M.Sc Projects

David Wilson M.Sc Projects Coordinator for Computing & Information Systems

• Your project should provide you with the opportunity of advanced work in your chosen area of interest.

–Advanced –Interesting

• Single most important component

–33% of assessment • 60 Credits • 600 Hours –50% for Internet & Enterprise Systems • 90 Credits • 900 Hours

To Choose Your Project

• Consider your own interests and possible choice of career • Consider the skills and knowledge you have acquired during your studies • Consider the interests and research areas of the staff

To Choose Your Project

• Your Project will require a client – External – for an institution outside the university – Internal – a member of staff can act as a client – Virtual – an imaginary client • On a subject you wish to pursue for your own interest • For IES students the project should be significant and may be entirely research based

Project Considerations

• WHO - The requirements of your client • WHAT - What is the program going to achieve and what problem(s) will it solve • WHY - A rationale for the project • WHERE - At Huddersfield or at a place of work • WHEN - Time constraints • HOW - Methods used to achieve results

Practical Help

Project guidelines can be obtained from Blackboard or from the handbook. These provide information on your responsibilities and your client’s responsibilities.

They also contain information on project deliverables, deadlines etc.

Help is also available from staff Julie Wilkinson – MSc Course Leader David Wilson – MSc Projects Coordinator Supervisor – ?

Milestones

•Proposal •Terms of Reference •Submission

Milestones

• These milestones apply to: – Software Development – Information Systems – Internet Application Development – Mobile Computing • For IED students the milestones are the same but the time-scale is slightly different.

Milestones

• Proposal – You should consider an idea for your project and formulate a proposal as soon as possible in order to discuss it with your supervisor.

– You are advised to have your proposal completed by 2 nd June.

Milestones

• The Terms of Reference – Represents a more detailed introduction to the project – Wider coverage, greater depth – You are advised to have this completed by 16 th June

Milestones

• Submission – Presentations will take place in September – Final hand in date is 15 th September – Course Assessment Board in October

Project Proposal

• This will soon be your immediate concern. The project proposal is an outline of the project you wish to undertake and should contain: – Your name – Student ID – Project title (keep it short) – Description of the problem (be brief) – Details of the intended product

Project Proposal

• Names of staff involved/consulted • Details of external people consulted • Resources required to undertake the work • Risks involved in the project • Timetable with milestones • Justification for the choice of project

Terms of Reference

• The Terms of Reference (a detailed Project Specification really) defines the scope of the project, and should include information about: –

Context:

• to enable the reader to gain general understanding of the client and problem situation. –

Aims:

• what the project is intended to achieve, in terms of what aspects of the problem situation are to be addressed or a specific problem that is to be solved. –

Deliverables:

• what the project is expected to produce - this is variable and may include a management report and/or an action research report and/or a software product and/or user support documentation.

Terms of Reference

– –

Relationship to the course:

• the knowledge and skills that you have learned on the course and expect to use/extend further in the project, and new knowledge and skills that you need to acquire to complete the project.

Project Plan:

• the project tasks to be performed in order to achieve the aims of the project, with an indication of the timing, sequence, interdependencies and duration of the activities - the use of a chart or network may be useful. • The activities should be based on an understanding of your chosen methodological approach - you are not expected to anticipate every possible development in the project.

Terms of Reference

– – –

People:

• what is the expected involvement of other people in the tasks outlined in the project plan, e.g. in terms of how much of their time will be taken up by you consulting them, interviewing them, holding meetings with them, involving them in testing your ideas, models, designs, prototypes or software.

Resources:

• including sources of information, hardware, software and any other materials required to undertake the work. • Potential constraints on the availability of resources should be indicated.

General Guidance:

• When writing the Terms of Reference, do not forget the features which make a document easy to use and easy to maintain, e.g. list of contents with page numbers, glossary of terms, etc

Project Management

• You will need to meet with your supervisor and (if different) your client at regular intervals.

• You need to check the availability of your supervisor/client over the July/August period • It is up to you to arrange meetings, submit your final report and arrange your demonstration/presentation

Internet & Enterprise Systems

• The project should take 6 months and comprises 50% of the mark for the final degree • May to July is the time for project preparation • The project comprises either pure research or research and a significant EIS system • There will be a formative assessment midway through the project (September) • Presentation of results will take place in November and the report submission and examination should be in December

Finding a Project

• It is your responsibility to find a project – not the project tutor’s.

• Do not wait for a project to come to you – it will not happen.

• You may follow up potential projects through your own contacts – this is strongly encouraged.