Information for the student – Environmental Agrobiology

The final project of the master (TFM, 18 ECTS, 450 h) aims to professionalize the student in the field of environmental agrobiology, so there is an offer of different projects related to the areas of sustainable crop production, biological control of diseases, phytoremediation, remote sensing, phenotyping, agrigenomics, biostimulants, postharvest, functional foods, product development and business management. 

• Temporary development, management and organization

The final project (TFM) consists of an experimental part and the writing of a memory in the form of a scientific work according to the TFM regulations of the Faculty of Biology, approved by the Academic Committee of the Faculty of Biology on September 26, 2012.

The experimental part can be performed at the University of Barcelona (UB), under the direction of a Master's professor, or in an external entity (research center, company, ...). In order to be able to carry out the TFM in an external entity it is necessary an UB-external entity agreement.

The coordination of the Master will inform the students about the characteristics of the TFM (teaching plan of the subject) at the beginning of the course, in the session of presentation of the Master. 

• Enrollment of TFM

It is held simultaneously with the rest of the subjects of the Master.

• Selection of the topic to be performed and assignment of the tutor

They are carried out during the first trimester of the academic year according to the following protocol:

1) TFM offer

The coordinator of the master or person to whom he delegates will offer a list of TFMs to the students. Students also have the option of proposing a TFM whose suitability will be evaluated by the Master's commission.

2) TFM Selection by the students.

Students will value the offer, select the TFM of their interest and, if applicable, interviews can be made to complete the selection process.

3) Assignment of a tutor based on the tutor’s affinity with the subject.

The assignment of the tutor is in charge of the coordination of the master. In the TFM conducted by any professor of the Masters, the director of the work will be the professor himself.

In the case of the TFM being carry out by an external entity, in addition to the tutor of the external entity, the student will have an internal academic tutor who will collaborate in the development of the TFM.

4) Signature of the formative project with the name of the student, the tutor’s name, a summary of the work to be carried out, the place of realization of the work, schedule, etc. If the TFM is carried out in an entity that does not have an agreement with the UB, this agreement must be established simultaneously to the formative project.

• Implementation of the TFM - Tutoring of the Director-Tutor and the Academic tutor (internal)

The TFM must begin once the agreement and the formative project have been signed.

It is held during the second semester of the academic year. Exceptionally, by its subject matter, it can be initiated before.

The tutoring can be individual, face-to-face and / or online as needed.

The tutor acts in the three stages of work

Stages of work Tutoring sessions	Tutuoring Selection No. minimum
Initial stage - design and planning work	1
Intermediate stage - development and follow-up work	1 - 2 *
Final stage - drafting of memory.	2

* 1 session in the case of academic tutor and 2 in the case of director tutor of TFM

In every session there must be a brief summary of any agreement between tutors and student.

The students will inform their tutors of any type of incident and, if necessary, the tutor will communicate it to the coordination of the master's.

• Evaluation

Evaluation system

The evaluation is based on the writing of a memory of the experimental work carried out and its oral defense. The report must in the form of a scientific paper, according to the TFM regulations.

The evaluation of the TFM is carried out by an Evaluation Commission and the tutors. In the TFMs carried out in the UB it is in charge of the tutor-director of work and, in the TFMs carried out in an external entity, it is in charge of the tutor of the external entity and of the academic commission.

The Evaluation Commissions are nominated by the Coordination Committee of the Master, consist of 3 members and will evaluate the written memory and its oral defense. Each commission evaluates 5-6 TFM. The tutor cannot be part of the Evaluation Committee that qualifies the TFM he has directed.

The tutors value the work and the written memory. In the TFM in an external entity, the external tutor evaluates the experimental work done in the entity (80% final grade) and the internal memory (20% final grade). The set of these two notes will constitute 20% of the final grade.

The final grade of the TFM is obtained 80% commission evaluation + 20% tutor's evaluation.

The evaluation is based on a system of rubrics to unify criteria between commissions and tutors. In the case of evaluation committees, each member will rate the different items (from 0 to 10) and the final grade will be the average of the three.

The tutors will deliver the rubric of qualification to the Coordinator of the master's degree at least two working days before the oral defense.

TFMs are scored from 0 to 10.

• Evaluation period:

There are two evaluation periods: June/mid July and September

Students who wish to be evaluated in June-July will request it in writing to the coordinator of the master. The document must have the signature of the director of work or that of external-internal tutors. The deadline for submitting this application will be published on the “virtual campus”.

The Coordination of the master will publish in the “virtual campus” the date (s) of evaluation, the composition of the Evaluation Commissions, the students assigned to each commission and the deadline for delivery of the reports.

Students must submit at the Secretary of the Plant Physiology (Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona) 4 written copies of the report and a digital copy (CD, USB ...). All copies must be signed by the student and the tutor (s).

The computer file of the TFM must be sent by email to the Master Coordinator.

The reports will be delivered one week before the oral defense of the TFM.