BSc Data Science Project
Aims
The main aims of the project are to offer students the opportunity to:
- Develop a systematic understanding and critical awareness of an agreed problem in the area of data science.
- Plan and execute a major piece of programming work appropriate to the BSc programme.
- Critically present existing approaches in the problem area, position their own approach within the area and evaluate their contribution.
Gain experience in communicating complex ideas/concepts and approaches/techniques to others by writing a comprehensive, self-contained report.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module a student will be expected to be able to:
Subject Specific:
- a knowledge of programming (S1),
- software engineering (S4),
- knowledge of data science tools, techniques and applications (S6),
- an appreciation of research topics related to data science (S7).
Intellectual:
- to develop designs for information systems (I3),
- the ability to analyse data using appropriate methods (I5),
- to plan and carry out a project with a focus on data science spanning several months (I6),
- to perform abstract thinking and to exhibit abstraction skills (I7).
Practical:
- the ability to write programs in appropriate programming languages (P1),
- to create and document a design using an appropriate modelling language (P2),
- to use a coherent information system development process (P3)
- to use tools to analyse data (P4).
Personal and Social:
- to demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems (PS1),
- to act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level (PS2),
- to conduct a critical appraisal of material synthesised from research papers (PS3),
- to communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences (PS4),
- to deal with complex issues systematically and creatively (PS5),
- to advance further their knowledge, skills and understanding (PS6).
Syllabus
The main part of this module will be completed by the student on their own. There is a small taught component of the module in which students are acquainted with:
- How to formulate the objectives and aims of a BSc project.
- How to write a project proposal.
- How to organise and plan the project.
- How to undertake a literature review.
- How to write a project report.
Timetables
Indicative timetables can be found in the handbooks available on programme pages. Personalised teaching timetables for students are available via My Birkbeck.
Assessment
- Written Project proposal (10% of total grade): 1500 words (+/- 10%)
- Project Portfolio (90% of total grade): A significant and original piece of software that demonstrates design competence and technical prowess. Plus a 7000-10000 word (+/- 10%) report.