EXPERIMENTAL THESIS PART A
cod. 1007382

Academic year 2020/21
2° year of course - Second semester
Professor
NOT ASSIGNED
Academic discipline
Prova finale per settore senza discipline (PROFIN_S)
Field
Per la prova finale
Type of training activity
Language/Final test
500 hours
of face-to-face activities
20 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

The experimental thesis for the achievement of the Laurea Magistrale degree is formally divided into two parts/activities. These two activities are, however, strictly connected each to the other and the learning outcomes should be considered together. Together with all the subjects of the study course, contributes to the achievement of the learning targets and practice connected to the profession of the chemist.
1. Knowledge and understanding. During the experimental thesis the knowledge acquired with the different subjects of the study course will be reinforced thanks to the laboratory practice and the daily comparison with a tutor and a research team.
In particular the student will acquire advanced knowledge on the:
- analytical methods, separation techniques and their applications;
- principles of spectroscopy and its application;
- synthetic methods for the synthesis of organic, inorganic and/or organometallic compounds;
- methods of structural characterisation of organic and inorganic compounds and of materials;
- structure-property correlations for molecules and materials;
- search of chemical information through the use of electronic data-banks;
- problems related to the protection of intellectual properties.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding. The student will be able to:
- understand and predict the relationship between the structure and the properties of complex systems;
- understand a problem connected to his profession and to carry out a critical investigation on this problem even suggesting possible solutions;
- use the scientific instrumentation and to elaborate the experimental data, to plan and carry out proper analyses and characterisations of real samples;
- use computational methods for the elaboration of experimental data;
- plan and carry out a scientific experiment though individual or team activities;
- find all the bibliographic and chemical information necessary to plan and carry out research in chemistry.

3. Making judgements. The student will be able to:
- critically evaluate experimental observations, collect and interpret the data resulting from laboratory measurements;
- plan experimental activities evaluating the time, instrumentations and methods necessary;
- organise his work also in connection with that of a team;
- make judgements independently and in dependence of the experimental results;
- find and evaluate the chemical information extracted from literature of data-banks;
- give opinions on important scientific and ethical issues.

4. Communication skills. The student will be able to:
- communicate, in oral or written form, on chemical/scientific problems/issues even with the use of multimedia systems and of the English language;
- carry out a discussion on the basis of an opinion autonomously elaborated and on issues related to his studies;
- interact with other people and to work in team even on multidisciplinary projects;
- carry out teaching and training activities with undergraduate students.

5. Learning skills. The student will be able to:
- easily find chemical information from literature, data-banks and the web;
- learn autonomously even tackling new scientific and professional problems;
- critically evaluate new chemical problems;
- continue to independently study solution to complex and even interdisciplinary problems, finding useful information and being able to defend his proposals and opinion in different contexts.

Prerequisites

To access this activity, the student should have gained at least 230 Credits, including those of the 1st level degree used to get access to the Laurea Magistrale. The student has to apply the Didactic Committee of the study course to start this activity. The internship activity takes usually place during the 2nd semester of the 2nd year of course (4th year for part-time students). The students that do not acquire the proper number of credits by that term can postpone the activity.

Course unit content

In Experimental thesis - Part A - a research project is assigned to the candidate and the student carries out a bibliographic/literature search and the related experimental activities necessary to verify the hypotheses defined with the aim of the tutor.

Full programme

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Bibliography

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Teaching methods

The activity is carried out under the daily guidance of a professor/researcher (tutor) designed by the Didactic Committee and consists of a theoretical/experimental work to be carry out in a research laboratory of the hosting institution. Following the experimental work, a detailed written report in English should be completed and a multimedia presentation should be also prepared to be discussed and defended during the Laurea seminar and examination.

Assessment methods and criteria

At the end of the thesis work, the Tutor has to produce a motivated report on the student practical activity to the Didactic Committee. On the basis of this report, the activity will be recorded online. The internal tutor, together with the external one in the case the activity is carried out outside the Department structure, will verify that the student has completed the time commitment. The achievement of the learning targets will be also verified during the Laurea seminar held few days before the Laurea examination.

Other information

The exact procedures and rules of the thesis activity and of the final exam with the corresponding evaluation criteria are described in details in the corresponding guidelines available on the study course web page: Regolamento per le attività di tesi sperimentale del corso di laurea magistrale in chimica. In alternative to the Experimental thesis carried out in the Department that hosts the study course, the student can apply to complete this activity abroad in University of private institution laboratories within the frame of International study exchange programmes (LLP ERASMUS or others bilateral projects) or in public/private companies/institutions.

2030 agenda goals for sustainable development

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