Thesis

Explore your thesis options (and how to apply for Research Thesis) at UNSW School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. The School gives you the flexibility to choose the thesis type that works best for you. Choose between Practice Thesis or Research Thesis to expand your knowledge, apply your learning to tackle real-world problems and make an impact in your industry. Read on to find out which one is right for you.

Practice Thesis

The Practice thesis aims to deliver a high quality group-led project for teams of students to work collaboratively on a real-life engineering problem.

This is a 2-Term thesis model. Students will enrol in:

Research Thesis

Research thesis is for students who would like to conduct an individual research project with a focus on contributing to a particular research field. Students who choose this thesis option will need to locate and come to an agreement with a supervisor.

This is a 3-Term thesis model, in most cases. Students will apply to enrol in:

Please note that students working in industry and completing a research project with their company as a thesis project must enrol in MMAN4951 Research Thesis A or MMAN9451 Masters Project A. Students will be required to have a supervisor from the School (primary) and a supervisor from the company (co-supervisor) prior to applying for enrolment.

To-Do List (How to Apply/Enrol)

If you are planning to begin your Thesis, the following details things you need to do now and in the next few weeks:

 Practice Thesis

 Research Thesis
  • Join our Mech Eng Thesis Selection Teams site to learn about possible projects and supervisors and gain approval for your selected project. Code to join: cdzukkb (all lower case, no space)
  • Read through the information carefully and note down any necessary actions that need to be taken before enrolling into your thesis or project course
  • Read through the information carefully and submit an application to enrol in MMAN4951 Research Thesis A or MMAN9451 Masters Project A. The application link is in the Mech Eng Thesis Selection Teams site
  • Enrol in the appropriate Thesis/Project course when enrolment opens
  • Enrol in the appropriate Thesis/Project course when enrolment opens after your application is approved

**Please Note: Self-enrolling into this Thesis Portal DOES NOT mean that you’re enrolled in a Thesis course (i.e. MMAN4010 Thesis A, MMAN9001 Master of Engineering Science Project A). You must enrol into the correct thesis course via myUNSW.

If you have any issues enrolling to the Thesis Portal, email Ron Chan for assistance. If you have any questions about any of the above, post them in the Thesis Portal.

**Please Note: Self-enrolling into this Thesis Teams site DOES NOT mean that you’re enrolled in a Thesis course (i.e. MMAN4951 Research Thesis A, MMAN9451 Masters Project A). After you have received approval for enrolment, you must enrol into the correct thesis course via myUNSW.

If you have any issues enrolling to the Thesis Teams Site, email Tracie Barber for assistance. If you have any questions about any of the above, post them in the Thesis Portal.

 

Rules

Undergraduate Practice Thesis
  • Practice Thesis is compulsory to all Undergraduate students who don’t wish to enrol in Research Thesis.
  • MMAN4010 Thesis A  and MMAN4020 Thesis B must be undertaken in two consecutive terms, which are the final two terms of candidature.
  • A student must not enrol in more than a standard full-time load when undertaking MMAN4010 or MMAN4020.
  • A single thesis project is commenced in MMAN4010 and completed in MMAN4020.
  • MMAN4010 and MMAN4020 are graded courses; MMAN4010 Thesis A carries 25% of the total thesis mark, and MMAN4020 carries 75% of the total thesis mark (for Honours weighting purposes).
  • If a student receives a failure (FL) in MMAN4010, a student cannot proceed with MMAN4020 and must reattempt MMAN4010.
  • If the project is abandoned during MMAN4010 or MMAN4020, a completely new topic and project team must be chosen (and the student must enrol again in both MMAN4010 and MMAN4020) or apply to enrol in MMAN4951 Research Thesis A.
8338 Postgraduate Practice Project
  • Practice Master’s Project is compulsory to all Postgraduate students in the Masters of Engineering Science (8338) program who don’t wish to enrol in Research Thesis.
  • MMAN9001 Project A and MMAN9002 Project B must be undertaken in two consecutive terms, which are the final two terms of candidature.
  • A student must not enrol in more than a standard full-time load when undertaking MMAN9001 or MMAN9002.
  • A single project is commenced in MMAN9001 and completed in MMAN9002.
  • If a student receives a failure (FL) in MMAN9001, a student cannot proceed with MMAN9002 and must reattempt MMAN9001.
  • If the project is abandoned during MMAN9001 or MMAN9002, a completely new topic and project team must be chosen (and the student must enrol again in both MMAN9001 and MMAN9002) or apply to enrol in MMAN9451 Masters Project A.
Undergraduate Research Thesis
  • Students must seek a primary supervisor from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UNSW.
  •  MMAN4951 Research Thesis A, MMAN4952 Research Thesis B and MMAN4953 Research Thesis C must be undertaken in three consecutive terms, which are the final three terms of candidature.
  • A student must not enrol in more than a standard full-time load when undertaking MMAN4951, MMAN4952 and MMAN4953.
  • A single thesis project is commenced in MMAN4951, continued in MMAN4952, and completed in  MMAN4953.
  • MMAN4951, MMAN4952 and MMAN4953 are graded courses. MMAN4951 carries 15% of the total thesis mark, MMAN4952 carries 10% of the total thesis mark and MMAN4953 carries 75% of the total thesis mark (for Honours weighting purposes).
  • If a student receives a failure (FL) in MMAN4951, MMAN4952 or MMAN4953, they cannot proceed to the next Research Thesis course and must reattempt MMAN4951, or discontinue Research Thesis and enrol in Practice Thesis.
  • If the project is abandoned during MMAN4951, MMAN4952 and  MMAN4953, a completely new topic must be chosen, and the student must enrol again in MMAN4951 or discontinue with Research Thesis and enrol in Practice Thesis.
Postgraduate Research Project
  • Research Master's Project is compulsory for Masters of Engineering (8621) students and optional for Masters of Engineering Science (8338) students
  • Students must seek a primary supervisor from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UNSW.
  • MMAN9451 Research Thesis A, MMAN9452 Research Thesis B and MMAN9453 Research Thesis C must be undertaken in three consecutive terms, which are the final three terms of candidature.
  • A student must not enrol in more than a standard full-time load when undertaking MMAN9451, MMAN9452 and MMAN9453.
  • A single thesis project is commenced in MMAN9451, continued in MMAN9452, and completed in MMAN9453.
  • MMAN9451, MMAN9452 and MMAN9453 are graded courses. MMAN9451 carries 15% of the total thesis mark, MMAN9452 carries 10% of the total thesis mark and MMAN9453 carries 75% of the total thesis mark (for Honours weighting purposes).
  • If a student receives a failure (FL) in MMAN9451, MMAN9452 or MMAN9453, they cannot proceed to the next Research Thesis course and must reattempt MMAN9451, or discontinue Research Thesis and enrol in Practice Thesis (only available to Masters of Engineering Science (8338) students).
  • If the project is abandoned during MMAN9451, MMAN9452 and  MMAN9453, a completely new topic must be chosen, and the student must enrol again in MMAN9451 or discontinue with Research Thesis and enrol in Practice Thesis  (only available to Masters of Engineering Science (8338) students).