Computer Laboratory

Part III and MPhil ACS projects and essays

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MPhil in Advanced Computer Science and CST (Part III) projects and essays

MPhil ACS students in Option A write an essay of no more than 7,500 words.

MPhil ACS students in Option B undertake a substantial research project during the Lent and Easter terms, and submit a project report of no more than 15,000 words. Each project must be supervised by a member of the academic staff (who will also act as one assessor).

Part III students undertake a research project similar to the above ACS project, but of only half the size (and no more than 12,000 words). Each project must be supervised by a member of the academic staff (or alternative approved by Head of Department) who also acts as one assessor.

Timetable

  • All MPhil and CST (Part III) Project and essay briefing session: Monday 22 October 2012 10:00 in FW26
  • Option B and Part III Students Submit project proposal with coversheet and project resource form: Monday 19 November 2012.
  • Examiners consider proposals: Monday 26 November 2012. Proposals need to be revised will be returned to students.
  • Final date for revised proposals (signed, as above): Wednesday 5 December 2012
  • Preliminary work on projects begins: Friday 7 December 2012
  • Lent Term 2013: students expected to spend 50% of time on project work
  • Project progress reviews (students to arrange meetings with supervisors): week commencing 11 March 2013
  • Easter Term 2013: 100% project work expected
  • Project presentations (Part III only): 31 May 2013 09:00 - 14:00 LT1
  • Project presentations (MPhils; C00 Research Skills final assessment): 24 June 2013 09:00 - 16:00 LT1, LT2 and SW01; all MPhil students to attend and present
  • Project title changes: no later than 1 June 2013
  • Submission: 09:00 Friday 14 June 2013 (*hard* deadline)
  • Option A Students Submit essay proposal with coversheet and project resource form: Monday 4 March 2013.
  • Examiners consider proposals: Monday 11 March 2013. Proposals need to be revised will be returned to students.
  • Final date for revised proposals (signed, as above): Monday 18 March 2013
  • Preliminary work on projects begins: Monday 18 March 2013
  • Essay progress reviews (students to arrange meetings with supervisors): week commencing 6 May 2013
  • Easter Term 2013: 100% essay work expected
  • Essay presentations (MPhils; C00 Research Skills final assessment): 24 June 2013 09:00 - 16:00 LT1, LT2 and SW01; all MPhil students to attend and present
  • Project title changes: no later than 1 June 2013
  • Submission: 09:00 Friday 14 June 2013 (*hard* deadline)

All project and essay proposals and project resource forms must be signed by the Project or Essay Supervisor and the Course Adviser/DoS before submission

Examiners' meetings and viva voce examinations

  • Oral examinations (if required): date to be confirmed
  • Final Examiners' meeting: Tuesday 25 June 2013
  • Degree Committee meeting (approval of M.Phil recommendations; approval of M.Phil class lists): Tuesday 2 July 2013

All M.Phil students must be available to attend a viva voce examination (oral exam) if called by the Examiners.

Resources for students and supervisors

If your project may involve experiments with human participants, be sure to read the department's Ethical Review Policy, which explains the steps you need to take to obtain the necessary approval first.

Project suggestions

In practice, we expect students to start thinking about their project in the latter half of Michaelmas term. As mentioned above, all projects must have a faculty supervisor, and so the first step usually involves deciding which research area(s) you are interested in, and then contacting potential supervisors.

You can suggest your own project, but several research groups and members of staff maintain web pages with project suggestions:

In many cases these are indicative and not final: ideally you, in conjunction with the supervisor, will work on fleshing out the details. This will likely involve doing background reading and preparation in October and early November so that the official project proposal submitted on 19 November represents an informed and realistic idea of what you will do.

Submission and assessment