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1. Admissions/ Management Information
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Title of the programme – including any lower awards
Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award.

See guidance on programme titles in:
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Masters MSc in Fusion Energy
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Postgraduate Diploma Diploma in Fusion EnergyPlease indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Postgraduate Certificate Certificate in Fusion EnergyPlease indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.Exit
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Level of qualificationLevel 7
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This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:2021-22
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Awarding institutionTeaching institution
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University of York University of York
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Department(s):
Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department		Board of Studies
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Lead Department Physics Physics
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Other contributing Departments:
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Route code
(existing programmes only)		PMPHYSFUS1/YR1
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Admissions criteria
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Typically a minimum of lower second class BSc degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Applied Maths, or Engineering.
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Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
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ProgrammeLength (years/ months) Status (full-time/ part-time)
Please select		Start dates/months
(if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
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Face-to-face, campus-basedDistance learningOther
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Msc in Fusion Energy 1Full-timePlease select Y/NYesPlease select Y/NNo
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Language(s) of study
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English
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Language(s) of assessment
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English
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2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
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Please Select Y/N: Noif No move to section 3
if Yes complete the following questions
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3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
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Please Select Y/N: Noif Yes, provide details
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4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
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Kate Lancaster
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5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Master's programme
Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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Our 12-month Masters course provides a firm foundation in fusion physics. It is an ideal course to prepare students for a PhD in fusion energy or for employment in fusion laboratories. You will develop your knowledge of fusion and will be introduced to the computational and experimental skills essential to fusion research and highly valued in today’s knowledge-based economy. You will enhance your employability by developing the skills to solve real world problems using advanced computational techniques and manipulate, synthesise and visualise complex experimental data sets. The MSc culminates in a major research project where, under the supervision of world leading physicists at the York Plasma Institute, you will conduct cutting edge research in fusion, making new discoveries by leading your own project. There are a number of opportunities to conduct these research projects at high profile research organisations such as Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, further enhancing your employability. The Fusion Frontiers and Interfaces workshop provides students an unrivalled opportunity to interact with world-class international fusion scientists, ensuring that the MSc in Fusion Energy is an excellent way to prepare for a career in this field. During your study you will also have the chance to explore the many exciting areas of modern plasma research, for example: cutting-edge medical therapies utilising plasma jets and beams of laser-generated ions; plasmas as compact particle accelerators and next generation plasma space propulsion systems.
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5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters
Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do.
If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate.
Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
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PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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1Demonstrate a deep knowledge and understanding of key topics at the forefront of plasma science and fusion energy; define how different mathematical, computational and experimental approaches are needed to address specific topics and apply this understanding in approaching new problems.
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2Critically evaluate research literature and data paying attention to the techniques used, and their limitations, to provide reliable or robust conclusions and recommendations and suggest alternative approaches.
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3Develop and present solutions to complex problems using computational techniques, and make measured judgements about what is the best digital approach for specific problems in plasma science and fusion energy.
