MEEN50070 Industrial Research I

Academic Year 2023/2024

The aim of this module is to provide PhD students with the opportunity to gain work experience within structured setting in an area related to Mechanical & Materials Engineering. Candidates will normally have already completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline and will be enrolled in a structured PhD Program in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. The placement is expected to involved professionally-relevant work, outside UCD, on a full-time basis, or majority time basis. The placement should be no less than 8 weeks in duration.

Students will not normally be able to undertake other credit-bearing modules during the placement period. Registration to this module is subject to the module co-coordinator's permission. All aspects of the placement will be managed in accordance with the UCD Policy Document ‘Work Placement / Practice Experience Guidelines & Good Practice’. Candidates looking to take this module should discuss this with the module co-coordinator in advance of enrolling.

A member of the academic staff will be appointed as Academic Supervisor to liaise with the student during the period of the work placement. The placement provider will nominate a Sponsor within the organisation to oversee the placement. A programme of work will be agreed between the University and the Sponsor, to ensure that the student can meet the learning outcomes associated with this module, using the opportunities available during the scheduled period of placement. The Supervisor will maintain contact with the student, and with the student's Sponsor, during the work placement period. Special arrangements for supervision apply in the case of students on placement overseas. Attendance requirements are agreed in consultation with the student, Supervisor and Sponsor and may, in certain cases, exceed the minimum requirements of the module descriptor.

- Students must development of work plan and make this be available to the Module Coordinator and/or Academic Supervisor, and complete a Final Training Report, summarising their experiences, with specific reference to General Learning, Technical Learning and Personal Learning.

- An assessment will be sought from an employer and/or Academic Supervisor, commenting on the student's engagement with the process and highlighting any particular achievements.

- Students may be required to present for Oral Examination on completion of the placement.

- The module will be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis. Successful completion of the module will result in the award of the credits, with a module grade P assigned. This module is grade point neutral and will not contribute directly to the degree GPA. Failure to meet the learning outcomes associated with the module represents grounds for failure. Remediation of failure may be discussed with the Module Coordinator.

- All aspects of the placement will be managed in accordance with the UCD Academic Policy document 'Internship/Work Practice Experience: Guidelines and Good Practice'.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes under three headings:

1. General Learning
- Describe the business organisation in which they worked and the functions and responsibilities of that organisation.
- Critically reflect on their experiences during the placement.
- Explain, with evidence, the need for high ethical standards in the practice of engineering.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of - and an ability to comply with health and safety issues and responsibilities of engineering practice.

2. Technical Learning
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate classroom theory with workplace practice, through the application of academic learning in the workplace. This learning will be specific to the discipline and to the nature of the placement; specifics will be agreed between the Academic Supervisor and the Sponsor, over the course of the placement.
- Demonstrate an awareness of quality assurance issues, in the context of the work placement.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the importance of codes of practice and industry standards, relevant to the work placement.

3. Personal Learning
- Describe the role of the specific unit (department/section) in which they were located and the responsibilities of the key operatives in that unit.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of workplace culture.
- Demonstrate development and application of interpersonal and self-management transferable skills, such as: working independently in unfamiliar situations; effective time management; developing communication skills; working effectively as a team member and respecting the views of others in the team; accepting and responding to constructive criticism; accounting for their actions and decisions.
- Based on their contacts and experiences, be able to critically identify and develop potential sources of appropriate employment for their future careers.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Placement/Work Experience

250

Total

250

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The student will learn through everyday interactions in a Engineering workplace. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Final report and presentation Varies over the Trimester n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes

70

Assignment: Development of work plan Varies over the Trimester n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes

20

Assignment: Industrial Partner Assessment form Varies over the Trimester n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

10


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat (CFP) Within Three Semesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The student will be given feedback on their development plan and on the assessment provided by the industrial partner

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 

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