Course:FNH499
Course Description
This course provides a means for individual students to undertake customized projects with a supervising faculty member, to develop and strengthen research skills and to accommodate special research interests that cannot be met through other FNH courses. FNH 499 may be taken in lieu of FNH 425 in majors where this course is required. There is no set/synchronous meeting time for this course. Instead, the work plan is arranged and agreed to by the student and the supervising faculty member. Students will be expected to spend approximately 300 hours on this course.
Course Registration
Students should contact the individual faculty member(s) with whom they are interested in conducting a thesis, well in advance of the beginning of the academic term. For example, students can approach potential supervisors in May or June regarding a thesis starting in September. Opportunities for conducting thesis projects are limited. Upon identification of a supervisor and mutual agreement on a research topic between student and supervisor, admission to FNH 499 is facilitated through a course coordinator, and must be recommended by the faculty member who will be supervising the work that the student is to undertake.
Formal registration into the course requires submission of the registration form to the course coordinator (Louisa Ho; fnh.dsat@ubc.ca). If the project to be conducted is associated with a paid or volunteer position held by the student, care must be taken to ensure that any hours of work on the thesis project are over and above those required by the related position. The supervisor must be satisfied that this requirement has been met. Normally, a minimum of 50% of the work required for the course must be conducted during the session in which the student is enrolled in the course. Exceptions to this requirement may be requested in advance where its application would result in a course overload, unnecessary delay in time to graduation, or the imposition of extra fees.
File:FNH 499 Registration Form 11May2023.docx
Course Deliverables
All of the course deliverables are clearly described below, and must be submitted through the course Canvas site. The Canvas site also includes helpful resources for supervisors and students. Examples of each required submission are provided on Canvas as a guide, but the specific structure and content may vary for different projects. Each submission should be created by the student in consultation with their faculty supervisor. Students must upload all submissions according to the instructions, and by the deadlines posted on Canvas. The required submissions are listed in the table below with typical deadlines.
| Item to Submit on Canvas | Due |
| Copy of the Course Registration Form | Start of the course |
| Project Timeline | Within 4 weeks of the start of the course |
| Progress Update* | Mid-point of course |
| Thesis Report | End of course |
*The name of a faculty member who will serve as a second evaluator for the final report must be stated in the progress update.
The project timeline should clearly summarize the work plan and is arranged and agreed to by the student and the supervising faculty member. It must be set out in writing and is generally no more than two pages. Typically, the planned work includes a literature search, design of experiments, experimental work, and generating a report(s) and presentation(s). A regular schedule of consultations should be pre-arranged between the supervisor and the student in order to monitor and discuss progress and time spent by the student on the project. If the project is to be conducted totally, or in part, at a location other than UBC, the supervising faculty member will make appropriate arrangements for regular monitoring of student progress and the project timeline. This may entail the appointment of an on-site co-supervisor.
The progress update is typically a 1-2 page written progress report that is shared with the project supervisor approximately halfway through the term. This document should be viewed as an opportunity to reflect on the work plan and adjust as needed. Typically, it will include a short description of the progress to date, a comparison of progress against the originally proposed timeline, any significant changes in the aim or approach for the project, and the remaining experiments that are expected to be completed. The document should also include the name of a second evaluator for the thesis report, selected in consultation with the faculty supervisor. Typically, the second evaluator will be another faculty member that is also supervising a thesis student and who has some subject matter expertise in the topic.
Students completing an undergraduate thesis must present an oral presentation to an audience outside of the research group. A day will be scheduled during the exam period for students to present to peers and faculty members, who will provide written feedback on the presentation. The supervisor will then assign a grade based on the audience’s collective feedback. If alternative venues such as MURC, LFS community meeting, or a conference etc. are used, then it is the responsibility of the supervisor to collect adequate feedback to assign a grade. In all cases, the feedback should be shared with the student and the grade posted to Canvas in a timely manner.
The format for the thesis report should follow that of a traditional thesis (outlined below); however, another format suitable for the project may be used as directed by the faculty supervisor. Feedback on the thesis report should be shared with the student and the grade posted to Canvas prior to submission of the student’s final grade in the course.
