team/student.

Joint project work

The team develops a preliminary report with project plan in cooperation with the supervisor and (if relevant) the company. The preliminary report contains problem formulation, feasibility analysis (method selection and required resources), project organization with project schedule and any cost estimates. The project work typically consists of collection of information / specification / construction / calculation / programming etc. based on knowledge from the discipline.

The project team documents the activities of the project regularly in a project diary. The project diary is submitted to the supervisor, who gives feedback regarding the academic content and quality.

The course ends with the exhibition EXPO where the graduating students can show the project they have been working on with posters and products.

Compulsory learning activities

1. Individually requirements:

• attending supervision
• a written project diary including a reflection paper (self-reflection on personal development)

2. Requirements for the group:

• three submissions related to the lectures in scientific method and theory
• preliminary report with a project plan
• midterm presentation
• poster for EXPO

The requirements have to be completed by given deadlines. The fulfilled requirements are valid for one subsequent semester.

Assessment

The assessment is based on two parts:

• bachelor thesis, joint assessment for the group
• oral examination, individual assessment

The grading scale is Passed/Failed. Both parts must be passed in order to pass the examination. In case of failing the bachelor thesis, it is possible to deliver an improved version the subsequent semester. If necessary, a new oral exam will be arranged the subsequent semester.

The assignment conists of:

• the Bachelor's thesis and any product
• the poster

  Submission deadline is specified on the Studentweb and the digital exam system.

Oral examination:

The oral exam and the final presentation will be held after the bachelor thesis has been submitted. The oral exam will focus on the team and the individual student's understanding of methods, the choice of methods in their work process, as well as the final result in terms of the bachelor's thesis and any product. 

Examination support material

None

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