Industrial Visits

Industrial visits to industrial companies or research laboratories working in the materials field visit are arranged each term by the Industrial Visits Organiser. As part of their coursework, each student is required to attend 4 of these visits during their Part I (years 2 and 3). These visits are assessed via a short (no more than 1-2 sides of A4), word-processed report on the visit. See below for details on how to submit the report. There is usually one organised industrial visit per term during your Part I, although not all of these may be available (for instance, Trinity term of your 3rd year). You are therefore advised to attend every Industrial visit you can from the start of your 2nd year. Remember, you need to have submitted four visit reports before you sit your Part I examination at the end of your 3rd year. In addition, you may gain an additional visit from the Industrial tour and/or from an industrial placement during the vacations within the Part I period (Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity terms of your second year and Michaelmas and Hilary terms of your 3rd year). The reports are marked by the Industrial Visits Organiser and are graded good (2 marks), satisfactory (1 marks) or non-satisfactory (0 marks). For this element of coursework as a whole to be judged satisfactory by the Examiners, normally (i) at least four reports must be submitted, and (ii) the four reports must score an average mark of at least 40%. In addition, formative feedback will be given by the Industrial Visits Organiser on the first report that you submit. In total, therefore, completion of 4 good reports will contribute 8 marks towards the Part I Practical mark.

In addition, attendance at two of the industrial lectures that the Department arranges is required, followed by the submission of a short report that provides a summary of the key scientific content of the talk.  Each completed report will attract a further mark, leading to a combined total of up to 10 marks being available through reports on Industrial Visits and Industrial Talks.

Industrial visits are open to all undergraduate and graduate students in the Department, although Part I students will have priority. Numbers for each trip are usually restricted to 20-25 people. Details of each visit are circulated to students by email. Signing up for the visits is done via Canvas, with booking opening on Monday of week 2 at 8pm, and closing on Monday of week 4, also at 8pm.  Booking is on a first come, first served basis. The coach leaves from the Hume-Rothery Building either immediately after the end of morning lectures, or after lunch, depending on how long it takes to reach the destination. Return time is usually about 6.30p.m.

The Industrial Visits Organiser is Professor Jonathan Yates (email: jonathan.yates@materials.ox.ac.uk). Administrative assistance for bookings is provided by the Education Support Office.

N.B.: Health and Safety issues are important on all industrial visits. Make sure you wear sensible clothes, and always follow the instructions given by the guides at the host institution.

Submission and Marking of Industrial Visit Reports

All Industrial Visit reports will be marked by the Industrial Visits Organiser, and are graded as good (2 marks), satisfactory (1 marks) or non-satisfactory (0 marks).  The reports for the Industrial Lectures will be graded as satisfactory (1 mark) or non-satisfactory (0 marks)  

All reports are to be submitted via Canvas. The gradebook in WebLearn will record how many reports that are at least satisfactory have been received for each student. 

Deadlines for submission of reports are as follows:

For term-time industrial visits the reports must be submitted by 1pm on the Friday of the week following the industrial visit or the industrial lecture.

Vacation visits (this covers the industrial tour or an industrial attachment) reports must be submitted by 1pm on the Friday of 1st week of the term following the visit. A letter from their line manager confirming they were employed by the particular company in question must accompany all visit reports from industrial attachments.