Module Directory

The Advanced Capstone projects are opportunities for students to study independently a topic in Mathematics, Statistics and related areas (Mathematical Physics, Data Science, Modelling and so on) and develop skills such as writing reports and giving presentations. The student will be monitored by a supervisor, who will periodically set tasks and discuss the progress of the work.

The key purpose of Advanced Capstone projects is that students should be given the opportunity to show their strengths by allowed a certain amount of freedom and leeway how they do the project. It will also provide opportunities for students to develop transferable communication and time- and task-management skills, through researching the topic and organising and producing the written and oral reports.

The aims of this module are:

• To enable a student to gain experience of some branch of pure and applied mathematics, mathematical physics, statistics and operational research, data science and analytics, actuarial science or the interface of these disciplines with other fields, that the student would not meet in any lecture course.


• To gain experience of individual work (or a work in groups if applicable) involving research concerning some previously unknown topic, the production of a project report and an oral examination.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Search independently through various sources.


2. Link together various expositions of the topic.


3. Understand how mathematical ideas, concepts and methods can be used in a specific area.


4. Think critically and creatively from a mathematical perspective.


5. Produce a critical assessment of the sources.


6. Produce a final report at Masters level, written in an appropriate language.


7. Present their work with confidence.

The level and amount of material for the 30-credit Advanced Capstone project module should approximately correspond to two standard 15 credit taught modules. Students are expected to perform work on this project equivalent to one 15 credit module in each term (Autumn and Spring).

Depending on their interest and previous modules taken, students may choose an assignment suggested by the department, or put forward their own suggested topic for approval. A supervisor will be allocated to oversee the details of the assignment work.

Choice of topic. 

Each student will be allocated to a supervisor who will be responsible for the detailed description of the assignment. The material may be available in textbooks, although the development of the topic will preferably not follow any one textbook completely. At least one or two original sources (research papers) should be consulted and cited. Typically the topic will be one not covered by a current lecture course.

Supervision

The student will be able to consult the supervisor in case of difficulty. The supervisor may suggest examples for the students to attempt, or modifications of the original assignment.

Student's work.

The student will be required to draw up their own detailed notes on the topic, profusely illustrated with examples. The notes may resemble those collected on a lecture course, or be written in the form of a review article. More than one source should be used, but the material should be rewritten in the student's own words demonstrating understanding the subject. 

Assessment.

At the end of the assignment, the student's report, together with the comments of the supervisor, will all be collected together for the final assessment and grading. Students will give an oral presentation followed by some questions. This will be used as part of the final grade. The assessment will take into account the student's understanding and mastery of the material, originality, initiative and independent thinking, the content, clarity and structure of the report, and presentation skills.

Syllabus

• Introduction of project topics with detailed project briefs.


• Research Skills training, such as finding and evaluating scientific resources, referencing, LaTeX and other software relevant to the project.


• Independent research (individually and/or in teams). Each student is expected to explore a specific aspect of the research topic. The supervisor (first marker) is expected to provide feedback and guidance.


• Individual final project report.


• Feedback & Questioning meeting with supervisor (first marker) and assessor (second marker).

This module will be delivered via:

• 20 hours of supervision.