how to write mba thesis

How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.  

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

• Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
• Find a unique and valuable research topic
• Craft a convincing research proposal
• Write up a strong introduction chapter
• Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
• Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
• Present the findings of your research
• Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

• Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
• See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
• If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
• Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

• Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
• Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
• Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
• Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

Attribute #2:   Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

• You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
• You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
• You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

• A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
• A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
• Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
• The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

• You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
• You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
• You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

• Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
• Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
• Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
• Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

• If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
• If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

• If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
• If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
• If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling  – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

• Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
• Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

• Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
• Find a unique (original) and important research topic
• Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
• Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
• Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
• Undertake your own research
• Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.  

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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20 Comments

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Thank you, it was really helpful

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

It is an amazing comprehensive explanation

This was straightforward. Thank you!

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Very educating.

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

thank you so much, that was so useful

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

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The MBA Thesis Explained

Before you are awarded the degree of Master of Business Administration , you must exhibit your capacity to tackle an investigation of a particular management issue and mull over and write about it in a profound manner. This is the very purpose of the MBA thesis.

What is a Thesis?

A thesis is a long piece of article that you write about a specific subject or research and is particularly done for a university degree or higher college accolade.

When you write your MBA thesis, your writing skills are put to the test. This is also your chance to present the interests, ideas, and skills that you have learned in your MBA program in a satisfying but challenging piece of writing.

As you develop your thesis, you need to investigate and analyze a specific management issue from two perspectives, the practical side and the theoretical side, using business research methods. Through your case study, you get to conduct your own research in a field you like (pending approval of a thesis adviser) that will further sharpen your skills and knowledge of that field.

The Objectives of an MBA Thesis

An MBA thesis has the following objectives:

• To authorize students to apply the knowledge they gained in their MBA studies to a particular management issue.
• To give students the chance to study and write about a specific topic that is of relevance and interest to them in a thorough, detailed, and well-researched manner.
• To expose students to the principle of the entire thesis and the process of business research and academic inquiry.
• To allow students to establish their capacity to think conceptually, communicate, and develop rational and structured thinking.

MBA Thesis: The Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding, cognitive and intellectual skills, behavioral skills.

• Initiate a critical and comprehensive understanding of your thesis topic. Ideally, you should have a level of practical experience and expertise within your topic field.
• Obtain an understanding of the application of business research. When you write your research paper, you should have a clear understanding of the limitations and uses of data analysis techniques that may be used in evaluating outcomes in the business management field.
• Before you start to work and write your own ideas for your research paper, make sure you are able to critically analyze evidence and information from both practitioner and academic sources. You should communicate and develop a cohesive argument to support theoretical models and positions.
• Students must know how to argue and evaluate alternative approaches to models and theories
• Your MBA course is also a good way for you to appreciate your skills and competencies in relation to the organization and planning of your research project. Business schools are also perfect venues for students to master their time management skills.
• As you work on your research requirements, you will understand the importance of working autonomously and how to exercise personal responsibility and initiative in achieving your stated objectives.

Thesis vs Dissertation: Is there a difference?

Are you interested in continuing your education after you complete your bachelor’s degree? If so, have you ever wondered if there is a difference between an MBA thesis and a dissertation; the papers that are usually required in master’s schools? Both generally have similarities. However, there are some differences that set both apart.

Similarities

Before looking for the differences between a thesis and a dissertation, know that both are actually very similar. Some schools, in fact, often used these terms interchangeably.

A thesis and a dissertation are simply papers given to master’s students. Because the structure of these papers is generally extensive, students are given larger windows of time to focus, develop, and write the paper they are assigned. The idea is to complete the papers during the last year of master’s study.

Before you get your graduate degree, you have to obtain a passing grade on your papers. The great news is that although you will not be working with other students, you can still get help from your thesis adviser and peers. With this many people helping you with your final paper, passing your dissertations or theses is very achievable.

But in case you fail the first time, most business schools allow you to resubmit your papers after doing more work to finally meet the requirements.

