INTRODUCTION TO FINAL YEAR PROJECT

Prof F de Wet
February 2023
FINAL YEAR
 FINAL YEAR PROJECT

• Final year project is an opportunity to demonstrate

your capabilities in applying the knowledge acquired
during your academic program.
• It enables you to experience how projects are carried
out in industry, within a learning environment with
a supervisor who will guide your thinking and shape your
actions through the year.
• Final year project is viewed as the culminating learning
experience of the engineering programme and the quality
of student output is often used as an indicator of the
quality of the programme as a whole.
GREAT THINGS NEVER CAME
FROM COMFORT ZONES
EERI 474 2023
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

• TANNIE
• Email before w’app
• Respect office hours, please
• Parents /guardians / fairy godmothers, etc.
DO AND SUBMIT YOUR OWN WORK

• PLAGIARISM
• NWU Policy on Plagiarism and
Other Forms of Academic
Dishonesty (eFundi)
DO AND SUBMIT YOUR OWN WORK
PROJECT
 PROJECT

“A project (or program) is any undertaking, carried out

individually or collaboratively and possibly involving research or
design, that is carefully planned …to achieve a particular aim.”

“A project consists of a concrete and organized effort motivated

by a perceived opportunity when facing a problem, a need, a
desire or a source of discomfort. It seeks the realization of a
unique and innovative deliverable, such as a product, a service, a
process, or in some cases, a scientific research. Each project has a
beginning and an end, and as such is considered a closed dynamic
system.”
LIFE AS A PROJECT
 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MANAGING YOUR PROJECT

“Milestones are tools used in

project management to mark
specific points along a project
timeline. These points may signal
anchors such as a project start
and end date, or a need for
external review or input and
budget checks.”
“A deliverable is a tangible or
intangible good or service
produced as a result of a project
that is intended to be delivered
to a customer”
 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SCOPE
• E/E/C Engineering project equivalent to a typical first industrial project you would encounter
as an engineer.
• We will, therefore, not tell you what to do, but rather guide you through a process where
you will learn to think for yourself.

BUDGET
• R3 000 provided by the University.
• If this is not sufficient, discuss with your supervisor.

SCHEDULE
• 24 Credits
• Should be able to complete in 240 hours (6 full-time weeks).
 MILESTONES 2023

• 28 February 2023
• 22 June 2023
• 17 July 2023
• 6 November 2023
• 21 November 2023
 MILESTONES 2023

• 28 February 2023: Problem statement

• 22 June 2023: Specification & design
• 17 July 2023: Design document
• 6 November 2023: Final report
• 21 November 2023: Oral & demo
 DELIVERABLES 2023

• 28 February 2023: Problem statement

• 17 July 2023: Design document

• 6 November 2023: Final report

WHY THE SCHEDULE?

900kg!
 FINAL YEAR PROJECT

Individual project

Discipline specific

Ill-defined problem provided

YOU should be able to figure out what the PROBLEM is

A FORMAL engineering DESIGN process should be

followed and demonstrated

Technical and professional COMMUNICATION tested

WHAT DOES THE UNIVERSITY
SIGN OFF ON?

GA 1 Problem solving

GA 3 Engineering design

GA 6 Professional and technical

communication

GA 8 Individual work

GA 9 Independent learning ability

LOGISTICS
 PROCUREMENT

• Mr Rhoderick Williams
 LABORATORIES

• Thevenin lab: Mr Piet van Huyssteen

• Heavy current lab: Mr Arno de Beer
 ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR

IS TO: IS NOT TO:

• Provide guidance to the student which • Do any technical work on behalf of a student;
implies that the student will receive help, or
advice, support and assistance to complete
the project, but the end product should be • Make the technical decisions.
the result of the students’ own labour and
initiative.
• Procure any of the items that students would
like to purchase.
• Approve your expenses before procurement,
but not for procuring the items.
• The supervisors are not linguistic proof-
• Read and provide feedback on your reader or spellcheckers.
documents.

• Make excuses for non-performance or to

• Hold students accountable for their actions. arrange for extension on deadlines.
 ROLE OF THE COORDINATOR

• Develop and manage the schedule

• Provide general guidelines on the process to be followed
• Consolidate marks from examiners

• Coordinator Details:
• Prof. Febe de Wet
• Building N1A, Office 242, 21302758@nwu.ac.za
• WhatsApp group
PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
 THERE IS NO SECOND
OPPORTUNITY IN THIS SUBJECT

According to Faculty rules, the Final Year Project

subject is exempt from a second opportunity.
You only have ONE exam opportunity to pass!
NEXT STEPS
HAVE FUN!
 MILESTONES

28/02 6/11 & 21/11

22/06 & 17/07

 DELIVERABLES

Problem
statement Final report

Specification
& design
 DELIVERABLES

WHAT
WHAT? & HOW
PRODUCT

HOW?