Course 2024-2025

Introduction to research [SBIOM106]

  • 14 credits
  • quarter
Language of instruction: French / Français

Learning outcomes

The main objective of the dissertation is to teach the student how to be a researcher. More precisely, the student will have to develop an experimental and personal research involving: -the design of an experimental approach and its implementation - the correct interpretation of experimental results, taking into account previous results - the synthetic and organised presentation of his/her bibliographic and experimental research. For students entering the Master's programme by right, with the obligation to follow additional teaching units, the successful completion of the interdisciplinary personal work SBIOB311 is a prerequisite for the possibility to put SBIOM106 in the student's Master's EAP.

Content

Each student individually chooses a dissertation topic from among the many proposed by the different research teams in cellular and molecular biology and biochemistry at UNamur. Each thesis is therefore unique, but all of them include a bibliographical analysis of the subject and an experimental part.


Teaching methods

The student is integrated into a research team to carry out his/her thesis. They are introduced by a tutor (doctoral student or researcher) to the various experimental aspects of their work, participate in team meetings and meet regularly with their promoter to assess the progress of their work and learning. They are also guided by the research team during the stages of writing and summarising their work. The student also takes part in seminars in English at his/her laboratory and research institute.

Evaluations

The submission of the mini-thesis is conditional upon a favourable judgement by the promoter on the experimental part of the Master thesis. In case of refusal by the promoter, the final mark of this UE will be equivalent to the failure mark given by the promoter. In case of submission, the assessment is based on the written paper and a presentation in English, assessed by a panel of 3 scientists/academics. The written document: the student writes in English a summary document of about ten pages with the structure and form of a mini-research article. The oral presentation: this evaluation takes place within each Research Unit. The student will present in English, with the help of a power point, in a maximum of 15 minutes, the scientific context and the results of his/her research work. They must be able to discuss their results critically and answer questions from the scientists present, also in English. A grid containing the criteria according to which the members of the dissertation jury will evaluate the written document and the oral presentation will be provided. 

Recommended readings

Readings recommended individually by the tutor and the dissertation promoter.

Language of instruction

French / Français

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté des sciences
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Master's Degree