Type of Graduate Program

One difference between a thesis and a dissertation is that a thesis is required for a master’s program, while dissertations are required for a doctorate program. However, this is not always the case. There are some master’s degree programs that no longer require theses or dissertations. Instead, they are offered in two separate paths: the thesis options and the non-thesis options.

Students who later on plan to obtain a doctorate degree are encouraged to go for the thesis option to prepare them for the dissertations that they will have to write as doctorate students.

The biggest difference between theses and dissertations are the intended purpose. Usually required to get a master’s degree, the thesis is designed to test your skills and understanding of your chosen field of study. 

Most business universities require students to create and write a proposition based on the previous work created by others. The idea is to analyze and present these previous works on your paper and make a case for a particular point of view.

Dissertations are done by students in a doctorate program and focus mainly on original research. Students assigned with dissertations are required to think of a subject in the field they’re interested in but haven’t been researched yet. They have to come up with a concept and hypothesis and make original research papers to prove (or disprove) a hypothesis.

MBA Thesis: The Thesis Topic

When you begin working on your thesis topic, you can choose one in any area/industry as long as it is related to a management or business issue. You can create a new topic or develop ideas you have previously worked on in the program, an elective you studied before in various disciplines, or a module assignment. You need to establish a topic that is relevant to contemporary business and academic thinking.

There are also MBA business degree students who are provided with thesis topics by their sponsoring organization. But if this doesn’t work for you, then the development of an original one is required. You need to think about your areas of interest that you can work on. 

Since choosing a topic is already challenging and hard work itself, it’s best to go for something that will sustain your enthusiasm and motivation throughout the long process of making a thesis.

To have an idea as to what topic you can work on, here are guide questions to get you started:

• Is there a managerial/business issue/problem relating to your organization or job that you’re interested to study?
• Do you have a subject area you’re interested in that, if one day you’ll become an expert, would further improve your career?
• Have you come across a business problem that you believe you can help through your research paper?

MBA Thesis: The Research Proposal

The research proposal is the heart of the thesis. This is the outline of the research work you plan on doing for your research. It is a roadmap on which your professional and academic career depends.

The proposal stage of MBA programs will normally require you to answer these questions:

• What are the boundaries and focus of the MBA thesis topic you choose? What will it include? What won’t?
• What are the objectives and aims of your business plan/research?
• Is your proposed thesis topic feasible? Can you handle the terms of scale and scope?
• What topics will you utilize in doing your research?
• Do you have the resources, competencies, and skills to do the research and study the findings?
• What resources do you need to complete your paper?

Research Aim and Objectives

This is your general statement of your paper’s intent or direction. What are you trying to achieve?

These are the clear and specific writing of your paper’s outcomes and intentions. This must be followed by your justification (the rationale behind doing your research).

Literature Review of an MBA Thesis

In this section, you will summarize the key subject and literature that you have read so far. You will indicate the findings, business principles, and ideas you’ve read have relevance to your subject topic. You should also provide the raw data of at least 25 major academic literature references. All in all, your MBA thesis should cite at least 50 credible and relevant references.

The purpose of your literature review is to critically analyze and review documented theories and evidence relative to your topic and recognize what is and is not known in the field.

MBA Thesis: Conducting the Research

In an MBA program, the nature of your thesis will affect what type of final paper you will be writing. Although there are alternative research designs, they are usually categorized into three types:

Exploratory Research

You use this on your MBA thesis when you have a few existing ideas about the topic you are writing about. This involves observation of a previously under-researched or new topic. The research design of exploratory study uses qualitative methods and is generally not designed to test defined study hypotheses.

Descriptive Research

This is where you define a situation or phenomenon and has a very good structure. Your starting point for this paper starts with your ideas on existing hypotheses that you can then use in identifying variables to be measured. You can use quantitative methods and descriptive statistics in this type of writing.

Explanatory Research

Also called causal study, your presentation here is more on identifying and explaining the relationship between variables that affect a situation. You come up with hypotheses and collect data that supports or negates these hypotheses.