Course Evaluation
The precise breakdown of how the student will be evaluated must be agreed upon by the student and faculty supervisor and included in the course registration form. The grade breakdown must follow the requirements in the table below. Examples of evaluation schemes for FNH 499 can be found at the bottom of this page. The evaluation scheme must include a thesis report (worth 40%-85% of the final grade) and an oral presentation (worth 10% - 55%). Additional assessments such as evaluation of lab work, or the design of a research poster may also be included if desired.
| Assessment | Weight |
| Project Timeline | 2.5% |
| Progress Update | 2.5% |
| Thesis Report | 40% - 85% |
| Oral Presentation | 10% - 55% |
| Other (optional) | Determined in consultation with supervisor |
Student Responsibilities
- Reach out to potential faculty supervisor(s) who they are interested in working with
- Complete the course registration form in consultation with faculty supervisor and submit to course coordinator
- Allocate appropriate time to the course
- Take initiative in gaining the necessary background knowledge and skills, and planning and executing the research
- Complete course requirements by the designated due dates (submit via Canvas)
Supervisor Responsibilities
- Select an appropriate research project in conjunction with the student
- Discuss the project objectives, assessment methods and rubrics, and grade breakdown with the student prior to the student completing their course registration form
- Provide suitable laboratory supplies and equipment to perform the work
- Review the student’s project timeline and mid-course progress update
- Provide guidance on experimental design, data analysis, and presentation of results
- Schedule regular meetings with the student (e.g. weekly or biweekly)
- Review feedback from the student’s oral presentation and assign a grade
- Provide feedback on the student’s draft of their thesis report in a timely manner
- Assess student’s final thesis report and provide feedback
Course Coordinator Responsibilities
- Make sure all required information is correctly included in the course registration form
- Submit approved forms to LFS Student Services to enroll students
- Monitor Canvas site to ensure students have submitted the required activities on time, and send one-time reminder emails if needed
- Coordinate final presentations during the exam period
- Submit students’ final grades to LFS Student Services
Thesis Report Guidelines
Each thesis should contain, in the order given, the following sections:
- Title Page: This page contains the title, author's name, and the date.
- Abstract: This is a condensation of the contents of the thesis, usually 200 words or less, giving significant information in the report.
- Table of Contents: This should list all major and subheadings accompanied by the page on which they are found.
- List of Tables: The table number, caption, and page on which it is found are listed.
- List of Figures: The figure number, legend, and page on which it is found are listed.
- Acknowledgements: This section expresses thanks and appreciation to individuals, institutions, or organizations that were particularly helpful in the carrying out of the thesis work. This section is optional.
- Introduction: The introduction outlines to the reader the thesis subject, its importance, presents the specific problem of the thesis and indicates the nature of the investigation carried out.
- Literature Review: This section generally outlines or discusses findings reported by others in books and journals, relating to and leading to the proposed investigation as related in the thesis.
- Materials and Methods: This section should describe the experimental procedures employed and the equipment and facilities used, in a manner which would allow others to duplicate the work.
- Results and Discussion: This section can be written as a combination of the two or as separate entities. The format of tables and figures should be as in a major journal in the related field.
- Conclusion: This section reports the conclusions reached on the basis of evidence presented in the discussion and proposes new avenues to explore in future research.
- References: This should be a listing of literature cited in the thesis. The format to be used should be the same as in a major journal in the related field.
- Appendix: Appendices are repositories for details that must be recorded because they may be needed, but would slow the reader down unnecessarily if placed in the body of the thesis. Appendix materials must be referred to in the body of the thesis. Calculations, detailed analyses, and test figures are typically found in this section.
Thesis Submission to cIRcle
Undergraduate LFS students who want to make their completed undergraduate thesis openly available are encouraged to do so through cIRcle, the University of British Columbia's digital repository for research and teaching materials. cIRcle was created by the UBC community and its partners to allow open access to anyone on the web, and to properly preserve and archive materials for future generations.
Three elements must be completed to allow an undergrad thesis to be accessed via cIRcle.
- A faculty sponsor (normally the thesis faculty supervisor) needs to complete the Undergraduate Approval Form. This indicates which student will be submitting content and that the faculty sponsor has deemed it suitable for open access archiving via cIRcle.
- The student will need to complete the cIRcle license. It’s best if they cc their faculty sponsor when they complete this form (there’s a field on the form for this).
- The faculty sponsor or student will need to submit a clean copy of the paper to cIRcle via email to circle.repository@ubc.ca.
Example of a Completed Registration Form
| Student Name: | John Doe |
| UBC Student #: | 88869652 |
| Term(s): | Winter Terms 1 and 2 |
| Start Date:
(if other than the start of term) |
|
| End Date:
(if other than the end of term) |
|
| Project Site: | FNH 135 |
| Site Supervisor:
(if applicable) |
Jamie Cook |
| Faculty Supervisor: | Barbara Homes |
| Approvals | Electronic Signature | Date |
| Student | John Doe | Aug 10, 2023 |
| Faculty Supervisor | Barbara Homes | Aug 11, 2023 |
| Site Supervisor (if applicable) | Jamie Cook | Aug 10, 2023 |
| Course Coordinator | Lee Roy James | Aug 11, 2023 |
Project Description Including Objective(s):
This project aims to optimize Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry/Mass Spectrometry (GC-O/MS) methods for determining and quantifying active aroma compounds in five cultivars of blueberries. The student will become familiar with laboratory methods to prepare blueberry sample dilutions, and develop, optimize, and apply gas-chromatography/olfactometry methods.
