Physics Professional Placement

PHYS40811 Physics Professional Placement 60 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 4 Scott Kay Unit coordinator Department of Physics & Astronomy 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 30.0 Students taking this course unit undertake a full-time, physics-based project located within a company or external research institution. It provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience working within a professional environment. It also requires further development of professional skills in preparation for graduate employment.  To provide work experience within a professional environment that will be valuable in preparation for graduate employment. To provide the opportunity to apply skills attained from studying physics to degree level, to make a meaningful contribution to a project of current importance to a host company or research institution. To foster the development of professional skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, think independently, make informed judgments and work effectively as part of a team.  On completion successful students will have: 1. Described their experience working on a physics (or physics-related) problem of current importance in research or industrial application, within a professional environment. 2. Demonstrated a work ethic that is suitable for graduate employment. 3. Produced a scientific dissertation that is of professional quality, detailing their contribution to the project. 4. Demonstrated a high level of oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work within a team. Students are assigned both an academic mentor and a placement supervisor. It is expected that students will contact both people in advance of the start-date of the placement to make any necessary arrangements. In the early stages of the placement, students are required to produce a brief summary of their project and a work-plan, completed in consultation with their placement supervisor. Around the mid-point of the project, students are visited on their placement by their academic mentor to discuss progress. It is also expected that frequent (i.e. at least fortnightly) contact will be made by phone or email with the academic mentor throughout the placement. The final stages of the semester should be devoted to writing up the dissertation.  4 Dissertation 100% Feedback will be given on both the initial work-plan and interim report. Students will also be given the opportunity to submit a draft chapter on background material/theory from their dissertation for comments from their academic mentor. Feedback will be given on the final report by the assessors and from the placement supervisor on their general performance during the placement.  PHYS30180 Yr3 Physics Laboratory Work (All Year) Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS30392 Cosmology Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS40322 Nuclear Physics Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS40352 Solid State Physics Pre-Requisite Compulsory PHYS40222 Particle Physics Pre-Requisite Compulsory N 0 0 0