Tips To Help You Prepare and Write a Good MBA Thesis

Whether you have a thesis adviser or you get professional assistance on your analysis for your MBA thesis, making your paper is very challenging. You need the right structure and all the freshest ideas to help you complete your final paper.

To help you complete your MBA degree and its corresponding thesis and capstone projects, you need practical steps to make your business school education truly rewarding in the end. For both local and international students all over the world, here are some helpful tips to make a good MBA thesis.

Choose a topic you’re interested in.

It takes a great deal of work, time, and dedication to finish an MBA thesis successfully. So why would you want to write something you’re least interested in? One of the great benefits of an MBA thesis is that you can choose and work on your own ideas about a specific subject. From there, build a solid structure and work on your writing skills to prove to everybody how bright your ideas are.

Select a topic that has a lot of information available.

Just like the significance of choosing a topic you love, you should also go for a topic that has lots of information available. Of course, your MBA thesis is not just a mere presentation of facts and figures. You need to have readily available facts to draw conclusions.

Be creative and methodical.

An MBA thesis requires a lot of analysis so you can gather enough data to support your argument. As you gather information, be open-minded. Avoid limiting yourself to the usual methods of compiling data. We are now in a digital world where anybody can compile data in so many ways. Simply put, diversify the way you present data in your MBA thesis.

Recheck facts and details, and recheck twice!

When you’re done with your MBA thesis, make sure you recheck your facts, twice! In a business school, your thesis is the most critical part of your entire graduate school journey. Check, then re-check every detail, fact, or figure in your work.

If you can, ask a university mentor to go over your thesis: from the introduction down to the conclusion. Maybe he/she can contribute more to the effectiveness of your writing.

MBA Thesis: When Should You Pursue?

How do you stand out and make real companies feel that you can be a great addition to them? Is having a business administration education enough? What are the implications if you want to pursue a master’s? And if you do, when is a thesis-based MBA right for you?

• If you are planning to get a doctorate in business and you also want to make the most of your master’s program experience, go for a thesis-based MBA.
• If you love to write, you want to further your education, or you plan to teach, a thesis-based MBA should be considered.

How Long is the Thesis for an MBA Program?

An MBA thesis usually ranges from 100 to 300 pages– from the introduction down to the last page, excluding the bibliography. However, the length generally depends on different factors, like the method of study or the subject matter.

There is no ‘correct’ word count or page length to aim for. Your MBA thesis, instead, has to be long enough for you to correctly convey the information you need to convey in a clear manner.

Overall, the MBA thesis is designed to support the professional and academic qualifications of graduate students.

How to Write an MBA Thesis

Does an MBA Require a Thesis?

The thesis portion of a master’s level business degree offers students the opportunity to further explore a concept of interest to them, coalesce the information they have learned through their education, and demonstrate their understanding of concepts and their writing skills to colleagues and potential employers. An effective MBA thesis requires careful preparation and presentation.

Students generally work with an adviser to select a topic for the MBA research paper, which may involve setting up a study, examining current research through a new perspective or establishing a new idea. Sample topics include explaining how a business might expand to a new market or the implications of a current business model. Once the adviser or committee approves the topic, gather your research. This step involves examining existing studies from looking through peer-reviewed material like "The Global Journal of Business Research." You may also set up an observational study or send out questionnaires to research your topic. After compiling the information, researchers should spend some time considering the implications of the results.

A thesis sets out the information by sections or chapters, an arrangement that varies depending upon your topic. Most include a literature review examining what past and current research exists in publications regarding the topic; most MBA thesis papers need this information. Other sections generally include an introduction to establish your purpose and the significance of the topic in the business field, the methods and findings from your study, an examination of the results and their implications, and a concluding section listing recommendations based on those findings.

Business papers typically require the use of APA documentation format. According to the sixth edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association," that means you must include the author's last name and the publication year each time you use words or ideas from another source in your MBA thesis. Acknowledge sources through signal phrases like "According to Lamar (2013)" or with a parenthetical citation: (Lamar, 2013). A corresponding entry for each cited source appears on a references page at the end of the thesis that gives more complete bibliographical information.

