Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Final Degree Project
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Introduction
The Final Degree Project (Trabajo Fin de Grado - TFG) is one subject, which involves developing a research or supervised project mentored by one or more teachers or professors on the degree programme. This project will be defended before a jury, as set out in Royal Decree 1393/2007.
The TFG is an autonomous and individual project that each student will complete under the guidance of a tutor, who will help advance and facilitate the learning process. This project allows student to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired during the bachelor’s degree.
When designing the curriculum for this bachelor’s degree at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, and consequently the TFG subject, we knew that in order to provide high-quality, personal care, physiotherapists must be able to understand the scientific output that leads to new intervention and research perspectives. Physiotherapists must also be able to use different scientific methodologies to acquire knowledge. What’s more, in response to the growing social demand for efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare, physiotherapists must not only be able to translate the results of scientific research to their professional practice, but they must also be actively involved in the different stages of scientific research. The education provided by the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya also aims, therefore, to provide future physiotherapists with the skills they need to incorporate the practice of evidence-based physiotherapy into their professional practice and contribute to the scientific evolution of this discipline. For this reason, we proposed a subject called "Design and tools for evidence-based physiotherapy projects", a significant subject within the curriculum that will support, as regards methodologies, the Final Degree Project.
Pre-course requirements
In order to defend their Final Degree Project, students must have taken and passed all subjects in the first three years of the bachelor’s degree.
To enrol for the Final Degree Project, students must have been enrolled in all other subjects on the bachelor’s degree.
Objectives
The main aim of this subject is for students to prove that they have acquired abilities, skills and knowledge from all subjects taught on the degree programme, through a project that must integrate everything they have learned into a single document, to help them develop awareness of the specific topic chosen for the TFG. students will also have to demonstrate to the jury their ability to present and communicate the most important aspects of their work
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 01 - The ability to analysis and synthesis.
- 02 - The ability to organise and synthesize
- 03 - Knowledge of a foreign language.
- 04 - To have computing skills within the field of study.
- 05 - The ability to manage information.
- 06 - To have comprehensive problem-solving skills.
- 07 - Demonstrate decision-making skills.
- 09 - Demonstrate critical thinking skills.
- 10 - Develop autonomous learning skills.
- 12 - To be creative
- 14 - Demonstrate initiative and an entrepreneurial spirit.
- 15 - Demonstrate a concern for quality.
- 28.1 - Capacity for oral and written communication in the native language.
- 28.2 - Demonstrate Interpersonal skills.
- 29.1 - Demonstrate a committment to ongoing learning and self-improvement.
- 30.1 - Teamwork skills.
- 37 - Knowledge of ethics, legal and professional issues in physiotherapy practice.
- 44 - Knowledge of research and assessment methodology that integrates theory and research in the design and implementation of effective physiotherapy.
- 45 - Knowledge of problem-solving and critical thinking theories.
- 55 - Capacity to incorporate scientific research and an evidence-based practice within the professional culture.
- 57 - Ability to keep up-to-date on knowledge, skills and attitudes related to professional competencies through continuous education.
- 57.1 - Ability to critically appraise methods, protocols and treatments applied in physiotherapy, and ensure they are always based current scientific evidence.
- 60 - Capacity for stress management, which involves self control and environment stress management during tense situations.
Learning outcomes of the subject
The TFG to essential for evaluating the cross-curricular learning outcomes that students obtain throughout the bachelor’s degree, regardless of the specific outcomes, according to the idiosyncrasies of each student’s work. The TFG demonstrates how students have integrated the learning outcomes obtained during the degree.
If students choose to conduct a research project, they must demonstrate skill in planning a starting point, proposals, the steps to follow in order to meet the proposed objectives and the tools they will use. Therefore, students will have to propose a research plan that combines a theme, problems, data collection and analysis techniques. Students must align their work with the outlined objectives and hypothesis, placing a particular emphasis on their ability to develop a conceptual framework that justifies the research problem.
If students choose to conduct a systematic review, they will be able to systematically identify and evaluate several studies of the same kind and with a common goal that follows their specific methodology. Students will also be able to present the results of the studies evaluated together and establish common conclusions.
Syllabus
No specific content for this module has been established, as it is a question of integrating the content developed throughout the degree programme.
The TFG will be carried out as one of the following options:
- Research project.
- Systematic review
In completing the TFG, students will fulfil their learning contract, develop their ability to learn independently and expand their knowledge according to the research topic they have chosen.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The assessment system includes a learning component where the student must complete a portfolio by gathering evidence of their learning and development to present to their tutor/supervisor in online and in-person sessions. This assessment aims to establish a filter and will be reviewed by the tutor prior to the presentation of the TFG. It will be worth 70% of the final TFG mark.
The work will eventually be assessed by a jury, as indicated by Royal Decree
1393/2007, of 29 October, establishing the regulations for official university studies. The jury’s assessment of the presentation will be worth 30% of the TFG mark.
In order to pass the subject, students must pass the tutor’s assessment with at least a 6 out of 10, and at least a 5 from the jury. Provided that the students pass these two parts, the final mark will be the average of the two percentages.
Students will have two opportunities to submit and defend their TFG.
The jury will be appointed by the degree programme’s Academic Committee. It will consist of three members (president, secretary and spokesperson) of which at least two will be teachers or professors on the degree programme.
Part of this Committee’s responsibility is to publish the list of TFGs accepted for the defence, to propose jury members, dates, times and a place for the defence to take place. The tutor/s’ role is to determine the suitability of TFG to be defended before the jury.
The following timetable has been designed:
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Academic year 23/24 |
Parties involved |
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1st call – June |
Submission of documents (Project + Abstract) |
20 May 2024 |
The student’s tutor |
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Notify pass/fail at the student’s defence |
03 June 2024 |
Tutor to Academic Committee |
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Invite members of the jury and organise timetables/calendar |
03 June 2024 to 12 June 2024 |
Academic Committee |
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Notify students/tutors and confirm jury |
12 June 2024 |
Academic Committee to students |
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Defence date |
18-19 June 2024 |
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2nd call - July |
Submission of documents (Project + Abstract) |
21 June 2024 |
Student to tutor |
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Notify pass/fail at the student’s defence |
02 July 2024 |
Tutor to Academic Committee |
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Invite members of the jury and organise timetables/calendar |
03 July 2024 to 08 July 2024 |
Academic Committee |
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Notify students/tutors and confirm the jury |
08 July 2024 |
Academic Committee to students |
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Date of defence |
10-11 July 2024 |
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