Master Thesis in Business Administration, 30 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Business and Economics Programme - International - French
• Business and Economics Programme
• Business and Economics Programme - International - Spanish
• Business and Economics Programme - International - German
• Business and Economics Programme - International - English

Entry requirements

Admission to the course includes that the student is enrolled in an MBA program at Linköping University and has completed the equivalent of 160 credits of The MBA Program / The International MBA Program courses.

Intended learning outcomes

After completion of the course the student is expected to, by means of an independently written thesis

• demonstrate the knowledge and skills required for qualified and independent work in the area of Business Administration

Knowledge and understanding

After completion of the course the student is expected to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of scientific basis and proven experience of the field of Business Administration
• Demonstrate an understanding of current research and development work in the chosen sub-area of Business Administration
• Demonstrate substantial knowledge in the selected sub-area in Business Administration
• Demonstrate knowledge of theory and method

Skills and abilities

After completion of the course the student is expected to:

• Demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and to analyze, assess and deal with complex phenomena, problems and situations
• Demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate research questions
• Demonstrate the ability to plan and carry out advanced tasks within a specified time frame
• Demonstrate the ability to present and discuss, both orally and in writing, research results in dialogue with different groups
• Demonstrate the skills required to participate in research and development work

Judgment and approach

After completion of the course the student is expected to:

• Demonstrate the skills of making sound judgments with respect to relevant scientific and societal issues in the field of Business Administration
• Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues in research and development
• Demonstrate the ability to identify the need of further knowledge
• Demonstrate the ability to continuously develop one’s skills

Course content

The course aims to develop the student’s critical and problem solving skills. This is accomplished by the student working with identifying and dealing with a relevant problem in the chosen sub-field of Business Administration. The course also aims to create knowledge and skills to independently plan, implement and present a scientific report. In addition, the course aims to develop the student’s ability to critically review and assess texts. The thesis must include some empirical work.
The topic of the thesis shall proceed from knowledge acquired in the orientation courses (advanced courses) during semester 7. The thesis work is largely dependent on methodology and writing skills acquired during the education in Business Administration.

Teaching and working methods

The course starts with lectures and seminars on drafting and designing a thesis project. Further, the thesis work is conducted both within a series of seminars, as well as through individual supervision with an appointed supervisor who are to monitor the work process.
During the work, the student is required to continuously learn from other groups’ work and thereby learn to evaluate, comment on, present, defend and serve as discussant on both one’s own and other groups' work materials.
The individual student's independency and responsibility is emphasized within this course, which means that the supervisor's control is toned down in favor of the individual student’s freedom, creativity and personal responsibility.

Examination

The examination comprises
- active participation in the workshops
- presentation and defense of the thesis in a public seminar
- serving as a discussant to other student groups’ theses
- active participation in at least four seminars apart from ones own two

Rules concerning the production of academic texts and referencing will be applicable to all written assignments during the course.

If special circumstances prevail, and if it is possible with consideration of the nature of the compulsory component, the examiner may decide to replace the compulsory component with another equivalent component.

If the LiU coordinator for students with disabilities has granted a student the right to an adapted examination for a written examination in an examination hall, the student has the right to it.

If the coordinator has recommended for the student an adapted examination or alternative form of examination, the examiner may grant this if the examiner assesses that it is possible, based on consideration of the course objectives.

An examiner may also decide that an adapted examination or alternative form of examination if the examiner assessed that special circumstances prevail, and the examiner assesses that it is possible while maintaining the objectives of the course.

Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course twice are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination.

Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. 

The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

If special circumstances prevail, the vice-chancellor may in a special decision specify the preconditions for temporary deviations from this course syllabus, and delegate the right to take such decisions.

Department