Every professional document should be free from grammar and spelling errors to make it easier to understand and authoritative, so leave time to proofread your paper after you finish your draft. Your thesis adviser generally looks over your paper and offers advice for revision, but having yet another person read over the paper may help you find errors. After revising, examine the specific requirements for your MBA program again to be sure you have included all necessary material and followed the guidelines.

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Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

• The University of Warwick

MBA dissertation help: How to choose a topic, plan, and write your dissertation

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MBA dissertations and consultancy projects are the final modules on most MBA programmes . Our participants can opt for either a traditional dissertation (with a theoretical focus) or a hands-on project, which will see you consulting for a real organisation alongside a team of peers.  

Whether you choose a dissertation or consultancy project, you will still be required to submit a written exploration of a research question that is relevant to the world of business as part of the module. This guide offers MBA dissertation help that remains applicable whichever route you take on your Full-time MBA.

Read on to learn about the early stages of the process, choosing a topic, planning out your workload, and how to write an MBA dissertation or individual consulting report. Written by the MBA team here at Warwick Business School (WBS), this article also features some helpful first-hand advice from one of our MBA graduates, Kristen Rossi who studied our Full-time MBA.

An introduction to MBA dissertations and consultancy projects

Completing either an MBA dissertation or consultancy project is a requirement on Full-time MBA courses ; alternatively, participants at WBS can opt for an internship to satisfy the Capstone module .

Although this work will be completed towards the end of your programme, it’s worth getting ahead of the game. Given that your dissertation or project will contribute significantly towards your final result, we recommend learning about the requirements and how the process works even before you apply for an MBA.

As Full-time Warwick MBA graduate, Kristen Rossi, puts it: 

From the second the MBA started, there was talk of “The Project & Dissertation” – the part of the MBA that is worth the most credit, which will probably involve an outside company, and (gasp) that you will do alone!

Unless you take part in an internship in place of the module, your first port of call is to choose between an MBA dissertation or a consultancy project. Seem like a daunting decision to make? We’ve outlined the key points of difference to help you get off on the right track.

What is an MBA dissertation?

An MBA dissertation is an independent, yet supervised, research project. It is designed to demonstrate that you have assimilated your learning throughout the MBA course and that you can explore a business issue thoroughly, considering multiple perspectives on the subject.

The output from an MBA dissertation is a piece of written work that explores a research question relevant to the world of business. You could explore any one of a wide range of different topics as part of the dissertation, but your writing should have an academic focus with a strong grounding in theory and your own independent research.

At WBS, you may also choose to focus on Entrepreneurship as part of your MBA dissertation, which is a requirement if you choose the Entrepreneurship Specialism. This allows you to take a deep dive into a new business idea, tackle an existing issue, or use the opportunity to help launch your own venture.

What is a strategic consultancy project?

A strategic consultancy project provides you with hands-on experience of consulting on behalf of a real organisation and investigating a specific business challenge that it faces. Taking place for 10 to 12 weeks over the summer period, you’ll work alongside a group of your peers at the same organisation.

WBS participants can choose their own groups and, as Kristen comments, are given support in sourcing a project: 

The consultancy project and dissertation is usually supported by a client who has a topic or question that they would like to know more about. WBS provides specific, mandatory careers sessions dedicated to the consultancy project and dissertation.

The Business School has partnered with many global industry leaders as part of the consultancy projects, from Barclays to Sony and Microsoft. 

Once you’ve chosen a group and organisation, each participant selects their own distinct research question. The deliverable is then an individual consulting report addressing this question.

You can find out more about consultancy projects from Antonia in the film below:

The differences between an MBA dissertation and consultancy project

A consultancy project still requires you to produce an extended piece of written work in the form of your individual consulting report, but it differs from an MBA dissertation in a number of ways:

• A strategic consultancy project is hands-on, requiring you to engage with a business issue faced by a real organisation, whereas an MBA dissertation is more theoretical.
• The scope of the issue you explore as part of a project will typically be much narrower and more focused than a dissertation, which can investigate a much broader topic area.
• An MBA dissertation should aim to further the academic community’s understanding of a particular area of business; a consultancy project is geared towards solving a real-world business problem for a specific organisation or group of organisations.

