Thesis

Introduction

The students shall, as part of the exam’s requirement, write a thesis. Students are expected to work on the thesis in groups of two to four students. Exceptions are possible (with explicit prior approval), but experience indicates that group work creates better results and students are encouraged to create diverse working groups.

The topic should be an analysis and evaluation of a real life challenge facing a company. The students should choose the topic from their own company or a company that they have close connection to. The students should be able to observe and discuss the topic with people dealing with the challenge in the company. Issues encountered in the coursework should be discussed in the thesis, and the students should demonstrate their ability to apply the models, theories and methods that they have studied to a real situation.

Course content

Teaching
There will be a one-day lecture on thesis work and methodology at an early stage of the program. The lecture will cover the following topics:

• How to write a thesis
• Phases in thesis work
• Critical evaluation of published article
• Introduction and problem formulation
• Theory, research model, and hypotheses
• Methods considerations and documentation
• Analysis
• Discussion, implications for practice and theory

Supervision
Supervision will be given to the students, by BI faculty, in person as well as electronically.

Thesis work schedule
A topic hand-in is requested at an early stage (e.g. module 5), and the thesis will be presented orally late in the program (in connection with the one of the last modules).
The deadline for handing in the thesis will be two months after the last module.

Student presentation
Students will present their theses orally to the graders and fellow students before the final hand-in.