Final Year Project Proposal Best Practices

Chapter 7 · Practice 3 of 4

Prepare a short, clear proposal defence

From Get the proposal approved

Why it matters

Many departments hold a proposal defence: a few minutes of presentation followed by questions. Keep the slides simple and in the order of the proposal:

  1. Problem and users (one slide).
  2. Existing work and the gap (one slide, a comparison table works well).
  3. Objectives and scope, including what is out of scope.
  4. Method and architecture diagram.
  5. Feasibility evidence, such as a spike screenshot.
  6. Timeline and top risks.

Practise it together and agree who presents which part. Expect questions on why the problem matters, what already exists, why your stack, and whether the scope is realistic. The FYP Presentation and Defence Best Practices guide covers answering questions in more depth.

Do

  • Keep to about six slides that follow the proposal
  • Rehearse as a team with a timer

Avoid

  • Reading paragraphs of the proposal off the slides