How will a dissertation or project benefit you?

This final phase of your MBA course gives you the opportunity to explore a particular topic in great depth, enhancing your academic or practical understanding of an area of business. 

For many participants the dissertation or project is a formative experience that has a tangible impact on their future career paths, supporting their professional ambitions.

But don’t just take it from us. What does Kristen have to say?

“I can only speak for myself, but with the project and dissertation, I gained three things. Firstly, slightly superficial, I now have a fabulous new brand on my CV, Aston Martin Lagonda. 

“Secondly, through the interviews I conducted for my primary research I had the privilege to learn a lot about the luxury automotive sector, which I would otherwise have not had the opportunity to learn as much about. Writing to and setting up a conversation with the CMO of a major firm is made easier when you have WBS and the justification of a dissertation, and the information they share is priceless. 

“Thirdly, although tedious, I had the opportunity to deep-dive into a particular topic – marketing ROI best practices. This really helped me to understand the challenges and remedies of this topic in depth and will certainly help me as I make my career jump in the coming months.”

Choosing an MBA dissertation topic

Like many participants, you may feel nervous about the thought of choosing a suitable MBA dissertation topic. In reality, however, this is nothing to worry about.

As you progress through the early stages of your MBA programme, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself drawn to a particular area of study or type of business problem. The direction you take is also likely to be influenced by your pre-existing career goals and professional experience. 

On this point, Kristen recommends that you make the project work for you:

When choosing your client project and dissertation, try to focus on an industry and topic that you hope to transition into. If you are looking to move into finance, work on a project that will provide you with the knowledge to help you land the job!

It’s also worth noting that you’ll be given extensive support when it comes to picking a research question or sourcing a project. You’ll attend sessions dedicated to selecting the right topic in the run-up to the start of the dissertation or project module — and there is always additional help available at WBS.

How to write an MBA dissertation

Once you’ve chosen a topic for your MBA dissertation or project, your work on the module can begin in earnest.

As a Warwick Business School participant, you’ll be guided through the process from the outset. But if you’re still at the stage of wondering whether this is something you’d want to pursue in the first place, here’s a brief overview packed with MBA dissertation advice from one of our graduates.

Making contact with your supervisor

Kristen’s top tip for writing an MBA dissertation is not to wait to be assigned a supervisor:

“Once your project applications have been whittled down to interviews (early May for the Full-time MBA), look at the topics and seek out an academic in the school whose knowledge (and personality) you think would match the project and you. The sooner you do this the better.

“I had finalised my supervisor by the beginning of June and this head start was extremely beneficial. It allowed me to better project manage the different chapters of the dissertation and be more in control of the process.”

The planning phase

Delivering a successful MBA dissertation or consulting report is an exercise in sound project management; just one of the many ways in which it sets you up well for later working life. And it’s universally acknowledged that the best approach to take with any large-scale project is to break it down into bite-size chunks.

Kristen suggests seeking support to divide up the dissertation into smaller components, from the draft of your first chapter through to the final submission:

With the help of your supervisor, work backwards and set up a timeline to tackle each section of the dissertation. Include milestones where you will check-in with your supervisor (face-to-face is recommended) as well.

Preparing your literature review

The literature review is the all-important foundation of any dissertation – MBA-level or otherwise. 

Kristen’s experience speaks to the value of starting your research early and keeping a record of all the papers and publications you encounter along the way:

“Once you roughly know the topic of your project and dissertation, start researching. Do not wait until you have a supervisor or until your elective modules are finished. Start immediately! I recommend this for three reasons.

“Firstly, the initial articles you find will most likely not be the gems you hope them to be and it will take a lot of speed-reading and trial and error before you uncover the wisdom that will actually inform your research. 

“Secondly, once you find relevant research, it will take time to read it and most academic literature is not a page-turning detective novel (I can attest to falling asleep mid-read on several occasions). 

