Objectives and Contextualisation
The objective of the TFM is to learn by first-hand the method of developing research and/or innovation and/or engineering projects. To do this, students must participate in the design, execution and presentation of the results of a project that can be of research or industrial nature, but always within the master's field of knowledge.
Based on the type of project (research and/or innovation and/or engineering) and with the advice of the project director, each student develops their own master's thesis.
In this tutoring or direction process, the original design is modified and the rhythms and phases of the work are established until the conclusion.
Students must do a written report that summarizes the work done and defend this report in front of an evaluation committee.
Methodology
Functions of the Director and/or tutor of the TFM
1) All doctors who are actively participating in lines of research in the field of the master's degree may act as directors of the work.
2) The work may be directed by a maximum of 3 directors. In the case of co-direction, only one of the directors must be a doctor.
3) To guarantee the adequacy of the subject matter of the TFM to the scope of the master's degree and when the student has a director of a research and/or academic center or personnel from the industrial field other than that of the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering of the UAB, it must also have the approval of a master's professor who will also act as a tutor.
4) The director or director must guide the students during the development of the work. At the end of the research project, you must make a report on the work done by the student (student learning capacity, integration into the work team dynamics, etc.), through an evaluation rubric designed for this purpose. This report will be used to complete the evaluation of the students.
The communication platform with the students will be the Moodle classroom of the UAB designated for this purpose.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
For the evaluation of the master's thesis, the student must:
a) Present a written report of the developed work according to the established model and adapted to the type of work (scientific article, engineering project or innovation and development project).
b) Make a public defense of this work in front of the Evaluation Committee. The qualification criteria is based on: 1) assesstment rubrics completed by the evaluation committee, which include aspects about the quality of the written report, presentation and discussion, and 2) the assessment of the work by the director and/or tutor of the work. These rubrics are available in Moodle of the master.
Grades range from 0 to 10. If any form of plagiarism or similar bad practice is detected in advance, the director or director of the work and the student are informed and the defense is prevented.
The evaluation committee is made up of three professors, preferably doctors from the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering of the UAB, and the replacement of a member by an external expert may be required when the coordinator deems it necessary. The oral presentation of the work limited to a maximum of 15 minutes, after which the panel can ask questions about the master's thesis that show that the student has adquired the proper competences in a particular field of specialization of the master's degree. It can be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English.
It shall be estressed again that the assessment of the academic adviser of the master's thesis is carried out using an assessment rubric that takes into account, among other aspects, the following: initiative, responsibility, ability to interpret the results and any other criteria that is considered relevant.
The commission evaluates, among other aspects:
1) Written memory: Proper use of language. The document can be written in English, Catalan or Spanish. The choice of language is not a criterion for evaluation and the comission will only assess the correctness and appropriate use of the chosen language. Format: if it correctly follows the relevant guidelines according to the type of TFM. Conciseness and ability to analyze and interpret the results or products of the work.
2) Oral Defense: The student's ability to communicate. Conciseness and compliance with the established time. The quality of the presentation. The ability to answer questions asked by the commission.
Honors. Grading with "Honors" (MH) is a decision of the faculty responsible for the subject and the faculty who evaluate the students. UAB regulations state that MH can only be awarded to students who have obtained a final mark equal to or higher than 9.00. Up to 5% MH of the total number of students enrolled can be awarded. In the event that there are more students with a final mark higher than 9 than the percentage or fraction stipulated above, the MH will be awarded to the highest mark, once all the students registered in the module have defended their project, regardless of the group to which they belong or the date of the defense.
Software
Text editing software
Presentation software
Depending on the type or subject of the TFM, the use of specialized software may be necessary: matlab, simulink, computational dynamics, hysys, etc.