LEI150 Bachelor Thesis - Land Administration and Surveying

Contents and structure

The bachelor thesis is the final course in the bachelor degree, taken in the 6th semester.

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 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 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 at HVL, 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 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 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 project after the 5th semester, the student must have passed 120 credits - including all courses included in the first year and any specialization relevant for the project. If the project is assigned after the 4th semester the credit requirement is reduced to 100 credits. Exemption from these requirements can be given after consultation with an academic advisor.

Teaching methods

Lectures and joint student project. The project is supervised and there will normally be 2-3 students in a team. A team of one student may be allowed as an exception.

10 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

1. Individual requirements:

• attending supervision
• a reflection paper (self-reflection on personal development)

2. Requirements for the group:

• preliminary report with a project plan
• written project diary
• mid term presentation
• presentation and participation at EXPO with poster (and the product).

Requirements have to be completed by given deadlines. The compulsory course requirements are only valid during the semester in which the bachelor thesis is carried out.

Assessment

The assessment is based on two parts:

• Thesis (written per group), counts 70%
• Oral examination (individual assessment), counts 30%

The grade scale is A-F. Both parts must be passed to pass the course. If not passed in one of the parts, the course must be taken in its entirety next academic year, preferably in the spring semester. It is not possible to deliver an improved version of the bachelor thesis.

The assignment consists of:

• Bachelor thesis and any product

The scope of the bachelor thesis is determined in consultation with the supervisor. Deadline for submission is stated on Studentweb and digital exam system.

Oral examination:

Oral exam is held after the bachelor thesis has been submitted, as a final presentation of the project.

Oral examination should focus on the group and the individual student's method understanding, and choices in the work process, as well as the final result in the form of the bachelor thesis and any product.