Final Project (BEng)

On some bachelor of engineering programmes, the supervisor is appointed by the Head of Programme, whereas on other bachelor of engineering programmes the students themselves must find a supervisor (in good time). It is possible to request a specific principal supervisor/co-supervisor in the final project contract.

As a rule, the principal supervisor must be employed by the Faculty of Engineering. A co-supervisor may be employed by another faculty. All faculty professors, associate professors and assistant professors may act as principal supervisors. PhD students may only act as co-supervisors.

The supervisor is formally responsible for academic supervision during the process and must participate in the concluding final project examination. The role of a supervisor is to supervise during the entire project period through regular dialogue with the student.

If you choose to write your final project in cooperation with a company you may have a supervisor from the company (also known as an external supervisor). In such cases, you must also have a principal supervisor at the Faculty of Engineering. It is the principal supervisor who ensures that the final project meets the Faculty standards for final projects.

Cooperation on a project must be based on an agreement between the student(s) and the company. There is no requirement for direct contact between the SDU supervisor and the company. However, it is important that the SDU supervisor is familiar with the company’s objectives and how they have contributed to the project.

You may, in connection with your cooperation with the company, receive company data or other classified information which the company does not want publicised in the final project. In that case the company is likely to ask you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (abbreviated NDA). A NDA means that your final project will not be publicised.

Read more about NDA/download templates here.

When you submit the final project, you must enclose any NDA as a separate, named enclosure to the final project, also if the NDA is only signed by you and the company. Ultimately it is your responsibility to ensure that SDU is informed of the company’s wish not to publish the final project report.

The final project is usually carried out by 1-2 students. Some study programmes expect that the final project is carried out by two students. In special cases, the final project can be carried out by up to 3 students. This, however, requires special permission by the Head of Programme. In the final project report, it must be stated clearly which parts of the report each student is responsible for.

If you are 2-3 writing the same bachelor project, it is very important that you submit a shared Final Project contract (please see  Registration and Final Project Contract below).  One of you should start the contract and submit the names of the co-writers as the very first thing. Unfortunately,  you cannot add co-authors later on. You may not make separate contracts, if you in fact write the  together - if you have separate contracts, you cannot submit the report together. 

Registration

You must register for the final project to enter into a final project contract. Registration for the final project takes place at the same time as registration for other courses through Self Service within the registration period. You will receive a letter in your student email when it is time to register. Registration for the final project also means that you are bound by the Faculty’s fixed project period. You must apply  the study board for a dispensation by using the application form TECH Other amendments of Final Project Contract, Bachelor Project Contract or Master's Thesis Contract  if you cannot keep within the fixed project period. You find more information about the practice of the Study Board on https://mitsdu.dk/en/tek/studienaevn.

NB You must be registered for or have passed the industrial engineering training, and have passed all the courses on the first 5 semesters (with the exception of one elective) in order to be allowed to write the final project. If you do not fulfil this prerequisite and still wish to write the final project, you must apply for a dispensation by using the TECH Application of Exemption from Prerequisites. Please note that the practice of the Academic Study Board is restrictive.  You find more information about the practice of the Study Board on https://mitsdu.dk/en/tek/studienaevn.  

The Final Project Contract

Once registered you can enter into The TECH Final Project Contract (https://spoc.sdu.dk - > Study Secretariat -> Bachelor of Engineering forms). 

Please note that if you are 2-3 students writing the same project, only one of you can fill in the contract, and must mention the other/s as co-writers from start. Unfortunately, it is not possible for you to add co-writers later on.

You cannot make amendments in the contract once you have sent it for approval. Therefore, please check that all the given information is correct before you click on "Save and send".

The contract will be sent for approval by your possible co-author, Head of Programme and your supervisor. When they have approved the contract, you will receive an e-mail to your SDU-mail confirming this. Should your co-author, Head of Programme and your supervisor reject the contract, it will be returned to you and you can make the suggested changes, after which you can re-send the contract for approval.

Once you have submitted your final project contract for approval, you can see it by logging in on  https://spoc.sdu.dk and clicking on "Previous enquiries". 

The final project contract must be submitted for approval no later than 31 August, if your project period starts on 1 September and no later than 31 January if your project period starts on 1 February. If your study programme has announced an earlier date, you must abide by the submission date announced by your study programme.

Note that finding a subject for the final project and getting started on the project is your responsibility to find a subject. Not getting started on the project by semester start does not qualify as an exceptional circumstance which may give grounds for exemption from the submission deadline. 

Students enrolled on a programme offered in Danish may write the final project report in either Danish or English. If the supervisor does not speak Danish, the report must be written in English. Students enrolled on a programme offered in English must write the final project report in English.

