Course syllabus - Master Thesis in Business Administration

Objectives

The student should develop his/her
- comprehension of different scientific and methodological approaches to the analysis of different issues in business administration
- skills in how to plan, carry out and master an independent work of investigation

Learning outcomes

After completion of this course the student should be able to:
- identify a research topic and formulate a research question that develops knowledge in a field relevant to the student's master's program
- carry out an advanced information search focusing on the topic of the investigation, conduct a thorough literature review and present the results of the review in an evaluative manner
- conduct a comprehensive study in accordance with the scientific practices pertaining to the methods chosen, including collecting, analysing and presenting the research material systematically
- carry out the investigation in a transparent and meticulous way and draw safe conclusions
- critically and in an informed manner judge and analyze all aspects of the investigation, including ethical and social aspects
- defend the conducted research through dialogue with other students and faculty members
- evaluate and discuss research performed by fellow students in a critical and constructive manner
- present arguments orally, visually, and in writing in an objective, credible, and linguistically appropriate manner

Course content

This course consists of a number of activities that aim to develop the students' investigative skills. The main part of the course consists of independent work.

Tuition

The course consists of lectures, exercises, seminars, and supervision. The course mainly consists of seminars where the students review each other’s theses, with the tutor present. The course consists of at least four (4) seminars and the course ends with a final seminar. The thesis is a group assignment.

Specific requirements

Business Administration 90 credits with progression. At least 75 credits must be completed by course start. At least 30 credits must be on level G1N, including at least 5 credits of management accounting, 30 credits on level G1F and at least 15 credits on level G2F. In addition Swedish course B/course 2 and English course B/course 6 are required. Foreign students are required to submit a test of English equivalent to a TOEFL test result of at least 575 with TWE score 4.5 (PBT) or 90 with TWE score 20 (iBT) or an IELTS test score for academic purposes with an overall band score of 6.5 and no band score below 5.5. The test is mandatory for all applicants except for those from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Great Britain and the USA. For courses given entirely in English exemption is made from the requirement in Swedish course B/course 6.

Examination

Thesis (PM01), 15 credits, marks Pass (G) or Pass with distinction (VG)

The examination of the course consists of an assessment of the completed work. The final seminar version of the thesis carries the most weight. An assessment is also made of the performance in the seminars regarding acting as an opponent and actively contributing to the discussions. The thesis is discussed at a final seminar and then revised. The completed version of the thesis should be handed in before the deadline according to instructions.

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Grade

Three-grade scale

Interim Regulations and Other Regulations

The thesis is graded with the ECTS grading (A-F) system. After grading, the student is not entitled to further supervision. For a thesis marked with F (Fail) the student has the right to hand in another revised and completed version.
A recommendation is that this course is not started earlier than the students third year of studies. When the course starts it is suggested that the student is registered for 15hp in Business Administration at the level G2F. Although the course is scheduled for the second half of the semester, i.e. the last 10 weeks, the roll call will be early in the semester. This is to enable the distribution of tutors before the start of the course and increase the possibility for the students to finish on time without having to compromise the quality of the thesis. It is mandatory that the students participating in the course are present at the introduction/roll call. The tutoring hours are limited. In the case of a not approved thesis (the grading Fail) within the tutoring time frame, the student shall not receive any additional tutoring time or a new tutor. However, the student is allowed to present the thesis in the course seminars as long as the course is given, as stated in the schedule for each semester. In the event of the thesis receiving the grade Fail after the received time for revisions, i.e. normally one week after the final seminar, the student is allowed to continue on his/her own and return for new seminars.
The thesis is written in groups of two students.