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PHY-30006 - Module Specification
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

PHY-30006 - Astrophysics Group Project and Science Communication - ISP
Coordinator: Pierre Maxted Room: LJ2.06 Tel: +44 1782 7 33457
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734921

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

This module will give you the opportunity to apply the skills you have developed during your degree to a real research project. A new project is designed each year, typically using data from space missions such as Gaia and TESS. The projects often contribute to the research conducted within the Keele astrophysics group. You will work with other students in a small group to produce a group project report, and also individually to produce a longer report that will enable you to explore some aspect of the topic in more depth. Guidance and support on writing reports at a professional level is provided during the module. The science communication aspect of the module will enable you to develop your skills in presenting your work to different audiences, e.g. to prepare a presentation suitable for use in a job interview.

Aims
A: To give the students experience of project work in a realistic framework using research-quality astrophysical data.
B: To give the students experience of organising and working in a team and to guide them in the development of the necessary skills.
C: To develop further students' skills in communicating science to a range of audiences.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/phy-30006/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

plan, manage and execute a research project: 1,3
communicate scientific findings to a variety of audiences and in different formats: 1,2,3
use advanced software and statistical methods for the analysis of astrophysical data and interpret the results: 1,3

Study hours

60 hours laboratory time.
50 hours independent research and study.
34 hours report writing.
6 hours preparation for oral presentation.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Portfolio weighted 30%
Project execution portfolio
Project plan, project diary and a group project report of 1500 words.

2: Presentation weighted 20%
Presentation aimed at potential employer
Presentation of approximately 10 minutes duration aimed at a potential employer followed by one or two questions from the assessors. The presentation should briefly summarise the context and results from the project work for a non-expert audience, and describe the skills that the student has gained as a result of doing the project that are applicable to the role the student would be applying for with the employer.

3: Research Report weighted 50%
Project report
Report of about 4500 words (excluding the bibliography) on context, aims, methods, results and conclusions from the individual research conducted by the student aimed at final-year astrophysics student who has not participated in the project.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025