KJE150 Bachelor Thesis - Chemical Engineering

Contents and structure

The bachelor thesis is the final course in the bachelor degree, taken during the last year of the programme.

Students will complete an independent method and problem-oriented task based on a realistic engineering problem, which requires knowledge and skills of key areas of the bachelor program. The project is normally a joint student project. The project may be a partnership with a company or a government agency, or be part of the internal research and development initiatives at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).

Each team of students is assigned an internal supervisor, who will provide guidance to ensure the scientific and methodological elements are well attended. Students regularly report the progress of the project to the supervisor, and to the company contact, through oral and written reports. The team make regular entries in a project diary documenting the project activities. On completion of the project the individual students will, through a reflection paper, account for their academic and personal development while working on the project.

The thesis must be conducted in accordance with Guidelines for bachelor thesis , and a supervisory agreement must be signed.

Learning Outcome

Upon completing the course, the candidate will have attained the following learning outcome:  

Knowledge

• is familiar with the relevant methods and working practices relating to research and development within their own engineering field
• be able to update their knowledge through contact with relevant academic communities and practice fields

Skills

• collect, analyze and refer information in a critical and reflective way
• document and communicate project results in a systematic and scientific way

General competence

• work with planning and execution of an chemical engineering project, both independently and in teams
• translate their knowledge and skills into practical solutions
• show reflective, ethical and environmental insight into their work, in accordance with relevant national guidelines

Entry requirements

To be assigned a bachelor thesis after the 4th semester, the student must have passed 90 credits, including all courses in the first year and any specialization courses relevant for the thesis. If the thesis is assigned after the 5th semester, the credit requirement is increased to 120 credits. Exemption from these requirements can be considered after application to the Program Coordinator and a consultation.

Teaching methods

Lectures and joint student project. The project is supervised and there will normally be 3 students in a team. A team of one student, two students or four students may be allowed as an exception.

20 hours of supervision is mandatory for the team/student.

Joint project work

The team develops a preliminary report with project plan in cooperation with the supervisor and (if relevant) the company. The preliminary report contains problem formulation, feasibility analysis (method selection and required resources), project organization with project schedule and any cost estimates. The project work typically consists of collection of information / specification / construction / calculation / programming etc. based on knowledge from the discipline.

The project team documents the activities of the project regularly in a project diary. The project diary is submitted to the supervisor, who gives feedback regarding the academic content and quality.

Compulsory learning activities

A learning portfolio that consists of the following coursework:

1. Individually requirements:

• attending supervision
• a written project diary including a reflection paper (self-reflection on personal development)

2. Requirements for the group:

• three submissions related to the lectures in the introduction to scientific theory and methodology
• preliminary report with a project plan
• midterm status meeting with supervisors
• bachelor thesis in accordance with the template of the institute
• final presentation of the project
• participation at EXPO with poster (and the product)

All coursework items must be submitted by the given deadlines. The fulfilled requirements are only valid for the current semester for which they are obtained.

The learning portfolio documents the learning process through the semester as a continuous assessment. Only two of the required coursework items will be part of the portfolio assessment as the basis for the determination of the grading (see Assessment).

Assessment

The final assessment is based on two parts: portfolio assessment and oral exam. Both parts must be passed in order to pass the examination. In case of failing either of the two parts, the whole course must be retaken the subsequent year of study. The candidate will not be allowed to produce an improved version of the bachelor thesis.

Portfolio Assessment

The assessment is based on two items of the learning portfolio:

• the Bachelor's thesis (and the product)
• the poster presentation

Suggested total number of pages for the bachelor's thesis is 20-50. Submission deadline is specified on the Studentweb and the digital exam system.

The grading scale is passed/failed. The grade for the portfolio assessment is set for the group as a whole.

Oral examination

The oral exam and the final presentation will be held after the bachelor thesis has been submitted. The oral exam will focus on the team and the individual student's understanding of methods, the choice of methods in their work process, as well as the final result in terms of the bachelor's thesis (and the product). 

The grading scale is passed/failed. The grade for the oral exam is individual.

Examination support material

None

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