This course will facilitate students to carry out an independent research project resulting in the production of a 10,000 word dissertation and an oral presentation.

Students will work on their dissertation throughout the year.

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10,000 approx word dissertation (80%)

Oral presentation (20%)

The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to apply critical evaluation skills with the knowledge gained in the preceding two years to a real-world problem, either in the form of original research or a critical review of the literature.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critically design, plan and execute an investigation of a problem related to production or companion animal nutrition;

■ Critically appraise scientific data in the literature and compare and contrast this with their own findings;

■ Take responsibility for the research project and associated resources with a degree of autonomy;

■ Plan and manage time effectively by prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines;

■ Present research findings in the form of a dissertation and a concise oral presentation.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.