HRM6013-D Final Year Project Assessment Brief 2026/27 | University of Bradford

1. HRM6013-D Purpose of this Brief

This document is the assessment brief for the Final Year Project (FYP) module for 2026/27. It sets out the overall assessment structure, the marking rubric for the dissertation (Component 2), and detailed instructions - including submission checklists - for each of the five participation activities that make up Component 1.

2. Assessment Structure - 2026/27

Component 1 Check Point activities at a glance (indicative):

3. Component 1 – Check Point Activities: Instructions

Component 1 is worth 20% of the module and consists of five activities. Each activity worth 4 points (20 points total, converted to the 20% weighting).

Activities 1 and 5 are short pieces of written reflection marked against the generic descriptors below, with a self-check checklist; Activities 3 and 4 are progress checklists - the checklist itself, completed and submitted with its attachment(s), is the assessed work; Activity 2 is a quiz plus a short, applied task, marked against its own two-part scheme (Section 3.2).

3.1 Generic Marking Descriptors (applies to Activities 1, 3, 4 and 5)

3.2 Activity 2 Marking Scheme

Activity 2 combines an objective quiz score with an assessed written response, so it is marked differently from the other four activities. The two components below are added together for the activity's 4 points.

Activity 1: One-Pager Proposal

When: Semester 1, Week 4
Points: 4 (marked against the Component 1 marking descriptors, Section 3.1)

Purpose

To help you frame your initial project idea clearly enough to discuss it productively with your supervisor, and to give the module team early sight of every student's direction of travel.

What to prepare and submit

• Provisional project title
• Background and rationale (why this topic, why now, why it matters)
• Indicative Literature Context
• Research aim and 2–3 supporting objectives
• Draft research question(s)
• Indicative methodology (e.g. qualitative/quantitative/mixed, likely data sources)
• Indicative timeline through to submission
• 3–5 key references that have shaped your thinking so far

Format

• Maximum one side of A4 (500-600)
• 11pt font, single line spacing
• Include: Your name, UB number, Programme. 
• Submit as a single PDF via the module submission point by the published Week 5 deadline

Self-check checklist (recommended before you submit)

• Provisional title stated
• Rationale/motivation for the topic included
• Aim and objectives clearly stated
• Research question(s) articulated
• Indicative literature outlined
• Indicative methodology outlined
• Timeline included
• At least 3 key references listed
• Document is one page and correctly formatted

Activity 2: Plagiarism Awareness & Literature Review Skills

When: Semester 1, Week 6

Points: 4 (see the two-part marking scheme in Section 3.2, not the generic descriptors in 3.1)

Purpose

To check that you understand what counts as plagiarism, how to use AI tools responsibly and transparently in academic work, and how to search for and critically review literature - skills you rely on for the rest of the dissertation. The activity combines a short competency quiz with a practical task that applies those skills to your own topic.

What to complete and submit

• An online multiple-choice quiz covering academic integrity/plagiarism, responsible AI use, and literature search & review skills
• A short-written field identifying 2–3 main gaps in the existing literature on your topic, each supported by a correctly formatted citation

Quiz coverage

• Plagiarism & academic integrity - what counts as plagiarism (verbatim copying, patchwriting, missing citations, collusion, self-plagiarism), the consequences, and correct paraphrasing/citation practice
• Responsible use of AI - permitted and prohibited uses of generative AI tools under university policy, disclosure requirements, and why AI-generated content (including inaccurate "hallucinations") must still be verified and correctly cited
• Literature search & review skills - choosing databases and search terms, Boolean operators and citation chaining/snowballing, distinguishing summary from critical synthesis, structuring a literature review, and identifying gaps in the literature

Format

• Quiz: delivered via the module's VLE quiz tool, approximately 15 questions drawn from a randomised question pool across the three domains above
• Multiple attempts are permitted; the best score before the deadline counts, except where a resit is triggered by the marking rule in Section 3.2
• Written field: 150–250 words, minimum 3 citations in the referencing style used on your programme (e.g. Harvard or APA), submitted alongside or immediately after your quiz attempt

Self-check checklist (recommended before you submit)
☐    I can explain, in my own words, the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism
☐    I understand which uses of AI tools are permitted on this module and how to disclose them
☐    I have identified 2–3 genuine gaps in the literature relevant to my own topic, not generic statements
☐    Each gap is supported by at least one citation
☐    All citations are correctly formatted and match a real source I have actually read

4. Component 2 – Dissertation

Students are required to select a dissertation topic from one of two module themes: 
1.    Bradford Business Challenge, or 
2.    Entrepreneurship & Innovation Challenge

The theme selected, and the specific topic within it, must be agreed with the allocated supervisor and evidenced through the Component 1 participation activities (see Activities 1 and 3).

4.1 Theme 1: The Bradford Business Challenge

The Bradford Business Challenge invites students to address pressing business and societal challenges through projects that may be applied or conceptual in nature.

• Applied projects involve addressing real-world challenges faced by real organisations.
• Conceptual projects are derived from academic readings, current issues, or emerging trends, with students identifying their own topic.

All projects undertaken within this theme must incorporate ‘responsible management’ thinking (covered in previous modules, including the L4 PRM module). The emphasis is on demonstrating how the project contributes to one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students are encouraged to develop innovative solutions that address issues such as poverty reduction, education, equality, diversity and inclusion, renewable energy, waste reduction, or other relevant sustainability and business challenges.

The theme is termed the “Bradford Business Challenge” to highlight the application of Bradford solutions, leveraging students’ learning, experience and creativity to the challenges identified. Projects should integrate academic theory with practical insight, whether addressing operational, strategic or societal issues, and should reflect the distinctive perspective and capabilities of Bradford students.

4.2 Theme 2: The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Challenge

The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Challenge is designed to foster creativity and entrepreneurial thinking. Students undertaking this theme will develop and pitch a new business idea, start-up concept, or venture proposal.

Projects undertaken within this theme must address one or more of the following areas:

• Business planning and strategy
• Market analysis and opportunity identification
• Financial forecasting and viability assessment

Students are expected to propose their own topic within this theme. Projects should demonstrate innovation, growth potential, and social / economic impact.

4. Structure and Content Requirements

The indicative chapter structure below applies to projects undertaken under Theme 1 (the Bradford Business Challenge), whether applied or conceptual:

Structure for Theme 2 (Entrepreneurship & Innovation Challenge)

Projects undertaken under Theme 2 should follow an equivalent five-part structure, adapted to a business-planning format:

Departures from this indicative structure may be justified where the nature of the project requires it, subject to agreement with the supervisor.

5. Submission Requirements

1. The dissertation must be submitted as a single PDF document via Canvas no later than the published Week 11 (Semester 2) deadline.
   
   
2. The submission must include a title page, a declaration of original work, an abstract (approximately 250 words), a table of contents, the main text, a full reference list, and any appendices. These are not part of the dissertation’s 8,000 word count. 
   
   
3. The word count stated on the title page must be accurate and must exclude the elements listed in 2. Submissions exceeding the stated word limit by more than 10% may be subject to a mark penalty in accordance with the university's assessment regulations.
   
   
4. All submissions are subject to TurnItin software as part of the university's academic integrity procedures.
   
   
5.  Late submissions will be subject to the university's standard late submission penalties, save where an approved extension or mitigating circumstances claim applies.

6. The ‘Viva’ presentation

In addition to the written submission, each student will undertake a viva presentation.

This is a compulsory element of Component 2 and directly informs the Viva Performance criterion of the marking rubric.

• Purpose: to verify authorship and independent understanding of the submitted work, and to allow the student to clarify, defend and reflect critically on their project.
  
  
• Format: a short, structured Q&A session (indicatively 20–30 minutes), conducted by the supervisor and another assessor.
  
  
• Preparation: students should be prepared to explain their research aims, justify their methodological or business-planning choices, summarise their key findings or business case, and reflect on the strengths and limitations of their work.
  
  
• Outcome: the outcome of the viva may influence the overall mark.

Component 2 Dissertation Marking Rubric

The dissertation (80% of the module) is assessed on the written submission (8,000 words) and the viva together. The project is evaluated wholistically. The seven criteria below are weighted indicatively as shown; the viva contributes directly to the Viva presentation criterion and may also be used to confirm or adjust marks on the written criteria where the viva changes the examiners' judgement of the written work.