The Civil Engineering Project

Practicum, Project, Thesis/Dissertation. PRACTICUM. Exposes the student to an actual job; Interpreted as “on-the-job training” or “exposure”; In general, it does link together the advanced courses taken by the student to applications.

Practicum, Project, Thesis/Dissertation. THESIS/DISSERTATION. Become thoroughly familiar with a well- defined professional area; Awareness of the state-of-the-art as well as the contributions of other scholars in this particular field of study (comprehensiveness); Significant contribution (originality) to the field study.

Practicum, Project, Thesis/Dissertation. PROJECT. The main objective is to enable the undergraduate student to perform an undertaking which will have a meaningful relationship to his/her future professional activities as an engineer.

Practicum, Project, Thesis/Dissertation. PROJECT. A practical design work; A short experimental or analytical study aimed at solving an actual engineering problem, or; A minor research investigation.

The Civil Engineering Project. What is expected of the CE Project: Feasibility in terms of scope, time constraints and relevance. Under-graduate-level work and focus on the development of higher level of thinking skills of the student.

Under-Graduate-Level Work. Educational Objectives. Knowledge. Comprehension. Analysis. Application. Synthesis. Evaluation.

Thinking Skills. 1. Knowledge. Involves the recall of specifics and universals, the recall of methods and processes, or the recall of a pattern, structure or setting. 2. Comprehension. Refers to the type of understanding, or apprehension such that the individual knows what is being communicated and can make use of the material being communicated without necessarily relating it to other material or seeing its fullest implications.

Thinking Skills. 3. Analysis. The breakdown into its constituent elements or parts such that the relative hierarchy of ideas is made clear and/or the relations between the ideas expressed are made explicit. 4. Application. The use of abstractions in particular and concrete situations.

Thinking Skills. 5. Synthesis. The putting together of elements and parts so as to form a whole; this involves the process of working with pieces, parts, elements, etc., and combining them in such a way as to constitute a pattern or structure not clearly there before. 6. Evaluation. Qualitative or quantitative judgements about the value of material and methods for given purposes or criteria.

Stages in the Eng’g. Project. PROJECT 1: Proposal Stage. Searching for a Topic. Proposal Writing. Proposal Approval by a Committee. Implementation of the Project. PROJECT 2: Documentation/Final Stage. Final Draft Writing. Comprehensive Examination. Results of the Committee.

The Project Adviser’s Function. Guide the student in identifying a perspective projective. Guide the student in defining the problem, setting the objectives and scope of the project. Discuss with the student the details of the approach of the project and the responsibilities of the student in the pursuit of the objectives. Orient the student on the frequency by which he/she will report to the Adviser to account for the accomplishments and/or problems encountered.

The Project Adviser’s Function. Advise the student on background readings relevant to the study. Guide the student on project documentation and preparation of the final report. Monitor the performance of the student against given landmarks. Assist the student in the preparation of the comprehensive examination.

The Time Frame Requirement. Minimum of one semester and a maximum of one academic year to complete the project. Failure to complete within the maximum period would mean compulsory re- evaluation, probable change or discarding of project and going through the proposal stage again.

The Written Proposal. Must be organized, neat & readable. Well-written, brief & concise. Problem & Objectives must be stated clearly and concisely. Show clear project design and planning.

The Proposal Hearing. The Committee. Is composed of 3 members, headed by the Chair. Grades the written & oral presentation of the student. Suggests revisions, evaluates the relevance, and approves or disapproves the proposal.

The Proposal Hearing. Time Frame: Presentation (15 minutes) Defense (20 minutes) Panel Deliberation (10-15 minutes)

FAQ

What is the outline of the research proposal?

Will we be guided in the writing process?

How should we start? Where do we begin?

Is there anyone who would monitor our work?

Is there a possibility that we will fail?

Where can we get the references and books?

Is a project study costly?

How far should we go in the analysis?

Are the advisers strict on grammar and sentence structures of our report?

Will the members of a group be graded the same?

Is it possible that one fails in the group while the other two members pass?

Will the committee members matter during the defense or final deliberation?

Why is it that the proposal presentation is made earlier this year?

Can we start writing our report while still gathering data?

What are the essential elements to be presented during the proposal defense?

What must be the first step to do after this lecture?

Can we ask other people to do the data gathering for us?

What is the bottleneck in a project?

What if circumstances prevent us from finishing our project?

Will we be able to catch up in case there is a change of topic?

What would happen to our results or final reports?

Is there a way we can see a sample proposal?

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