Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Final Degree Project
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Students may contact the tutor by email to request a tutorial.
Introduction
The Final Degree Project (TFG) is undertaken during the fourth year.
The student independently carries out an individual, original piece of work. The project should bring together the competences and the content learned in the Psychology Bachelor’s Degree. It may be in a number of formats: a research project, clinical case study, completion of an intervention or training programme, devising tests or scales, a systematic review of the literature, etc.
The student performs the work under the guidance of a tutor assigned by the TFG coordination. At the end of the TFG, the student presents the project before a panel in a public defence.
Pre-course requirements
To enrol in the TFG, students must have achieved 150 credits and completed the following research-related subjects:
- Introduction to Psychology research
- Assessment and diagnostic techniques
- Methodology applied to Psychology
- Research in Psychology
Students who do not meet all the requirements may request to be admitted to the subject by completing the request form at the end of this guide, in the educational material section, and send it to the email address bdiaz@uic.es.
Objectives
The objectives of the TFG are:
- To promote the integration of the knowledge and skills acquired during the undergraduate studies.
- To develop the capability of working independently.
- To familiarise the student with the development of projects in the field of Psychology.
- To develop a reflective and critical thought process in the completion and assessment of projects.
- To acquire and practice the skills needed for oral presentations and written work.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB02 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competences that are usually demonstrated through the creation and defence of arguments and the solving of problems within their field of study.
- CB03 - Students must have the ability to bring together and interpret relevant data (normally within their area of study) in order to issue judgements that include a reflection on relevant issues of a social, scientific and ethical nature.
- CE02 - The ability to write reports on the results obtained during the evaluation process using Psychology-specific language.
- CE03 - The ability to make adequate decisions about what Psychology-specific methods and measuring instruments to use in each situation or evaluation context.
- CE07 - Carry out a project by using data sources, and applying methodologies, research techniques and tools of Psychology, and make an exhibition and public defense of the project before a specialized public so that the acquisition of the skills and knowledge of the Degree is demonstrated.
- CE16 - The ability to communicate evaluations in a critical, well-founded manner, respecting the ethical commitment involved in disseminating psychological knowledge.
- CG01 - Capacity for critical and creative thinking, and capacity to investigate and adopt a scientific and ethical approach in distinct professional settings.
- CG03 - The ability to read scientific literature in a critical, well-founded manner, take into account its provenance, situate it within an epistemological framework and identify and contrast its contributions in relation to the disciplinary knowledge available.
- CG06 - Flexibility, respect and discretion in the use of data corresponding to people, groups and organisations.
- CT01 - The capacity to organise and plan.
- CT03 - The capacity for analysis and synthesis.
- CT05 - The ability to reason and assess situations and results from a critical, constructive point of view.
- CT07 - The capacity to learn autonomously
- CT08 - The ability to put theoretical knowledge into practice
- CT09 - The ability to communicate adequately, both orally and in writing
Learning outcomes of the subject
At the end of the TFG course the student will have acquired new knowledge and skills through developing the project, to complement those already acquired during the undergraduate studies. The student is able to work independently and with reflective and critical thinking. The student can communicate in a concise and appropriate manner, both in written form and in oral presentations. Lastly, they can recognise the ethical issues regarding to plagiarism, confidentiality of information and intellectual property.
The specific learning outcomes are:
- The student is able to look for and select suitable and reliable bibliographic sources for the construction of the theoretical framework.
- The student contextualises the project within the theoretical framework and is able to draw conclusions.
- The student writes an integrated set of questions/objectives.
- The student can plan their own learning and carry it out independently and appropriately.
- The student identifies the main contributions of the work indicating their interest and importance.
- The student can complete a final written document within the stipulated requirements, making correct use of the style, content and structure.
- The student can make an oral presentation respecting the formal presentation rules and meeting the established requirements.
- The student considers the ethical aspects of the work he has done.
Syllabus
The topic of the TFG is chosen by the student from the proposals – each student is assigned a topic by the TFG coordination according to their preferences and marks. The student has five tutorials over the academic year with a tutor who provides guidance on the development of the work. Four group information seminars are given in which the topics for the TFG are introduced and recommendations are given for the preparation, development and writing of the work.
The content taught in the seminars and tutorials include the following:
- Scheduling of activities
- Background and justification of the topic.
- Objectives, study question, working hypothesis.
- Ethical issues related to the study of the human being.
- Methodology (depending on the format of the work).
- Impact or expected results of the work.
- Writing up the project and preparing the defence.
Teaching and learning activities
In blended
The student attends information group seminars in lecture format, carries out an individual project and attends tutorials (group and individual).
The information seminars are on-site (and online only for students in ERASMUS stays). The seminars provide the necessary and relevant information to the successful development of the project.
Tutorials can be in person or online according to the availability of the tutor and the student and fitting in with the teaching schedule. The student is responsible for contacting the tutor to schedule the tutorials. The tutor offers guidance to the student in the work and monitors the process. There are four individual tutorials of 30-60 minutes during the course and a final tutorial, which the tutor may decide to carry out in a group, and is aimed at the preparation of the oral defence.
The tutor provides feedback about the written work. The student gives each chapter of the written work to the tutor on dates previously arranged and following the calendar proposed by the coordination (available in Moodle). Tutors do not provide feedback to submissions done during the week before the deadline for the written work.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In blended
The evaluation is based on rubrics that give consistent criteria for scoring. The evaluation of the TFG considers the various aspects of the process and the final outcome:
- Evaluation of the development of the work and the written report by the tutor: 25% of the final mark*
- Evaluation of the written report by a three-member panel: 50%**
- Evaluation of the in-person, public defence by a three-member panel: 25%**
The tutor is a Psychology lecturer. The panel members are lecturers in Psychology or from other departments who are experts in the topic of the project and professionals from the work placements.
Any plagiarism or copying means automatic failure of the TFG.
The “Honours” mention recognises student excellence and may be proposed by the tutor and/or the panel. The TFG coordination decides to award the Honours mention according to the criteria provided by the evaluators. It can be left blank and cannot be awarded if the subject is being examined for the second time.
*The TFG tutor may decide not to submit a TFG if, in their view, it does not meet the minimum standard to be publicly defended.
**In the event that the tutor is a member of the panel, their mark is weighted at 10%.
Bibliography and resources
Writing your psychology research paper - Baldwin, Scott A.
Evaluation period
- E1 06/06/2023 Auditori 09:00h
- E1 07/06/2023 Auditori 09:00h
- E2 03/07/2023 Auditori 09:00h