MAS154 Bachelor Project - Energy Technology

Contents and structure

The bachelor thesis is the final course in the bachelor degree, taken in the 6th semester.

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 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 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

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

Skills

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

General competence

• work with planning and execution of an 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 project after the 5th semester, the student must have passed 120 credits - including all courses included in the first year and any specialization relevant for the project. If the project is assigned after the 4th semester the credit requirement is reduced to 100 credits. Exemption from these requirements can be given after consultation with an academic advisor.

International students: If you like to attend this you have to verify former knowledge in energy technology. Furthermore you will have to write a motivation letter over the topic of your interest.

Teaching methods

Lectures and joint student project. The project is supervised and there will normally be 2-3 students in a team. A team of one student may be allowed as an exception

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

Individual requirements:

• Submissions in method and science theory
• Attending supervision meetings
• Project diary

2. Requirements for the group:

• Midterm presentation
• Poster for EXPO

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

Assessment

The assessment is based on two parts:

• Thesis (written per group), counts 70%
• Oral examination (individual assessment), counts 30%

The grade scale is Pass / Fail. Both parts must be passed to pass the course. It is possible to deliver an improved version of the bachelor thesis in the following semester, if it is not passed. If necessary, a new oral exam will be arranged in the following semester.

The assignment consists of:

• Bachelor thesis and any product
• Reflection note (self-reflection on personal development, individually or per group)

The scope of the bachelor thesis is determined in consultation with the supervisor. Deadline for submission is stated on Studentweb and digital exam system.

Oral examination:

Oral exam is held after the bachelor thesis has been submitted, as a final presentation of the project.

Oral examination should focus on the group and the individual student's method understanding, and choices in the work process, as well as the final result in the form of the bachelor thesis and any product.