Course Title: Science Project

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Science Project

Credit Points: 24.00

Important Information:

To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption. 

Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209

Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus 


Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance. 




Course Coordinator: Professor Toby Allen

Course Coordinator Phone: +61399250439

Course Coordinator Email: toby.allen@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: City Campus


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

ONPS2186 – Science Project 1


Course Description

Science Project is a final-year capstone course that gives you an opportunity to engage in scientific research, while extending your knowledge and practical skills in a particular area of interest. You will undertake a small research project under the supervision of an academic staff member.


Collaboration with an external organisation may occur in some projects.


With the assistance of your supervisor, you will define the problem to be studied, carry out a risk assessment, develop the appropriate experimental methods, carry out research on your project, and finally present a written report and a poster or oral presentation.


This unit offers a challenge to final-year students, and allows innovation by the student with respect to both method and research direction. You are required to make a presentation regarding your project to your peers.


This course may include a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experience in which your knowledge and skills are applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/or community is integral to your experience.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes


This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for BP340 Bachelor of Data Science:

Enabling Knowledge (PLO1)

You will gain skills as you apply knowledge with creativity and initiative to new situations. In doing so, you will:

  • Demonstrate mastery of a body of knowledge that includes recent developments in computer science, information technology and statistics;
  • Understand and use appropriate and relevant, fundamental and applied mathematical and statistical knowledge, methodologies and modern computational tools;
  • Recognise and use research principles and methods applicable to data science.

Critical Analysis (PLO2)

You will learn to accurately and objectively examine, and critically investigate computer science, information technology (IT) and statistical concepts, evidence, theories or situations, in particular to:

  • Analyse and manage largae amounts of data arising from various sources
  • Evaluate and compare solutions to data analysius problems on the basis of organisational and user requirements;
  • Bring together and flexibly apply knowledge to characterise, analyse and solve a wide range of statistical problems.

Problem Solving (PLO3)

Your capability to analyse complex problems and synthesise suitable solutions will be extended as you learn to:

  • Design and implement data analytic techniques that accommodate specified requirements and constraints, based on analysis or modelling or requirements specification;
  • Apply an understanding of the balance between the complexity / accuracy of the mathematical / statistical models used and the timeliness of the delivery of the solution.

Communication (PLO4)

You will learn to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences through a range of modes and media, in particular to:

  • Interpret abstract theoretical propositions, choose methodologies, justify conclusions and defend professional decisions to both technical and non-technical personnel via technical reports of professional standard and technical presentations.

Responsibility (PLO6)

You will be required to accept responsibility for your own learning and make informed decisions about judging and adopting appropriate behaviour in professional and social situations. This includes accepting the responsibility for independent life-long learning and a high level of accountability. Specifically, you will learn to:

  • Effectively apply relevant standards, ethical considerations, and an understanding of legal and privacy issues to managing and processing data;
  • Contextualise outputs where data are drawn from diverse and evolving social, political and cultural dimensions;
  • Reflect on experience and improve your own future practice;
  • Locate and use data and information and evaluate its quality with respect to its authority and relevance.


Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)


On successful completion of this course you should be able to:


  1. Carry out a research project in a professional and scientific manner
  2. Plan and execute a discipline specific research project
  3. Demonstrate an in-depth, project specific, detailed knowledge of instrumentation, procedures and theories associated with the project.
  4. Communicate the results of a research project to a wide audience
  5. Complete a concise written report that conforms with accepted scientific practices.


Overview of Learning Activities

Despite the differences between individual projects, each aims to provide you with the opportunities to gain expertise in project design, management and reporting.


Any or all of the following learning activities are involved:

  • Completion of laboratory, library, field or industry project designed to give you further practice in the application of theory and procedures in your field
  • Private study, working through the requirements of the project with the assistance of a supervisor, and gaining practice at solving conceptual and numerical problems.
  • Communication of the results of your project to an appropriate audience

You are expected to develop skills in:

  • locating and synthesising information available in scientific (and in some cases other) literature in order to establish the need for, and potential scope and context of, the research project;
  • developing creative ways of solving unfamiliar problems by devising a methodological approach to address the research question being raised;
  • managing the time allocated to completing specific tasks;
  • collecting and analysing data (qualitative and/or quantitative) including an assessment of the validity of the research results; and
  • communicating the results in written form, requiring critical analysis, synthesis and organisation of knowledge, and the construction of a rational and lucid scientific argument.

Depending on the project, you may also find you learn other important skills such as how to work effectively in teams and how to take into consideration ethical issues associated with research.

60 hours per semester typically of face to face content and 180 hours private study. However, this will vary project to project.


Overview of Learning Resources

There is no recommended reading or prescribed texts. You are expected to access appropriate information via the RMIT library and the internet. Material may be provided by the project supervisor.


Overview of Assessment

Note that: This course has no hurdle requirements.


Assessment will be based on contract between the student and supervisor and will depend on the nature of the project and the discipline stream. Generally the assessment will comprise some literature assessment, some problem solving and some oral and written communication as defined by the discipline course coordinator and supervisor.




Assessment tasks due dates in this course are discipline specific


Assessment Task 1:Progress and Presentation

Weighting 45%

This assessment task supports CLOs 2, 3 and 4


Assessment Task 2: Project Report

Project Report. Weighting 55%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5