“Finally, I am a believer that to truly understand and process new material, you need time. Give yourself the time to read, step away and think, and come back to it. In the end, you will be grateful that you did.

Further to this point, when reading journal publications look at the references the author cites. Seek out these additional authors and their publications.”

Communicating with your client contact on a consulting project

Should you opt for a strategic consulting project, the way you manage the relationship with your client organisation is just as important as the write-up of the final report. Kristen offers this final piece of advice:

“If you are not going to their office, then from the beginning of your relationship set in place weekly 30-minute Skype sessions to keep the client up-to-date with what you are doing. This will allow you to build a relationship with them and will help you to address any hiccups along the way. 

“Sometimes after starting your research, you may find that the client’s initial request is too broad. This is okay, but you will need to bring it up and negotiate a more realistic deliverable. The weekly updates are also beneficial. As you research, you may find yourself going off in the wrong direction. Checking in with your client on a weekly basis will help you stay on track.”

------------------------

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How to write a masters dissertation or thesis: top tips.

It is completely normal to find the idea of writing a masters thesis or dissertation slightly daunting, even for students who have written one before at undergraduate level. Though, don’t feel put off by the idea. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it, and plenty of support from your supervisor and peers.

One of the main challenges that students face is putting their ideas and findings into words. Writing is a skill in itself, but with the right advice, you’ll find it much easier to get into the flow of writing your masters thesis or dissertation.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to write a dissertation or thesis for your masters degree, with top tips to consider at each stage in the process.

1. Understand your dissertation (or thesis) topic

There are slight differences between theses and dissertations , although both require a high standard of writing skill and knowledge in your topic. They are also formatted very similarly.

At first, writing a masters thesis can feel like running a 100m race – the course feels very quick and like there is not as much time for thinking! However, you’ll usually have a summer semester dedicated to completing your dissertation – giving plenty of time and space to write a strong academic piece.

By comparison, writing a PhD thesis can feel like running a marathon, working on the same topic for 3-4 years can be laborious. But in many ways, the approach to both of these tasks is quite similar.

Before writing your masters dissertation, get to know your research topic inside out. Not only will understanding your topic help you conduct better research, it will also help you write better dissertation content.

Also consider the main purpose of your dissertation. You are writing to put forward a theory or unique research angle – so make your purpose clear in your writing.

Top writing tip: when researching your topic, look out for specific terms and writing patterns used by other academics. It is likely that there will be a lot of jargon and important themes across research papers in your chosen dissertation topic. 

2. Structure your dissertation or thesis

Writing a thesis is a unique experience and there is no general consensus on what the best way to structure it is. 

As a postgraduate student , you’ll probably decide what kind of structure suits your research project best after consultation with your supervisor. You’ll also have a chance to look at previous masters students’ theses in your university library.

To some extent, all postgraduate dissertations are unique. Though they almost always consist of chapters. The number of chapters you cover will vary depending on the research. 

A masters dissertation or thesis organised into chapters would typically look like this: 

Write down your structure and use these as headings that you’ll write for later on.

Top writing tip : ease each chapter together with a paragraph that links the end of a chapter to the start of a new chapter. For example, you could say something along the lines of “in the next section, these findings are evaluated in more detail”. This makes it easier for the reader to understand each chapter and helps your writing flow better.

3. Write up your literature review

One of the best places to start when writing your masters dissertation is with the literature review. This involves researching and evaluating existing academic literature in order to identify any gaps for your own research.

Many students prefer to write the literature review chapter first, as this is where several of the underpinning theories and concepts exist. This section helps set the stage for the rest of your dissertation, and will help inform the writing of your other dissertation chapters.

What to include in your literature review

The literature review chapter is more than just a summary of existing research, it is an evaluation of how this research has informed your own unique research.

Demonstrate how the different pieces of research fit together. Are there overlapping theories? Are there disagreements between researchers?

Highlight the gap in the research. This is key, as a dissertation is mostly about developing your own unique research. Is there an unexplored avenue of research? Has existing research failed to disprove a particular theory?

