MRes Management Dissertation
| Module title | MRes Management Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEMM830 |
| Academic year | 2026/7 |
| Credits | 60 |
| Module staff |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 | 6 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
In this module, you will write an academic dissertation on a business or management topic of your choice. Guided by a supervisor, you will develop research questions, review literature, identify knowledge gaps, and present findings effectively. Workshops and lectures will build your academic skills in qualitative and quantitative research. This module helps you develop critical thinking, academic writing, and problem-solving skills, preparing you for future research or career opportunities while allowing you to explore a research topic you are passionate about.
Module aims - intentions of the module
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
A) Develop and defend appropriate and well-defined research questions relevant to the programme.
B) Effectively search and critically assess existing research and secondary data to develop a critical literature review.
C) Conduct a critical literature search to inform and refine research questions.
D) Demonstrate proficiency in qualitative and/or quantitative research skills to process and analyse information.
E) Communicate research issues, ideas, and progress effectively through written research proposal.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically assess and evaluate existing research to identify gaps in knowledge and design relevant research questions.
- 2. Apply a range of academic and research skills to produce rigorous research projects.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Apply problem-solving skills to formulate well-structured and relevant research questions.
- 4. For empirical dissertations, apply research skills to use existing data sets or generate new ones through experiments/questionnaires.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Critically evaluate and analyse research in business and management to develop a clear research focus.
- 6. Produce professional and succinct written presentations of research projects.
Syllabus plan
Indicative topics covered on the module include:
- Research Skills such as: developing research questions, managing research relationships, writing funding proposals, research ethics, conducting systematic literature reviews, presenting work and getting published.
- Research Design such as: understanding the research process, designing research studies, sampling strategies
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 560 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 40 | Seminars (20 x 2 hours) |
| Guided independent study | 160 | Preparatory reading before taught sessions |
| Guided independent study | 400 | Preparation (research and writing) of assignment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion of research project | Various | 1-6 | Verbal or written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | 80 | Max. 15,000 words | 1-6 | Written, individual |
| Dissertation viva | 20 | 20 min presentation | 1-6 | Written, individual |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | Dissertation (max. 15,000 words, 80%) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Dissertation viva | Dissertation viva, (20 min presentation, 20%) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
The readings on the module are primarily taken from key academic journals such as:
- Nature
- Science
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Marketing Science (e.g., Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science)
- Management Science (e.g., Management Science, Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal)
- Business (e.g., Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Research, California Management Review)
- Entrepreneurship (e.g., Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Small Business Economics).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE
| Credit value | 60 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 30 |
| Module pre-requisites | Restricted to MRes students. |
| Module co-requisites | None. |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 20/01/2025 |
| Last revision date | 02/06/2025 |