Student Learning Outcomes:
The specific learning outcomes for the student include:
- Conduct a literature search and analysis
- Improve sample preparation skills
- Develop and apply GC-O/MS methodologies (dilution to threshold, frequency detection, and direct intensity) for analysis of aroma-active compounds
- Compare aroma active compounds among five commercial blueberry cultivars
- Perform data analysis and interpretation, and statistical analyses
- Prepare a final report and presentation
Grade Breakdown:
| Assessment | Weight (%) |
|---|---|
| Project Timeline | 2.5 |
| Progress Update | 2.5 |
| Final Written Report | 50 |
| Oral Presentation | 15 |
| Lab Work | 30 |
Rubrics for each Assessment Method:
The example rubrics provided on the course wiki page will be used for evaluating the written thesis, presentation, and lab work
Example Evaluation Schemes
The evaluation scheme must include a final written report (worth 40%-85% of the final grade) and one or more additional forms of assessment.
Example 1. Includes minimum assessments
| Assessment | Weight |
|---|---|
| Project Timeline | 2.5 |
| Progress Update | 2.5 |
| Thesis Report | 50 |
| Oral Presentation | 45 |
Example 2. Includes one additional assessment
| Assessment | Weight |
|---|---|
| Project Timeline | 2.5 |
| Progress Update | 2.5 |
| Thesis Report | 50 |
| Oral Presentation | 15 |
| Lab Work | 30 |
Example Grading Rubrics
Note: If your supervisor decides to use one of these rubrics, you may refer to them in your FNH 499 registration form instead of including the whole rubric.
e.g. The student's presentation will be assessed using the example rubric provided on the FNH 499 course wiki page.
Lab Work
50 marks total
- Initiative (10 marks)
- Demonstrating ownership of the project and taking the lead to keep making progress
- Technique (10 marks)
- Taking necessary steps to ensure scientific accuracy
- Comprehension (10 marks)
- Retention of information from discussions and reading and ability to apply it to project
- Organization, work habits, attention to safety/proper protocols (10 marks)
- Consistent schedule, use of PPE, clean work space
- Dedication and Perseverance (5 marks)
- Not giving up when things go wrong
- Communication Skills (5 marks)
- Clear communication in project meetings and in group presentations
Presentation
40 marks total
Introduction (5 pts)
- Set the stage for the presentation and includes all necessary background information for understanding the project as well as the projects objective(s) and the significance of the research
Methodology (5 pts)
- Provides overview of how the study was conducted
- Includes enough information should be provided such that the audience can understand the procedures while avoiding the inclusion of unnecessary details
Results (5 pts)
- Results should:
- Be presented clearly and effectively, using appropriate tables, charts, or graphs as necessary
- Accurately reflect the data collected and analyzed
- Provide a thorough interpretation of the findings, relating them to the research objectives
- Include appropriate statistical analyses to support the findings
- Cover all relevant aspects of the study's findings
Discussion (5 pts)
- Provides a comprehensive interpretation of the results, addressing the research question or problem
- Places the findings within the broader context of existing knowledge or literature
- Acknowledges and discusses the strengths and limitations of the study
- Explores the significance of the findings and their potential implications
- Demonstrates critical thinking skills by evaluating alternative explanations
Conclusion/Significance (5 pts)
- Summarizes the key findings of the study
- Directly addresses the research question or problem stated in the introduction
- Highlights the contribution of the study to the field or topic
- Reflects on the overall research process, including any challenges or lessons learned
- Suggests potential avenues for future research based on the study's findings
Slide Design (5 pts)
- Slides are visually appealing, with an appropriate balance of text, images, and other visual elements
- Text on slides is clear, legible, and appropriately sized for easy reading
- Slides demonstrate a consistent and cohesive design theme throughout the presentation
- Slides effectively convey the hierarchy of information, with important points emphasized appropriately
- Slides integrate animations effectively to enhance understanding
Delivery (5 pts)
- Presentation is clear and easy to understand, using appropriate language and terminology
- Presenter engages the audience effectively, maintaining their interest and attention
- Presenter effectively manages the allotted time, covering all relevant aspects without rushing or exceeding time limits
Flow of Information (5 pts)
- Information is presented in a logical order and effective bridging is use between sections
Thesis Report
| Criteria | Marks |
|---|---|
Abstract
|
5 |
Introduction, Statement of Objectives
|
5 |
Literature Review
|
15 |
Materials and Methods
|
15 |
Results
|
10 |
Discussion
|
20 |
Conclusions
|
5 |
References
|
5 |
Clarity, grammar
|
20 |