BIO160 Bachelor Thesis - Biomedical laboratory sciences

Contents and structure

The bachelor thesis is the final part of the bachelor degree, and is taken in the 5th and 6th semester.

 

Students will complete an independent method and problem-oriented task based on a realistic problem within Biomedical laboratory sciences, which requires knowledge and skills of key areas of the program. The project is a joint project for 2-3 students. It may be a partnership with a medical laboratory or be part of the internal research and development initiatives at HiB.

Each student team is assigned an internal supervisor from the program, 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 laboratory 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 HiB, and a supervisory agreement must be signed.

The course ends with the exhibition EXPO where the graduating students can show the project they have been working on with posters and products.

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 the field of biomedical laboratory sciences
• 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 a biomedical laboratory science 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 project the students must have passed:

• All courses in the first year and BIO129 Biochemistry, BIO130 Hematology and Hemostasis og BIO133 Medical Laboratory Science II. In addition at least 15 ECTS of the following courses: BIO127 Applied Bioinformatics, BIO128 Immunology, BIO131 Microbiology og BIO132 Transfusion Medicine.
• Compulsory work in all courses in the 5th semester must be approved.

Teaching methods

Lectures, laboratory and supervised project work in teams consisting of 2-3 students. A team of one student may be allowed as an exception.

25 hours of supervision is mandatory for the team/student in the project period. 

Each team will also attend process guidance, 3 times a 1 hour.

Joint project work

Projects will be presented at the end of 5.semester and at the beginning of 6.semester. Project Groups will be formed after assigning projects.The team then develops a project plan in cooperation with the supervisor. The project plan contains problem formulation, feasibility analysis (method selection and required resources), ethical considerations, project organization with project schedule and any cost estimates. The project work typically consists of smaller reaserch projects, evaluation of analyzes/methods or literature studies related to various issues within 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.

The course ends with the exhibition EXPO where the graduating students can show the project they have been working on with posters and products.

Compulsory learning activities

1. Individual requirements:

• 1 submissions in method and science theory
• Attending supervision
• Participation in compulsory learning activities

2. Requirements for the group:

• Projectplan
• Project diary
• Midterm presentation
• Poster for EXPO

Requirements have to be completed by given deadlines. The mandatory work requirements are valid for one subsequent semester.

Assessment

The assessment is based on two parts:

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

The grade scale is Pass / Fail. Both parts must be passed to pass the course. It is possible to deliver an improved version of the bachelor thesis in the following semester, if it is not passed. If necessary, a new oral exam will be arranged in the following semester.

The assignment consists of:

• Bachelor thesis and any product
• Reflection note (Learning outcome and self-reflection on personal development, individually)

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.

The oral examination shuld Focus on the individual parts of the projet and the students contributions in these, as well as in the final result in the form of the bachelor thesis and any Product.

If desired from the supervisor and upon application, the thesis can be written in article format.