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PHYS495 (D3) - Physics & Astronomy/Astrophysics Honours Degree Full-time

Assessment Process

Assessment: Coursework 50%, Thesis 50%

Coursework

The student is required to undertake and pass six honours modules. In certain circumstances one 300-level unit can be substituted for one honours module. Depending on which stream a student is in the modules should be chosen as below. The modules marked * must be selected.

Modules for Physics (Experimental) Students

Classical mechanics*
Mathematical Methods 1* and 2*
Statistical Mechanics*
Solid State Physics 1* and 2
Nonlinear Optics
Modern Experimental Atomic and Optical Physics
Spectroscopy

Modules for Physics (Theoretical) Students

Classical mechanics*
Mathematical Methods 1* and 2*
Statistical Mechanics*
Advanced Quantum Theory*
Nonlinear Optics
Quantum Field Theory
Advanced General Relativity
Solid State Physics 1 and 2

Modules for Astronomy and Astrophysics students

Classical Mechanics*
Statistical Mechanics
Mathematical Methods 1* and 2*
Astrophysics 2* and 3*
Advanced General Relativity
Spectroscopy
Nonlinear Optics

The "300-level unit" option should be chosen from

1) Any third year Physics/Optoelectronics unit not yet completed,
2) MATH335 (Mathematical Methods),
3) MATH336 (Differential Equations),
4) ELEC376 (Electronics III),
5) MAPH420 (Advanced Topics in Mathematical Physics).

All units and modules are graded on the standard HD,D,C,P,PC,F scale.

Thesis

The student selects an approved project, supervised by a member of Physics or co-supervised by a Physics member and an approved supervisor from outside Physics, and writes a thesis based on the results achieved in the project. The project allows the student the scope to obtain original results and make a contribution to a particular field of Physics.

The thesis is examined by the supervisor(s) and two examiners who write reports on the student's thesis suggesting a grade of one of the following: H1, H2i, H2ii, H3, F. Several copies of the thesis are circulated to all staff members of Physics so that everyone can be familiar with the theses before the examiners' meeting.

Other work

The Honours students are required, in the first half of the year, to submit a review essay of between 2000 and 5000 words which includes a relevant literature survey, a discussion of the project and the relevant literature pertaining to the project, a description of the plan, and a discussion of progress thus far. These copies are circulated to all staff members of Physics. The students are also required to give mid-year progress report talks to the Department. These talks are 20 minutes long and followed by 10 minutes of questions. Neither of these tasks, the review essay nor the talk, are part of the assessment, but these tasks must be completed at a satisfactory level in order for the student to continue with the project.

Following submission of the theses for grading, the students are required to give end-of-year talks which are 40 minutes long and are followed by 10 minutes of questions. These talks are not part of the assessment process but do allow staff members the opportunity to clarify issues raised in the theses.

Assessment

Staff members attend the Physics meeting and receive information about the students' coursework grades as well as reports on the thesis. Thesis and coursework results from past years are also circulated to ensure that staff members can render decisions which are consistent with past results.

Each supervisor and examiner summarises her/his submitted report and suggests an appropriate grade. All staff members are provided with ample time to question the bases for the suggested grades and provide comments and critiques of the theses. The final result for each thesis is obtained either by consensus or, if necessary, by a simple majority vote.

Following the assessment of all theses, the performances in the various unit offerings are summarised in writing and orally by the unit conveners. Written summaries only are presented by conveners who are not members of the Physics Department. An Honours ranking is assigned to the coursework performance by each student. The final Honours grade is then determined by equally weighting the thesis and coursework components of the Honours year. Care is taken to ensure that the decisions are consistent with past decisions. The students are also ranked at the meeting for postgraduate award purposes.

Final Theses

The final draft of the thesis prepared by the student incorporates the corrections suggested by the examiners' meeting. Three copies of the thesis are then given to the Department and sent to a binding company. The theses are bound with a brief title, the year and the student's name on the spine. One copy goes to the student; one copy is for the supervisor; one copy goes to the library provided that the student completed an author's consent form. The library copy is not for loan and provides a useful resource for future students as well as a testimony to the student's efforts and accomplishments.

For more info. please contact the Honours Convener.