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4Plan, develop and execute an open-ended independent scientific investigation in plasma science or fusion energy, applying the appropriate techniques to bring the investigation to a successful conclusion.
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5Communicate complex ideas associated with fusion science and technology in clear, precise, and accessible terms to a variety of scientific audiences.
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6Articulate how current research in fusion energy and plasma science impacts on societal issues identifying innovative solutions.
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5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes
Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
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i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
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Not only will the students have a deep knowledge and understanding of plasma science and fusion sufficient to critically evaluate current research literature, they will also be able to plan and execute a novel research project on the subject and begin to have an appreciation of how research in this area fits into the broader societal context. There are opportunities for the research projects to be at external organisations, such as national laboratories or industry, which further enhance the student experience. Workshops delivered as part of the course will demonstrate how fusion research must be developed if it is to provide a real world solution to our energy needs. This is the only taught course in the UK which teaches the students the specialist knowledge and skills required to develop this holistic appreciation of the field of fusion and its broader context.
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ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
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As stated above, the programme is unique in the UK in providing the students with a holistic appreciation of the field of fusion and is thus distinctive. This is advantageous for students wishing to continue in the field (either at PhD level or in industry) but also for those moving to other careers - an appreciation of the process by which research is done and the development required to move from pure research to provide solutions to real world problems is important in a knowledge based economy.
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iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
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On entry to the programme students typically come from a diverse range of backgrounds with around half either having taken a significant break from academic study or being from a non-Physics background (usually Engineering). Therefore, we run a Mathematics refresher course to bring the students up to speed. A scientific writing workshop is also offered in the summer term to support students with the dissertation. An additional workshop is also offered regarding understanding and using the dissertation marking rubric.
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iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
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The programme begins with the taught material aimed at bringing the students to a level base of knowledge in plasma science and fusion. They also learn the digital and data analysis skills required to conduct the project work at the end of the year (in the Fusion Laboratory). Before the project begins the students conduct a literature review into an area of fusion research (during Frontiers of Fusion and Fusion Technology), ensuring their literature reviewing skills are sufficiently developed to progress to the project.
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v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classrooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
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Extensive use is made of the VLE and lecture capture software. The Fusion Laboratory allows the students to develop their computer programming skills and their ability to use digital tools in data analysis. An optional module in High Performance Computing allows students to develop high level programming skills (such as parallel programming). Students also develop communications skills using a range of media to present information including, essays, posters and presentations; students are expected to use digital media to communicate to a range of audiences. Students also develop their information searching skills and critical evaluation of sources through the completion of a literature review.
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vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)?
The programme's employability objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
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The project is currently the main route for the students to apply their learning to a real world problem (for example the programming skills developed during the laboratory). If a student participates in a project offsite at a National Laboratory (or industry), this will further enhance their employability as they will gain invaluable workplace experience. We provide optional bespoke employability sessions for students on topics ranging from particular sectors their degree is well suited for, to CV enhancement, interview skills and assessment centre preparation, to general advice.
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viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
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The course is research focussed with specialists in each area delivering the lecture courses and as a result bringing a flavour of their research to the course. The fusion laboratory sessions are set around analysing real research data and writing useful simulation codes. The Fusion Technology and Frontiers of Fusion workshops bring in guest speakers at the forefront of research. The research project is in active research in the York Plasma Institute or at a collaborating partner institution, such as national laboratories or industry
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5.d. Progression
For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one.

Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to:
If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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Any 60 credits from across the programme, excluding the project. The students will have completed some of the core taught material and options. The students will have gained a broad knowledge of the field of fusion. They will have completed progress towards most of PLOs (depending on module combinations) with the expection of PLO4 which is unique to the project (which they do not complete)
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On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to:
If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
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Whole programme excluding project (120 credits) The students will have completed all of the core taught material and two of the options. The students will have gained a broad knowledge of the field of fusion. They will have completed progress towards all PLOs with the expection of PLO4 which is unique to the project (which they do not complete)
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6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points
Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
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6.b. University award regulations
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The University’s award and assessment regulations apply to all programmes: any exceptions that relate to this programme are approved by University Teaching Committee and are recorded at the end of this document.
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7. Programme Structure
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7.a. Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the structure of your programme does not fit the usual academic year (for instance students start at the beginning of September or in January) please contact your Academic Quality Team contact in the Academic Support Office for guidance on how to represent the structure in an alternative format.

To clearly present the overall programme structure, include the name and details of each individual CORE module in the rows below. For OPTION modules, ‘Option module’ or 'Option from list x' should be used in place of specifically including all named options. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists by term of delivery or subject theme these lists should be provided in the next section (7.b).

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of teaching delivery for the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA'). It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

Summative assessment by exams should normally be scheduled in the spring week 1 and summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7). Where the summer CAP is used, a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place. (NB: An additional resit assessment week is provided in week 10 of the summer term for postgraduate students. See Guide to Assessment, 5.4.a)
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term Summer Vacation
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CodeTitle12345678910123456789101234567891012345678910111213
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10PHY00001MPlasma Physics for FusionSEA
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20PHY00004MFusionSEA
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10PHY00007MPlasma Diagnostic TechniquesSEA
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10Option Modules - Term 1SEA
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10PHY00005MFusion TechnologySEA
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10PHY00039MLow Temperature Plasma Science and TechnologySEA
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10PHY00040MLaser Interactions and High Density PlasmasSEA
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10Option Modules - Term 2 SEA
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30PHY00006MFusion Laboratory: Experimental Techniques and Data Analysis SESEASEASEA
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60PHY00008MMSc Research ProjectSEA
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10PHY00003MFrontiers of Fusion WorkshopSEA
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Full-time Route: Please indicate when any Progression Board and Exam board will be held and when any reassessments will be submitted. NB: You are required to provide at least three weeks notice to students of the need for them to resubmit any required assessments, in accordance with the Guide to Assessment section 4.9
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Progression BoardSummer Term & Week 10
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Reassessmentsummer vacation
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Exam Boardexpected mid-Sept
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7.b. Optional module lists

If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
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Option List AOption List BOption List COption List D
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PHY00012M - High Performance Computing - Term 1PHY00013M - Lasers & Atom-Light Interactions - Term 2
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PHY00009M - Statistical Methods in Data Analysis - Term 1
PHY00014M - Astrophysical Plasmas - Term 2
N/AN/A
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PHY00039M - Low Temperature Plasma Science and Technology - Term 2 (if PHY00040M selected as core)
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PHY00040M - Laser Interactions and High Density Plasmas - Term 2 (if PHY00039M selected as core)
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7.c. Explanation of the programme and assessment design
The statements should be in a form that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). It should make clear to students why they are doing the key activities of the programme, in terms of reaching the PLOs.
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i) Students’ independent study and formative work Please outline how independent study and student work has been designed to support the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes (for example, the use of online resources which incorporate formative feedback; opportunities for further learning from work-based placements).
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A variety of formative assessment methods are used to support student's progress towards achieving the PLOs. The students develop their knowledge of fusion and plasma physics through practice questions on the majority of the taught modules (most of which are for assessment). The workshops include elements of critical literature review in the form of practice questions and essay writing (with feedback). The laboratory enables the students to develop their digital skills with help from demonstrators. An appreciation of the of the societal impact of research in fusion is provided by formative feedback on the essays from the workshop and in regular (bi-weekly at least) meetings with the project supervisor, in the latter research skills are also developed through discussion.
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ii) Contact with staff
Please explain how the programme’s design maximises the value of students’ contact time with staff (which may be face-to-face, virtual, synchronous or asynchronous), including through the use of technology-enhanced learning. For example, giving students resources for their independent study which then enables a class to be more interactive with a greater impact on learning.
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Students are assigned an academic supervisor who monitors their progress and provides support throughout the programme. Laboratories in the first two terms provide regular contact with laboratory demonstrators to support the development of the students skills. Regular meetings with the project supervisor provide essential support during the final project
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iii) Summative Assessment
Please outline how summative assessment within and across modules has been designed to support and evidence the progressive achievement of the programme learning outcomes. (For example, the use of different assessment methods at the ‘introduction’ stage compared to those used to evaluate deeper learning through the application of skills and knowledge later in the programme).
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The course employs a number of summative assessment methods to challenge the students and help them obtain the PLOs. In addition to open examinations to test their subject knowledge, essays, oral presentations, computational and data analysis assignments and a project dissertation and viva are used
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8. Additional information
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8.a. Continuing Professional Development
Will any of the programme’s modules be available on a freestanding basis?
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Please Select Y/N: No
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8.b. Transfers out of or into the programme
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i) Transfers into the programme will be possible? (please select Y/N) No