Master Thesis
Code: 42622 ECTS Credits: 15| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4313384 Applied Research in Economics and Business | OB | 0 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- John Slof
- Email:
- ericjohn.slof@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- english (eng)
Prerequisites
None
Objectives and Contextualisation
To undertake an original piece of research supervised by a faculty member.
Competences
- Analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate a certain matter of scientific interest and/or real problem case, considering its different perspectives and supporting the results and conclusions obtained.
- Be able to evaluate inequalities for reasons of sex or gender to design solutions.
- Design, plan, realise and defend original scientific research applied to the areas of economics and business and transfer the results obtained to the academic, governmental and /or professional fields.
- Generate creative ideas and propose innovative solutions.
- Produce and draft projects, technical reports and academic articles in English, making use of the appropriate terminology, argumentation, communication skills and analytical tools for each context, and rigorously evaluate those produced by third parties.
- Select and apply different and adequate models and/or theoretical frameworks, methodologies and techniques for scientific research, data sources and IT tools for research applied to business and economics.
- Students should be able to integrate knowledge and face the complexity of making judgements from information which, being incomplete or limited, include reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements
- Students should know how to apply the knowledge acquired and the capacity to solve problesm in new or little-known areas within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts realted to thier area of study
- Students should know how to communicate their conclusions, knowledge and final reasoning that they hold in front of specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously
- Understand, analyse and evaluate the complexity, functions and main challenges of the current socio-economic and business reality using analytical tools and/or precise methodologies.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate a certain matter of scientific interest and/or real problem case, considering its different perspectives and supporting the results and conclusions obtained.
- Apply the most adequate theories, methodologies and analysis techniques to the objectives of the end of Masters dissertation.
- Combine and use in an original and integrating manner the main theories and methodologies used in research applied to the area of business and economic.
- Generate creative ideas and propose innovative solutions.
- Identify the contributions of gender study to the research topic.
- Know and use the contributions of women and gender studies in the discipline.
- Know how to distinguish in theoretical and empirical analyses the effects of sex and gender variables.
- Know how to identify the role of ICT in the transmission of gender stereotypes and apply measures to avoid them.
- Know how to undertake research with a gender perspective.
- Produce and draft projects, technical reports and academic articles in English, making use of the appropriate terminology, argumentation, communication skills and analytical tools for each context, and rigorously evaluate those produced by third parties.
- Produce in writing, present orally and defend an original research study that is scientifically thorough and of social relevance, whose conclusions can be applied to the academic, political-economic and/or professional arenas.
- Produce, compile and interpret empirical data in a gender-sensitive manner.
- Show knowledge of the state of the art of a specific issue in association with the content of the Masters course, critically interpreting existing research and identifying relevant aspects for research.
- Students should be able to integrate knowledge and face the complexity of making judgements from information which, being incomplete or limited, include reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements
- Students should know how to apply the knowledge acquired and the capacity to solve problesm in new or little-known areas within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts realted to thier area of study
- Students should know how to communicate their conclusions, knowledge and final reasoning that they hold in front of specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously
- Use existing IT tools and packages (STATA, SPSS, Atlas.ti, NVIVO, etc.) for the analysis of statistical, business and bibliographic databases.
Content
The thesis or dissertation should be an academic paper in a publishable format containing an original, but relatively simple, research contribution about any topic in applied economics or business.
It is like doing an extended exercise, where the data and/or the question are provided by the student himself or herself, using the tools and techniques that have been learned during the Master classes.
A contribution means that there should be a new result or finding or insight, being this theoretical or empirical, in terms of public policy or managerial recommendation. Testing or illustrating an old hypothesis/es with new data or information is perfectly acceptable.
The introduction should include a motivation and a clear research question, together with a summary of the results. The last paragraph of the introduction should be a brief explanation of the contents of the remainder of sections. The relationship with the existing literature could be in the introduction or in a specific section after it.
A conclusion should summarize what the thesis has contributed and what are the main results or findings.
The content of the thesis should be rigorous, with the style of a scholarly paper and a scientific and not journalistic or literary style. Rhetoric should be kept to a minimum. All statements should be well justified by the relevant literature, data, information or logic.
Cut or copy and paste are not allowed. Any degree of plagiarism will be severely punished.
The thesis must be written in English. Language mistakes should be avoided by asking if necessary a proficient English speaker to read it and edit it before submission.
Acceptable theses include:
-An econometric or statistical exercise motivated by a theoretical framework. The data set can be constructed by the researcher or obtained from an existing data base or data center, institution, organization, etc. The description of the data set is in this case an important part ofthe thesis.
-A theoretical model with public policy or firm management implications (applied theory).
-A detailed case study, using quantitative or qualitative research methods, using rigorous information and justified by a specific theoretical framework.
-A systematic review or meta-analysis of the existing literature on a well defined and specific given topic.
-A report of an experiment.
-A computer simulation or calibration analysis based on a theoretical model.
-Other formats can be considered at the proposal of the student (i.e. a business plan, a market reserach, etc.)
A good training to see potential research methodologies and topics, as well as presentation skills, is to attend departmental seminars.
Methodology
Research supervision, tutorials and independent research.
The proposed teaching methodology may undergo some modifications according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorials and research supervision | 75 | 3 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 10, 11, 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 16, 9, 7, 8, 17 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Independent research | 299.5 | 11.98 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 10, 11, 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 16, 9, 7, 8, 17 |
Assessment
Supervision of the research process, written output, thesis' presentation and discussion-defense.
Calendar of evaluation activities
The dates of the evaluation activities of the module (written output, thesis presentation and discussion, research process and thesis supervision, ...) will be announced well in advance during the semester.
"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 115. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB).
Irregularities in evaluation activities
In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same module, the final grade of this module will be 0" Section 10 of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).
Not Assessed Grade
A student can obtain "Not Assessed" grade in the module only when he/she has not participated in any of the evaluation activities within it. Therefore, students who perform even only one evaluation component cannot obtain "Not Assessed" grade in the module.
The proposed evaluation activities may undergo some changes according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research process and thesis supervision | 10% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 10, 11, 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 16, 9, 7, 8, 17 |
| Thesis presentation and discussion | 20% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 10, 11, 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 16, 9, 7, 8, 17 |
| Written output | 70% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 10, 11, 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 16, 9, 7, 8, 17 |
Bibliography
See Campus Virtual.
Software
- Text editors (Word, Pages, LaTeX, ...).
- Spreadsheets (Excel, Numbers, LaTeX, ...).
- Slide show presentation (PowerPoint, Keynote, LaTeX, ...).
- Statistical/Econometric software and/or for data management (Stata, R, Eviews, Python, ...).