Back up your methodology. Demonstrate why your methodology is appropriate by discussing where it has been used successfully in other research.

4. Write up your research

Your research is the heart and soul of your dissertation. Conducting your actual research is a whole other topic in itself, but it’s important to consider that your research design will heavily influence the way you write your final dissertation.

For instance, a more theoretical-based research topic might encompass more writing from a philosophical perspective. Qualitative data might require a lot more evaluation and discussion than quantitative research. 

Methodology chapter

The methodology chapter is all about how you carried out your research and which specific techniques you used to gather data. You should write about broader methodological approaches (e.g. qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and then go into more detail about your chosen data collection strategy. 

Data collection strategies include things like interviews, questionnaires, surveys, content analyses, discourse analyses and many more.

Data analysis and findings chapters

The data analysis or findings chapter should cover what you actually discovered during your research project. It should be detailed, specific and objective (don’t worry, you’ll have time for evaluation later on in your dissertation)

Write up your findings in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you have a lot of numerical data, this could be easier to digest in tables.

This will make it easier for you to dive into some deeper analysis in later chapters. Remember, the reader will refer back to your data analysis section to cross-reference your later evaluations against your actual findings – so presenting your data in a simple manner is beneficial.

Think about how you can segment your data into categories. For instance, it can be useful to segment interview transcripts by interviewee. 

Top writing tip : write up notes on how you might phrase a certain part of the research. This will help bring the best out of your writing. There is nothing worse than when you think of the perfect way to phrase something and then you completely forget it.

5. Discuss and evaluate

Once you’ve presented your findings, it’s time to evaluate and discuss them.

It might feel difficult to differentiate between your findings and discussion sections, because you are essentially talking about the same data. The easiest way to remember the difference is that your findings simply present the data, whereas your discussion tells the story of this data.

Your evaluation breaks the story down, explaining the key findings, what went well and what didn’t go so well.

In your discussion chapter, you’ll have chance to expand on the results from your findings section. For example, explain what certain numbers mean and draw relationships between different pieces of data.

Top writing tip: don’t be afraid to point out the shortcomings of your research. You will receive higher marks for writing objectively. For example, if you didn’t receive as many interview responses as expected, evaluate how this has impacted your research and findings. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

6. Write your introduction

Your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your masters dissertation. You might be wondering why writing an introduction isn't at the start of our step-by-step list, and that’s because many students write this chapter last.

Here’s what your introduction chapter should cover:

Problem statement

Research question

Significance of your research

This tells the reader what you’ll be researching as well as its importance. You’ll have a good idea of what to include here from your original dissertation proposal , though it’s fairly common for research to change once it gets started.

Writing or at least revisiting this section last can be really helpful, since you’ll have a more well-rounded view of what your research actually covers once it has been completed and written up.

Masters dissertation writing tips

When to start writing your thesis or dissertation.

When you should start writing your masters thesis or dissertation depends on the scope of the research project and the duration of your course. In some cases, your research project may be relatively short and you may not be able to write much of your thesis before completing the project. 

But regardless of the nature of your research project and of the scope of your course, you should start writing your thesis or at least some of its sections as early as possible, and there are a number of good reasons for this:

Academic writing is about practice, not talent. The first steps of writing your dissertation will help you get into the swing of your project. Write early to help you prepare in good time.

Write things as you do them. This is a good way to keep your dissertation full of fresh ideas and ensure that you don’t forget valuable information.

The first draft is never perfect. Give yourself time to edit and improve your dissertation. It’s likely that you’ll need to make at least one or two more drafts before your final submission.

Writing early on will help you stay motivated when writing all subsequent drafts.

Thinking and writing are very connected. As you write, new ideas and concepts will come to mind. So writing early on is a great way to generate new ideas.

How to improve your writing skills

The best way of improving your dissertation or thesis writing skills is to:

 Finish the first draft of your masters thesis as early as possible and send it to your supervisor for revision. Your supervisor will correct your draft and point out any writing errors. This process will be repeated a few times which will help you recognise and correct writing mistakes yourself as time progresses.

