General information on the Unit

ECTS: 30
Contact hours: 226 (with the thesis director and the director's team)
Personal work hours: 524
Character: Compulsory
Venue: Institution chosen by the candidate, upon conformity from the UdL/IAMZ-CIHEAM Studies Commission of the Master.
Scheduling
- This Unit is conducted full-time during the fourth semester, in the Master's second academic year.
- Assessment of the Unit: between July and October, once the document is submitted for its public defence.
Requisites and permanence
In order to complete this Unit, the student must have passed the first part of the programme and submitted a protocol supported by the Thesis director. Such protocol must be examined by an assessment committee appointed by the organizing institutions of the Master, considering both the characteristics of the research to be done, and the suitability of the director and the host institution.
Training takes place in credited institutions collaborating in the second part of the programme (universities, research centres and companies), usually in Spain or in the country of origin of the student, under the supervision of a thesis director, who should be a PhD with experience and prestige in the subject of the research.
Learning methods
The learning process is based on tutored learning throughout the process of the research project, as well as advice and control of its development.
This learning period is carried out under the supervision of a director, who should be a PhD with experience and prestige in the subject of the research.
Language
Students can write the Thesis document and do the oral presentation and the defence in any of these three languages: Spanish, English or French.

 

Presentation of the Unit and context within the syllabus

This Unit represents the application of the training received to the production of an original research project on a specific topic, within the scope in which the student has performed the Unit "Introduction to research", and whose results are potentially publishable. The student is provided with training and supervision to master the application of techniques and methods selected for the research and for becoming able to objectively assess the significance of the results and conclusions obtained. Likewise, the student is endowed with the necessary training in order to produce a written document on the project carried out, and submit and orally defend the research results before a jury.

Competences

Specific competences

• SC5 Designing, planning and analyzing statistical and agricultural experiments with methodological thoroughness, assuming the limitations of the experimental approach.
• SC13 Designing and implementing the necessary experiments for research in integrated planning, obtaining and analyzing the results and drawing conclusions assessing their significance.

­Since every student undergoes a specific training applied to a concrete topic, other specific competences are acquired in every case, determined by the topic undertaken.

General competences

• GC1 Integrating scientific and technical knowledge and applying them discerningly.
• ­GC3 Analyzing results or strategies and elaborating conclusions which contribute to clarify the problems and to find possible solutions.
• ­CG4 Making decisions and generating new ideas and knowledge in complex systems.
• ­GC5 Learning and working autonomously, responding to unforeseen situations and re-aiming a strategy if necessary.
• ­GC6 Team-working and promoting exchange and collaboration attitudes with other students, researchers and professionals.
• ­CG7 Communicating reasoning and conclusions both to a general audience and to a specialized public.
• ­CG8 Writing presentations and synthesis, preparing and presenting oral communications, and defending them in public.

Learning outcomes

The student, at the end of the learning of this Unit:

• Knows how to apply previously acquainted knowledge, methods and techniques in a discerning manner.
• Has developed skills in the analysis of problems and in the definition of objectives.
• Is competent in data collection and analysis according to a pre-established research protocol.
• Has gained experience in the analysis of results and the elaboration of conclusions that may contribute to clarify and find possible solutions to problems.
• Has developed skills in the synthesis and presentation of contents and in the preparation of scientific texts.
• Has gained practice in the preparation and presentation of oral communications and in their public defence.
• Can favour exchange and collaboration with other researchers and professionals.

Since every student undergoes a specific training applied to one topic, other learning outcomes are acquired in every case, determined by the topic undertaken, which provide the student with higher competence in the speciality chosen.

Contents

This Unit represents the application of the training received to the production of an original research project on a specific topic, within the scope in which the student has conducted the Practicum in Unit 9 "Introduction to research".
The choice of research topic is made by the students, according to their learning interests. If students so require, they are advised by the UdL/UPM-CBGP/Agrotecnio/CIHEAM Zaragoza Studies Commission of the Master on the choice of the most appropriate director and institution to carry out the desired project and are also proposed topics of interest previously agreed between the organizing institutions of the Master and other institutions.
This Unit provides the necessary training to produce an original research project on a specific topic, within the speciality of plant genetics, genomics and breeding, whose results are potentially publishable. The student is provided with training and supervision to command the application of techniques and methods selected for the research and for becoming able to objectively assess the significance of the results and conclusions obtained. Likewise, the student is endowed with the necessary training in order to produce a written document on the project carried out, and submit and orally defend the research results.

