# Projects
## Guide for staff
### Michael Young
### April 2022
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# Overview
- Most students undertake a substantial software engineering project
- Guided by a supervisor
- Working over one or both semesters, or the summer
- Development process decided by student and supervisor
- Deliverables due at fixed points through the year
- Product/artefact – software or formal system
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# Modules
Summary at <https://staffres.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/CS5099/0-General/project-modules-summarised.html>
- SH projects (undergrad): CS4098, CS4099, CS4796
- MSci projects (integrated masters): CS5199
- MSc projects (postgrad): CS5098, CS5099
- Plus a few others
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# Project allocation
- Staff propose projects on the [projects blog](https://blogs.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/studentprojects/):
- Brief introduction to what the project is
- Can be fairly vague
- Tag with appropriate module codes (for summer, CS5098 and CS5099)
- Tag with appropriate degree programmes (e.g. CS, AI, HCI)
- I tell students to find a project
- Mid-April for summer projects
- Students contact supervisors directly
- Discuss project, agree objectives
- Can differ from original proposal
- Once agreed, student confirms with me (`project-coord-cs@`)
- Can have a second supervisor
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# Ideas for a project
- Can be related to your research, or not
- Should allow students to show ability
- End goals can be vague
- Think about what success looks like
- What's a 7? What's a 13? What's a 19?
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# Group projects
- Module code CS5098
- Typically 2--3 students per group
- Artefact together, but separate reports
- Work split is up to you
- Individuals work on clearly defined distinct parts of the project
- *or* everyone works together closely
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# Things to remember
- You don't have to accept every request from a student
- Average ~3½ students each
- Less expected if you're new
- Don't overload yourself
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# Marking
- Projects marked by one supervisor and one second marker
- Mark holistically based on [descriptors](https://info.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/student-handbook/learning-teaching/feedback.html)
- Agree a grade together
- Third marker called in if no agreement (rare)