Project Work in Medical Biology and Pharmacology/Pharmacy, 30 Credits

Contents

The course includes an individual in-depth project with questions related to medical, biological, pharmacological, and/or pharmaceutical processes. The course involves an independent, research-focused assignment that aligns with the work conducted at a research department. The project is presented orally in seminar form and compiled into a written report formatted as a scientific article. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for completing the course.

Expected learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:
Students must be able to

• Identify and compile relevant literature
• Show deepened method knowledge within the subject and be able to describe different types of scientific methods

Skills and ability:
Students must be able to

• Critically review scientific publications
• Create a study design with the aim to answer a specific scientific question
• Plan and execute parts of a research project and obtain skills in experimental or analytical methods within the research field
• Orally and in writing present, communicate, discuss, and defend a specific scientific work for different target audiences

Judgement and approach:
Students must be able to

• Relate the relationships between hypothesis, results, analysis, and conclusion in an ethically appropriate way for research
• Analyse and evaluate experimental data within a research project and relate these results to current scientific questions
• Systematically integrate and apply knowledge, as well as analyse and assess complex materials and/or results
• Identify and consider any ethical and societal aspects related to the individual project

Required Knowledge

180 credits from finished courses of which at least 60 credits within one of the major subjects Biomedicine, Medicine, Cognition science, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Linguistics or Pharmacy. In addition, a certificate from a supervisor of a guaranteed project is required. English and Swedish for general entry requirements. Exception from Swedish general entry requirements is given if the teaching language is English.

Form of instruction

The project work comprises an advanced in-depth assignment that the student performs independently but with supervision. The designated supervisor must hold a Ph.D. A project plan, including a definition of the task/purpose, a work plan specifying methods, and a timeline, must be approved before the course begins. The work is presented orally in seminar form at the department where the project was conducted and in a report written in English and formatted as a scientific article. The host institution is not obligated to continue supervision for work started more than 12 months prior.

Examination modes

For a passing grade in the course, all components must be completed and approved: the experimental task must be finished, the work presented orally at the institution where it was conducted, and the report approved by both the supervisor and the examiner. The written report must be in the form of a scientific article and written in English. The examiner must hold a Ph.D. in a field relevant to the project and be appointed by the department.
Grades awarded are fail, pass, or pass with distinction. The assessment considers the completed work, the written report, and the oral presentation. To achieve a grade of pass with distinction, the student must receive this grade on the written report. According to Chapter 7, Section 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance, a student who fails has the right to retake the exam to achieve a passing grade. A student who has passed an exam is not permitted to retake it for a higher grade. Each course offers one regular and two retake opportunities, with the first retake scheduled within two months of the regular session. After a failed attempt, the student is then referred to the exam when the course is next offered. A student who has taken two exams for a course or part of a course without passing has the right to request a different examiner, unless there are special reasons against it (HF 6 kap. 22 §). Requests for a new examiner should be directed to the head of the department offering the course.

Examiners may decide to deviate from the modes of assessment in the course syllabus. Individual adaptation of modes of assessment must give due consideration to the student's needs. The adaptation of modes of assessment must remain within the framework of the intended learning outcomes in the course syllabus. Students who require an adapted examination - and have received a decision on the right to support from the coordinator at the Student Services Office for students with disabilities - must submit a request to the department holding the course no later than 10 days before the examination. The examiner decides on the adaptation of the examination, after which the student will be notified.

Other regulations

In cases where a course is no longer offered or a new syllabus has replaced the previous one, students must be guaranteed at least three examination opportunities (including the regular exam) according to the previous syllabus for a maximum period of two years from the date the previous syllabus ceased to apply or the course stopped being offered.