Learning activities

Learning activity 1: Tutored personal work for: (i) obtaining the project results; (ii) carrying out the analysis and discussion of results; (iii) establishing the conclusions of the research; and (iv) elaborate a written document presenting the background, objectives, results, analysis and conclusions of the thesis.
ECTS: 23
Hours: 575
Percentage of contact: 20% learning with the thesis director or the director's team

Learning activity 2: Counselling by the thesis director throughout the research project process and monitoring of its development and the results obtained.
ECTS: 4
Hours: 100
Percentage of contact: 100%

Learning activity 3: Presentation and oral defence of the Master’s final work (Master Thesis) (including preparation of the presentation)
ECTS: 3
Hours: 75
Percentage of contact: 15% contact with the thesis director


 

Assessment method

Assessment system 1: Assessment by a jury of the research work based on the thesis document submitted by the student. This assessment will focus on the following aspects: (i) originality and relevance of the research; (ii) significance and scope of the bibliography; (iii) applicability of the techniques and methodology used; (iv) quality and significance of the results obtained and of the conclusions of the research; (v) transcendence of the research and publishability of the results; and (vi) quality and outlay of the thesis document: structure, synthesis, formal aspects (wording/expression, graph and table layout, bibliography presentation, etc.).
Weighting: 70% of the final score of the Unit

Assessment system 2: Assessment by the same jury of the oral presentation of the background, objectives, methods, results and conclusions of the research work. This assessment will focus on the following aspects: (i) overall clarity of the exposition; (ii) synthesis skills; and (iii) visual supports to the oral presentation of the contents.
Weighting: 10% of the final score of the Unit

Assessment system 3: Oral exam by the same jury to assess the thesis defence done by the student. In this exam, the jury will ask the student the questions it deems appropriate in order to value the student's direct and related knowledge of the thesis subject, focusing on the following criteria: (i) command of the subject during the defence; (ii) precision and clarity in the answers; and (iii) ability to interact with the jury.
Weighting: 20% of the final score of the Unit

Thesis directors

Since each student selects the research topic and the host institution, there are no predetermined directors. As an illustration, the directors and corresponding host institutions, who have supervised (or jointly supervised) the Master theses in the academic year 2021-2022 are listed.

• Jean-Marc AUDERGON, INRAe Avignon, France
• José Luis ARAUS, Universidad de Barcelona, Facultad de Biología, Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Barcelona, Spain
• María José ARANZANA, Centro de Investigación en Agrigenómica (CRAG), IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Programa de Investigación Genómica de Plantas y Animales, Barcelona, Spain
• Francisco BARRO, CSIC, Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, Departamento de Mejora Genética Vegetal, Córdoba, Spain
• Paul CHRISTOU, Agrotecnio, ICREA-UdL, Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Ciencias Forestales, Lleida, Spain
• Alejandro COCE, Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (UPM-INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
• Bruno CONTRERAS, CSIC, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD), Departamento de Genética y Producción Vegetal, Zaragoza, Spain
• Jordi GARCIA-MAS, Centro de Investigación en Agrigenómica (CRAG), IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Programa de Investigación Genómica de Plantas y Animales, Barcelona, Spain
• Teresa GARCÍA, Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Agronomía, Spain
• Yolanda GOGORCENA, CSIC, Estación Experimental de aula Dei (EEAD), Departamento de Pomología, Zaragoza, Spain
• Vicente GONZÁLEZ, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Unidad de Sanidad Vegetal, Zaragoza, Spain
• Martin GONZÁLO, Limagrain Argentina
• Ana GORDON, Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Agronomía, Spain
• Afif HEDHLY, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Unidad de Hortofruticultura, Zaragoza, Spain
• Ernesto IGARTUA, CSIC, Estación Experimental de aula Dei (EEAD), Departamento de Genética y Producción vegetal, Zaragoza, Spain
• Lucía JORDÁ, Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (UPM-INIA/CSIC), Madri, Spain
• Shawn KEFAUVER, Universidad de Barcelona, Facultad de Biología, Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Barcelona, Spain
• Najla KSOURI, CSIC, Estación Experimental de aula Dei (EEAD), Departamento de Pomología, Zaragoza, Spain
• Mourad MNEJJA, Centro de Investigación en Agrigenómica (CRAG), IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Programa de Investigación Genómica de Plantas y Animales, Barcelona, Spain
• Antonio MONFORTE, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP-CSIC-UPV), Biotecnología y Mejora Vegetal de Especies Cultivadas, Valencia, Spain
• Amparo MONFORT, Centro de Investigación en Agrigenómica (CRAG), IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Programa de Investigación Genómica de Plantas y Animales, Barcelona, Spain
• Ana MONTSERRAT, Centro de Investigación en Agrigenómica (CRAG), IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Programa de Investigación Genómica de Plantas y Animales, Barcelona, Spain
• Maria Ángeles MORENO, CSIC, Estación Experimental de aula Dei (EEAD), Departamento de Pomología, Zaragoza, Spain
• Concepción MUÑOZ, Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Agronomía, Spain
• Manuel NAGEL, IPK Gatarsleben, Germany
• Bernardo ORDÁS, CSIC, Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG), grupo de Genética y mejora de maíz, Pontevedra, Spain
• Marta PUJOL, Centro de Investigación en Agrigenómica (CRAG), IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Programa de Investigación Genómica de Plantas y Animales, Barcelona, Spain
• Paolo ROMERO, Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Agronomía, Spain
• Miguel SÁNCHEZ-GARCÍA, ICARDA, Morocco
• Rut SÁNCHEZ, Universidad de Barcelona, Facultad de Biología, Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Barcelona, Spain
• Pablo VELASCO, CSIC, Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG), grupo de Genética, mejora y bioquímica de brásicas, Pontevedra, Spain
• Ana WUNSCH, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Unidad de Hortofruticultura, Zaragoza, Spain
• Inmsculada YRUEL, CSIC, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD), Departamento de Genética y Producción Vegetal, Zaragoza, Spain