BYTS3900 Bachelor Thesis Course description

The bachelor's thesis is the concluding course in the engineering programme. The students choose the topic for their theses and the work is carried out in a group which usually comprises 3 or 4 students. It will give students training in carrying out a large project independently and in using relevant methodology tools, and will be organised so that the students are able to use knowledge and skills from several fields.

It is highly recommended to write the bachelor's thesis in collaboration with an industry partner based on an industry project. The bachelor's thesis is normally carried out in cooperation with business and industry or other institutions. It must be grounded in real engineering questions that are relevant to the chosen programme option, and it can be related to design or contractor operations, or to a research or development project.

The bachelor's thesis is based on knowledge acquired through all five previous semesters.

Students must be registered in the third year of study and have completed at least 100 credits from the first and second years of study by 1 October before they can register for the bachelor’s thesis.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• has good technical knowledge of the building and construction industry
• demonstrates engineering insight and an overall perspective, so that good solutions are chosen for reaching the project goal
• is familiar with available literature and ongoing research and development on the issue in question
• is capable of applying old and new knowledge to generate new knowledge and arrive at practical overall solutions

Skills

The student is capable of:

• carrying out an engineering task and addressing a practical or research question, in an independent and systematic manner
• defining a research question, the scope and goal of the project, and planning progress
• mastering appropriate methods and tools
• using relevant academic theory and literature correctly
• describing the thesis, analysing results and discussing them to arrive at a conclusion
• clearly communicating the objective of the thesis, findings and conclusion, both orally and in writing

General competence

The student:

• masters working in a team on planning and executing a project
• demonstrates independence and initiative, creativity and innovation
• assesses technological solutions in a life-cycle/environmental, social and financial context
• has information literacy skills: knows why it is necessary to seek out quality-assured sources of knowledge and why citing sources correctly is important.
• analyses and quality assures results and demonstrates an ability to reflect

Group project work that amounts to 500 hours per student and ends in a project report and oral presentation. It is highly recommended to write the thesis in collaboration with an industry partner based on an industry project. It is up to the students to find external industry contact to work with and to formulate the research question together with them. It is up to the students to find fellow students to work with. This process begins at the end of the fourth semester and lasts until the end of the fifth semester, when the research questions and groups are approved and information is provided about the guidelines. A supervisor from the study programme will be appointed. An external partner will normally also help with supervision and follow-up.

The groups will normally consist of 3 of 4 students. In exceptional cases (illness, top sport) and on application, students can be permitted to write the bachelor's thesis alone. Applications must be submitted through the administration.

Students are expected to plan and carry out their work in an independent manner and to keep time sheets. The report must be in writing in accordance with the faculty's procedures. Sources must be cited in the correct manner. An abstract must be written in English. A digital version of the bachelor’s thesis and all appendices and supporting documents shall be submitted to the internal supervisor.

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can sit the exam:

• Two milestone meetings

The assessment of learning outcomes will be based on the project execution and report, the oral and visual presentation, including a poster presentation in plenary session and an oral individual examination.

1) The report counts for 80%. A group of 3 or 4 students normally cooperate on the bachelor's thesis. In exceptional cases (illness, top sport) and on application, students can be permitted to write the bachelor's thesis alone.

2) The execution and oral and visual presentation in the group and the oral individual examination count for 20%.

The exam results in part 1) can be appealed. The exam results in part 2) cannot be appealed.

Both parts of the exam must be awarded grade E or better for the student to pass the course.

All aids are allowed as long as source reference rules are followed.

Grade scale A-F.

Two internal examiners. External examiners are used regularly.

Diego Maria Barbieri