Professional Context and Project Preparation
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CIVE4126 | Civil Engineering | 4 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- CIVE4126
- School
- Civil Engineering
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This is a compulsory course for all students studying an MSc in the Department of Civil Engineering. The course provides an introduction into important aspects affecting the professional practice of Civil Engineering and facilitates the development of knowledge and skills that will be used in the summer project, including literature review and writing skills, and developing a proposal for the activities to be conducted in the summer. The module will incorporate a mixture of learning environments/resources, including one-on-one tuition with personal tutors to formulate ideas and plans related to the summer project, classroom activities focused on resources relating to writing a literature review and how to critically review others’ as well as one’s own writing, and three 2-week workshops which provide knowledge in aspects that are important within the context of the professional practice of Civil Engineering, including (i) sustainability, environmental, and societal impacts and how adverse impacts can be minimised; (ii) quality management and continuous improvement, management principles and commercial/legal context, and EDI; and (iii) the practical application of skills to investigate complex problems.
The form of assessment includes (1) submissions required as part of the three workshops, and (2) a report containing a literature review related to the subject area chosen by the student and a plan for activities relating to their summer project.
The form of re-assessment will be the same as for the first attempt, but will be limited to the components which have been failed.
Target Students
MSc students in the Department of Civil Engineering
Assessment
- 40% Coursework 4: Preliminary literature review and project plan
- 20% Coursework 1: Workshop 1; Evaluating Sustainability in Civil Engineering
- 20% Coursework 2: Workshop 2; Professional Practice in Civil Engineering
- 20% Coursework 3: Workshop 3; Practical methods in Civil Engineering
Assessed by end of designated period
Educational Aims
The course aims to provide knowledge in aspects that are important within the context of the professional practice of Civil Engineering, including (i) sustainability, environmental, and societal impacts and how adverse impacts can be minimised; (ii) quality management and continuous improvement, management principles and commercial/legal context, and EDI; and (iii) the practical application of skills to investigate complex problems. The course will also provide students with time and guidance on the review of the literature relevant to the intended subject of the summer project and provide students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills required to organise and manage their own work and to review their work and that of others in a critical way. This should lead to identifying the aims, objectives and methodology for their proposed summer project. Students will be given the opportunity to develop skills in referencing and structured writing, as a strong foundation for the report written on the summer project. The course also importantly sets the background for the detailed project work that follows in the summer.Learning Outcomes
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
- Select literature relevant to the summer project, initiate a critical review of the obtained material, and formulate a project plan.
- Demonstrate knowledge and ability to critically review important aspects within the context of the professional practice of Civil Engineering, including: sustainability; equality, diversity and inclusion; quality management and continuous improvement; commercial context, change management, and legal matters
- Accomplish the practical application of skills to investigate complex problems.
This will contribute to the following programme learning outcomes (see Programme (Plan) specifications for details):
- Knowledge and Understanding: M2
- Intellectual Skills: M4, M5
- Professional/Practical Skills: M7, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15
- Transferable/Key Skills: M17