The final project report must include an abstract in English. If the report is written in English, the abstract can be in Danish. The abstract will be included in the assessment.

The Faculty of Engineering has no overall requirements as to the length of the final project report, by number of characters or pages. Your study programme, however, may have programme specific requirements. Please contact your Programme Coordinator for further information as to programme specific requirements.

The submission deadline is stated in the final project contract. If you have been granted dispensation for a later deadline this deadline will be stated in the letter of dispensation.

The submission deadline is binding. Should unusual circumstances prevent you from submitting the final project on time, you must apply to the Academic Study Board for dispensation for suspension no later than one month before the official deadline. Please refer to the paragraph "Amendments" to the final project contract below.

The final project report must not contain any civil registration (cpr) numbers, including your own. Instead you must state your name on the front page. If the final project report has more authors, all names must be stated on the front page.

The final project report must be submitted electronically in Digital Eksamen, https://digitaleksamen.sdu.dk/.  The report must be submitted as one single pdf document. Any enclosures must be submitted as separate files. Any NDA must be available in a separate enclosure in pdf format. Should you have any special enclosures which cannot be submitted in pdf format (such as programming code/encoding, film and similar), these enclosures can be uploaded as a single zip-file together with the pdf document. In addition, any large drawings can be submitted in paper format at the relevant secretarial office provided you have a prior agreement with your supervisor.

When you submit the final project report, you will be asked to submit the title of your project. It is very important that you submit the exactly same title as the one in your final project contract or an approved amendment of the contract, as the title will be transferred to your diploma. It is obligatory to submit the English title, whereas the Danish title is voluntary. 

You can submit only one copy of the final project: if you are more students who write together, you must agree in advance who will deliver the final project in Digital Eksamen. You and your possible co-students receive a receipt upon the submitted final project in your SDU mail. It is important that you keep the receipt as this is your documentation for timely submission. 

All final project reports are checked for plagiarism. 

Change of Title or Project Description

If during the project you learn that the final project takes you in a different direction than initially assumed, you can make amendments in the contract. Please fill in the application form TECH Amendment of title or Project Description - Final Project Contract, Bachelor Project Contract or Master's Thesis Contract (https://spoc.sdu.dk -> Study Secretariat -> Other forms).

You must have submitted the application re. change of title or project description before you subimt your final project.

The changes must be approved by your supervisor. Once this is done, you will be notified by an e-mail. 

As a main rule, the approval of change of title or research question does not qualify for dispensation as to submission deadline.

Other Changes (eg. Postponement of the Submission Date)

You must apply the Academic Study Board for dispensation if there are other changes that affect the thesis contract, such as the need for postponement of the submission deadline. Such changes must be based on exceptional circumstances. You can apply for the dispensation by using the application form TECH Other amendments of Final Project Contract, Bachelor Project Contract or Master's Thesis Contract (https://spoc.sdu.dk -> Studyboard - > Dispensation).

Applications for dispensation for changes in the final project contract must, as a basic rule, be received by the Academic Study Board no later than one month before the submission deadline.

Change of Supervisor

If your supervisor changes of one reason or another, please ask your programme coordinator to confirm that the change of supervisor has been approved by the study programme, to the secretariat of the Academic Study Board. 

The final project exam is held within 6 weeks from the date of submission of the project report.

Usually the final project exam starts with a presentation of the final project. Following the presentation students are examined on the report and the presentation.

In addition to the supervisor(s), an external examiner will be present at the exam as assessor. The exam will be graded according to the 7-point grading scale based on an overall assessment of the final project report and the oral examination and the student will receive the grade immediately after the exam.

Assessment of the final project is especially based on its academic content. Spelling and wording (regardless of language) are included in the assessment with limited weight unless there are significant deviations from common academic language. Relevant documented disabilities may lead to exemption from this rule.

If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the final project you will use an examination attempt and you must register for teaching classes and examination in the following semester; sign a new final project contract and carry out a new final project with a new title and project description. Please note that you, in connection with your second examination attempt, cannot expect to receive supervision to the same extend as during your first attempt. You can get a third attempt according to the same rules as apply to the second attempt.

If you fail the final project exam you must, as a rule, register for the re-examination in accordance with the regulations stated in your curriculum regarding re-examinations. If you have participated in the oral defence, your supervisor will give you a new submission deadline with the opportunity to improve the final project report as well as a new exam date. If you have not participated in the oral defence, you will be given a new exam date. If you fail to register for re-examination you must register for teaching classes and examination in the following semester; sign a new final project contract and write a new final project with a new title and project description. Please note that in that case you cannot expect to receive supervision to the same extend as during your first attempt.