Students

CIVL4090 – Civil Engineering Research Thesis A

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Hazer Inaltekin
hazer.inaltekin@mq.edu.au
Contact via 9850 2280
44 WTR, Room 133
Thursday 5pm-6pm
Kate Stefanov
kate.stefanov@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(CIVL3305 or CIVL3301) and (CIVL3201 or CIVL3101)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
In this unit students will conduct the first half of an individual research thesis on a topic in the Civil Engineering major under the direction of an academic supervisor. The focus of the work will be on developing the project proposal, conducting the literature review and project planning and design. Where the work is carried out externally at a suitable topic, industrially-based co-supervisor may be required. At the end of the work a comprehensive research report will be submitted.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Analyse a complex civil engineering problem, and propose solutions involving the development of new knowledge or the application of cutting edge techniques.
  • ULO2: Plan a major civil engineering research project, including the design of necessary processes, information management, records keeping, project management, and communications.
  • ULO3: Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contextual factors, research direction, and foundational concepts in civil engineering.
  • ULO4: Apply core civil engineering principles and practices to a research or industry challenge.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate intellectual independence and an in-depth understanding of a specialist topic within civil engineering, through verbal and written communication.

General Assessment Information

Grading and Passing Requirement for the Unit

In order to pass this unit a student must obtain a mark of 50 or more for the unit (i.e. obtain a passing grade P/ CR/ D/ HD).

For further details about grading, please refer below in the policies and procedures section.

Hurdle Requirements

The Preliminary Thesis is a hurdle requirement. A grade of 50% or more on the Preliminary Thesis is a condition of passing this unit. If you are given a second opportunity to submit your thesis as a result of failing to meet the minimum mark required, your submission will be due during the supplementary examination period and will be notified of the exact day and time by the unit convenor. The second attempt at a hurdle assessment is graded as pass fail. The maximum grade for a second attempt is the hurdle threshold grade.

Regular meetings with thesis supervisor is a hurdle requirement. Students are required to attend at least 5 out of 10 weekly meetings from Week 4 to Week 13. See details in assessment task description.

Late Submissions and Re-submissions

All assessments must be submitted by 23:59pm (Sydney Time) on their due date. Should the activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration, as detailed below.

  • Preliminary Thesis Report: Late submissions are not allowed unless there is an approved special consideration request. Resubmissions are not allowed. 
  • Presentation and Oral Examination: Late submissions are not allowed unless there is an approved special consideration request showing that the student cannot make the presentation on the presentation date. Resubmissions are not allowed. 
  • Logbooks (Management and Engagement): Late submissions are not allowed unless there is an approved special consideration request.  Resubmissions are not allowed. 
  • Practice Presentation: Students will coordinate with their supervisors to have a practice presentation in Weeks 10-12 during regular meeting times. 

Project Implementation 

If your project requires on-campus lab attendance and you are not able to get back to campus on time, please contact with the unit convenor and your supervisor as soon as possible.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Preliminary Thesis 40% Yes Week 13
Presentation and Oral Examination 45% No Week 14-16
Supervisor Management Assessment 10% Yes Week 13
Practice Presentation 5% No Week 10-12

Preliminary Thesis

Assessment Type 1: Thesis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Students are required to prepare a preliminary thesis report about their projects, including the literature review, project planning & design, progress and achievements.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse a complex civil engineering problem, and propose solutions involving the development of new knowledge or the application of cutting edge techniques.
  • Plan a major civil engineering research project, including the design of necessary processes, information management, records keeping, project management, and communications.
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contextual factors, research direction, and foundational concepts in civil engineering.
  • Apply core civil engineering principles and practices to a research or industry challenge.
  • Demonstrate intellectual independence and an in-depth understanding of a specialist topic within civil engineering, through verbal and written communication.

Presentation and Oral Examination

Assessment Type 1: Viva/oral examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 14-16
Weighting: 45%

 

Students are required to deliver a comprehensive presentation and oral defence of their project proposal and progress at the end of the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse a complex civil engineering problem, and propose solutions involving the development of new knowledge or the application of cutting edge techniques.
  • Plan a major civil engineering research project, including the design of necessary processes, information management, records keeping, project management, and communications.
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contextual factors, research direction, and foundational concepts in civil engineering.
  • Apply core civil engineering principles and practices to a research or industry challenge.
  • Demonstrate intellectual independence and an in-depth understanding of a specialist topic within civil engineering, through verbal and written communication.

Supervisor Management Assessment

Assessment Type 1: Performance
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 10%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

In this unit, development of knowledge and skills will be guided by regular interaction with supervisors. Students must meet with supervisors regularly to show progress and receive feedback. This assessment of performance is made by the student's supervisor. It is comprised of the supervisor's judgement of self-management, engagement, intellectual independence, initiative, as well as judgement of the quality of record keeping & written log book. The logbook should contain dated records of day-to-day activities associated with the project. Outcomes of a minimum of five meetings must be documented using the meeting log sheet provided on iLearn to meet this hurdle assessment task.

 

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse a complex civil engineering problem, and propose solutions involving the development of new knowledge or the application of cutting edge techniques.
  • Plan a major civil engineering research project, including the design of necessary processes, information management, records keeping, project management, and communications.
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contextual factors, research direction, and foundational concepts in civil engineering.
  • Apply core civil engineering principles and practices to a research or industry challenge.
  • Demonstrate intellectual independence and an in-depth understanding of a specialist topic within civil engineering, through verbal and written communication.

Practice Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 10-12
Weighting: 5%

 

Students will undertake a practice presentation and oral exam with their supervisor in the final weeks of session. This would normally take place during regular meetings and serves to guide students as they prepare for the Viva.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse a complex civil engineering problem, and propose solutions involving the development of new knowledge or the application of cutting edge techniques.
  • Plan a major civil engineering research project, including the design of necessary processes, information management, records keeping, project management, and communications.
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contextual factors, research direction, and foundational concepts in civil engineering.
  • Apply core civil engineering principles and practices to a research or industry challenge.
  • Demonstrate intellectual independence and an in-depth understanding of a specialist topic within civil engineering, through verbal and written communication.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Unit Delivery

This is a project-based unit and has no scheduled lectures or tutorial sessions. Special lectures may be organised and related announcements will be made via iLearn.

Logbook

This unit requires a logbook. The students should maintain an individual logbook which should contain a dated log of day-to-day activities undertaken in relation to the project.

Technology Used and Required

The students are required to discuss with their supervisor about the software/hardware resources required for analysis, simulation, testing and experiments related to their project. In addition, word processing software (MS Word, Latex etc.) will be required to produce the preliminary thesis and MS PowerPoint or equivalent software will be required for presentation slides.

Unit Webpage

Access from the online iLearn System at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Required and Recommended Texts/Materials

There is not set textbook for this unit. The students are required to discuss with their supervisor regarding required/recommended reading materials, as suited to individual project needs.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Engineers Australia Competency Mapping

EA Competency Standard

Unit Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Skill Base

1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline.

 

1.2 Conceptual understanding of underpinning maths, analysis, statistics, computing.

 

1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge

ULO1, ULO3

1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions

ULO3

1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice

ULO3

1.6 Understanding of scope, principles, norms, accountabilities of sustainable engineering practice.

 ULO3

Engineering Application Ability

2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex problem solving

 ULO1, ULO4

2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.

ULO4

2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.

ULO4

2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.

ULO2, ULO4

Professional and Personal Attributes

3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability.

 

3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.

ULO2, ULO5

3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour.

ULO5

3.4 Professional use and management of information.

ULO2

3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.

ULO2, ULO5

3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership

Changes since First Published

Date Description
30/01/2024 Late submission policy is updated.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook