2019/20 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

CIVE5340M Railway Engineering Dissertation

60 creditsClass Size: 40

Module manager: David Connolly
Email: d.connolly@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: 1 Oct to 30 Sep (12mth) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

Pre-requisite qualifications

Students will have completed and passed the taught modules that form the
Railway Engineering with Project Management MSc.

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module represents a major element of the MSc programme and is aimed at enabling participants to learn skills in scientific investigation and in running and presenting an independent project. Students are required to submit acomprehensive dissertation describing their individual research work.

Objectives

The aims of this investigative module are to identify and define problems; critically review the relevant literature; collect, analyse and synthesise data; present information in a logical and cohesive way; understand the limitations of
the work/problem; elicit the appropriate conclusions; and communicate through well-structured written documents.

Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes are aligned with AHEP Engineering Council standards:

Engineering analysis abilities – students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the scientific principles in the discipline of railway engineering. They will use this knowledge to investigate emerging technologies and apply these technologies to unfamiliar problems Design abilities – Students will develop knowledge on how to define an engineering problem, its constraints, and its relation to relevant engineering standards. They will learn to work with incomplete/uncertain
information, and use design processes and methodologies to create innovative designs.

Engineering practice abilities – Students will learn to undertake an in-depth and critical review of current literature, allowing them to understand current practice and its limitations.

General skills – Students will learn to monitor and adjust their personal programme of work, exercise personal responsibility for their project, and learn the effective use of the general IT facilities needed to write a wellstructured dissertation
Further, students will have opportunities to identify the performance of railway systems and components through the use of modelling techniques, and the chance to apply a systems approach to solving railway engineering problems. There will also be opportunities for students to apply technical knowledge, advanced problem-solving and investigative skills, to establish rigorous and creative solutions that are fit for purpose.

Syllabus

Students will undertake a research project related to the field of railway engineering.
The topics will be provided by academics, however for part-time students, the project can be related, where necessary, to employers' requirements.
Projects are supervised on a one-to-one basis, assessment is by written report and presentation, and are submitted on an individual basis.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Supervision	32	35.00	16.00
Lecture	2	2.00	4.00
Private study hours			580.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			600.00

Private study

The project work involves independent learning of: critical literature review, research methods, generation of results and data analysis. As a result, there will be additional private study to supplement formally allocated/assigned project work time.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Regular student meetings with their supervisor will allow feedback to be given on progress-to-date
- Students will be given feedback on their interim report. This report will consist a variety of aspects,
including a literature review, proposed thesis table of contents and workplan. Feedback will ensure that
the project is feasible, is currently proceeding in a suitable direction, and that planned tasks are of MSc
level.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay or Dissertation	Due September	90.00
Report	Aims and Objectives	10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Resit 100% Dissertation

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/04/2019

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