Learning outcome

After successfully completing the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate can:

• Use scientific methods to define and solve an engineering problem
• Collect data in order to work on the thesis question through a literature search and contact with the relevant professional fields

Skills

The candidate can:

• Independently integrate previously acquired knowledge and demonstrate his/her ability to acquire new knowledge in solving an engineering problem.
• Work both independently and in a team when planning and implementing experiments and engineering projects
• Find and evaluate information, subject literature and subject matter, and prepare and discuss this material in a written report and oral presentation
• Refer to subject literature and other sources correctly

General competence

The candidate can/is:

• Contribute to creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in the development and implementation of sustainable solutions and socially useful products
• Aware of the environmental, ethical and economic implications of technological products, analyzes and processes and is able to view them in local and global life-cycle perspectives
• Communicate technical information to various audiences in writing and orally.
• Able to participate in discussions, has respect for and openness to other disciplines and is able to contribute to interdisciplinary work.

Course Description

The Bachelor’s thesis is a project-oriented task which is carried out in groups of 3-6 students. Thematically, the thesis should focus on a topic related to the courses completed by the candidate in the previous five semesters of the study programme. Candidates will integrate previously acquired knowledge and demonstrate that their ability to acquire new knowledge in solving an engineering problem. This work will demonstrate the ability to work independently and in a team. It is particularly important that the thesis is viewed in a holistic perspective. The thesis must have at least one subject focus that is clearly related to the study programme’s courses. It may be interdisciplinary or it may focus on a particular field.

It should be based on real social and business issues, or research. In other words, it should be linked to business activities in the private or public sector, research activities of the college, or other aspects of an engineer’s work.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Group work with supervision.

Whenever possible, it is desirable that the thesis project is realized in cooperation with an external partner.

Candidates will conduct an independent study, and this should be reflected in the extent and form of supervision provided. The supervision will be carried out in the individual groups. Candidates are responsible for identifying and applying relevant information, and for ensuring that both the results and method of work are appropriately documented. The candidates should actively give feedback to each other.

Assessment Methods

Assessment of the course is based on:

• The thesis project
• Quality of reporting
• Oral presentation
• An examination of the understanding of the subject dealt with

(A specification of how the assessment criteria are to be weighted will be provided before the course commences.)

The execution of the thesis project will be assessed on the basis of the students’ work from the allocation of the project work to the submission of the report. This will involve a focus on elements such as how work was allocated, execution and minutes of meetings, monitoring of work schedule, degree of independence, conflict management, research planning and safety issues in practical experiments.

The Bachelor’s thesis should be submitted as a technical report. The assessment will be based on the originality of the thesis, and the candidate’s ability to work independently and develop an overview of subject content relevant to the thesis question. The assessment will emphasize the extent to which the question is clearly defined, methodology justified and applied, and how the results are analyzed and documented. This will involve a report structure with a focus on introduction, methodology, results and discussion. Conclusions linked to the question are essential. The report must be clear and well organized. The candidate should use literature to assess his/her sources’ relevance and quality in a critical way. All sources must be clearly referenced.

The candidates will give a group presentation (approx. 30 - 45 min) of the thesis’s content. The public may attend the presentation, and may be invited to ask questions.

An individual oral examination will follow the presentation, in order to assess each candidate’s understanding of the subject material.

The report should also have both Norwegian and English summaries. The report may be written in English.

Individual grades are given for the Bachelor’s thesis based on an overall assessment.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean