Research Project In Geoscience (GEOL90025)

The Research Project in Geoscience is a program of supervised research that offers students in the Master of Geoscience the opportunity to extend their research experience beyond the capstone subject GEOL90024 Project in Geoscience. In combination, the two subjects offer students a total of 50 credit points of research experience, forming a pathway to a higher research degree. 

Like the capstone Project in Geoscience, the Research Project in Geoscience requires the planning, undertaking and reporting of an investigation into an industry-relevant and/or academic problem, from within a wide range of geoscience disciplines and career areas. Students may choose to build directly on work done in their Project in Geoscience – with the agreement of their research supervisor – or to explore an entirely new research area. In either case, students should expect to work more independently of their supervisor than in the Project in Geoscience, and to see their assessments marked at a somewhat higher level, to reflect their deeper research experience.  

To be eligible for this subject, students are required to show aptitude for geoscience research throughout their Master of Geoscience degree (see subject Prerequisites). The Research Project in Geoscience is normally taken in the fourth semester of study, after completing GEOL90024 Project in Geoscience in the third semester. Students are encouraged to approach potential supervisors well in advance of commencing the subject. The Subject Coordinator can help students identify potential supervisors in their preferred areas of research. 

Intended learning outcomes

This subject aims to provide students with:

• Propose one or more research questions, designed to frame and elucidate a gap in current geoscientific understanding.
• Design and carry out a program of investigation that meaningfully addresses the research questions, within the available timeframe and given the available resources.
• Present the research verbally, at a level of sophistication that would be appropriate for a scientific meeting.
• Present the research in writing, with a format and level of sophistication that would be appropriate for an extended abstract or short-format journal article.

Generic skills

On completion of this subject students will have gained experience in:

• Information management: The ability to find, evaluate, and synthesize information 
• Analysis: The ability to analyse information and data 
• Research: The ability to initiate, design, and conduct research 
• Communication: The ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally