Introduction.
Whether you are enrolled in the Telecommunications Engineering Master programme, or any other degree, your final project will constitute a very important part of your resume, when you will be looking for your first job. So, choose it carefully.
Our personal hints follow.
The topic itself is relevant. However, the methodology you use to tackle with the problem, the novelty of the thesis, and its presentation, are also very important, as they will describe something of you.
Final Project at a Company?
If you are willing to perform your final project at a company, please have in mind that (unless you will pursue a PhD) you will be working in a company for the rest of your life, starting very soon after graduation. Why should you start six months earlier?
Performing your final project at a company, is a simple way to find your first job. However, ICT companies in Italy are desperately looking for new graduates in our field; you will find a job in any case, most likely, in the next few weeks after (or before) graduation.
So, this is not something we incentivise. However, if you know a company that is willing to support you (ensure that they are really willing to support you!) for six months for your final project, and they have made a proposal of topic, we are available to supervise you as long as the topic is related to the interests of RN.
A Research Thesis.
We offer research theses in the field of the IoT and Mobile Radio Networks, on aspects related to MAC and network algorithms and protocols, and network architectures.
Research oriented final projects can be based on one of the following methodologies: i) mathematical modelling, ii) model-based simulation, iii) implementation and real-world experimentation, iv) emulation. If you are looking for a final project topic at RN group, you will be requested what type of methodology you are willing to afford, before a proposal of topic will be made to you.
In all cases, a research thesis has to contain novel results. So the final project, whatever the topic and methodology, has to include a creative phase, where new algorithms, protocols or models are proposed, tested and evaluated. Possibly, when results are clearly novel with respect to the scientific literature, your thesis might become a research paper published after your graduation.
A Final Project Abroad.
RN has a number of active collaborations with research groups outside Italy, which can offer jointly supervised final projects: at Eurecom (France), TU Berlin (Germany), Univ. of Oulu (Finland), King’s College London (UK), and many other Universities.
If you are interested, in this case we should start discussing months before the actual kickoff of your final project. If you are looking for financial support, please have in mind that it is under your responsibility to find it (through the Erasmus programme, or whatever).
Training-on-the-Field Final Projects.
Why not performing a final project at the University, on a company-inspired topic related to some product/service development?
If you are not interested in creating new things through research, you might want to pursue a final project oriented at learning how to make an industrial product, or service. Or, simply, you might spend your time being involved in some experimental activity (on field tests, etc.) that has some industrial flavour. This is what we call training-on-the-field.
We also offer theses of this kind, which are experimental by nature, in many different application domains of the IoT.
Topics.
There are many topics we can offer on the subjects of radio networks: on 5G, IoT, … Please ask for an appointment via email to discuss the type of final project and topic. When sending your email, please specify:
- the programme you are enrolled in;
- whether you finished all exams, and, if not, what exams you still have to give, and by when (according to realistic plans);
- what is the current average of marks you received in exams;
- how many years passed since when you enrolled in the programme;
- when, according to your plans, you would like to start working on your final project;
- whether you would work on your final project full time or not.
Please have in mind that an accurate final project requires a minimum of four full-time months of dedication. A research thesis normally requires five-six months of activity.