If you are not a native English speaker, it may be useful to ask your English friends to read a part of your thesis and warn you about any recurring writing mistakes. Read our section on English language support for more advice. 

Most universities have writing centres that offer writing courses and other kinds of support for postgraduate students. Attending these courses may help you improve your writing and meet other postgraduate students with whom you will be able to discuss what constitutes a well-written thesis.

Read academic articles and search for writing resources on the internet. This will help you adopt an academic writing style, which will eventually become effortless with practice.

Keep track of your bibliography 

When studying for your masters dissertation, you will need to develop an efficient way of organising your bibliography – this will prevent you from getting lost in large piles of data that you’ll need to write your dissertation. 

The easiest way to keep the track of all the articles you have read for your research is to create a database where you can summarise each article/chapter into a few most important bullet points to help you remember their content. 

Another useful tool for doing this effectively is to learn how to use specific reference management software (RMS) such as EndNote. RMS is relatively simple to use and saves a lot of time when it comes to organising your bibliography. This may come in very handy, especially if your reference section is suspiciously missing two hours before you need to submit your dissertation! 

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Plagiarism may cost you your postgraduate degree and it is important that you consciously avoid it when writing your thesis or dissertation. 

Occasionally, postgraduate students commit plagiarism unintentionally. This can happen when sections are copy and pasted from journal articles they are citing instead of simply rephrasing them. Whenever you are presenting information from another academic source, make sure you reference the source and avoid writing the statement exactly as it is written in the original paper.

What kind of format should your thesis have?

Read your university’s guidelines before you actually start writing your thesis so you don’t have to waste time changing the format further down the line. However in general, most universities will require you to use 1.5-2 line spacing, font size 12 for text, and to print your thesis on A4 paper. These formatting guidelines may not necessarily result in the most aesthetically appealing thesis, however beauty is not always practical, and a nice looking thesis can be a more tiring reading experience for your postgrad examiner .

When should I submit my thesis?

The length of time it takes to complete your MSc or MA thesis will vary from student to student. This is because people work at different speeds, projects vary in difficulty, and some projects encounter more problems than others. 

Obviously, you should submit your MSc thesis or MA thesis when it is finished! Every university will say in its regulations that it is the student who must decide when it is ready to submit. 

However, your supervisor will advise you whether your work is ready and you should take their advice on this. If your supervisor says that your work is not ready, then it is probably unwise to submit it. Usually your supervisor will read your final thesis or dissertation draft and will let you know what’s required before submitting your final draft.

Set yourself a target for completion. This will help you stay on track and avoid falling behind. You may also only have funding for the year, so it is important to ensure you submit your dissertation before the deadline – and also ensure you don’t miss out on your graduation ceremony ! 

To set your target date, work backwards from the final completion and submission date, and aim to have your final draft completed at least three months before that final date.

Don’t leave your submission until the last minute – submit your work in good time before the final deadline. Consider what else you’ll have going on around that time. Are you moving back home? Do you have a holiday? Do you have other plans?

If you need to have finished by the end of June to be able to go to a graduation ceremony in July, then you should leave a suitable amount of time for this. You can build this into your dissertation project planning at the start of your research.

It is important to remember that handing in your thesis or dissertation is not the end of your masters program . There will be a period of time of one to three months between the time you submit and your final day. Some courses may even require a viva to discuss your research project, though this is more common at PhD level . 

If you have passed, you will need to make arrangements for the thesis to be properly bound and resubmitted, which will take a week or two. You may also have minor corrections to make to the work, which could take up to a month or so. This means that you need to allow a period of at least three months between submitting your thesis and the time when your program will be completely finished. Of course, it is also possible you may be asked after the viva to do more work on your thesis and resubmit it before the examiners will agree to award the degree – so there may be an even longer time period before you have finished.

How do I submit the MA or MSc dissertation?

Most universities will have a clear procedure for submitting a masters dissertation. Some universities require your ‘intention to submit’. This notifies them that you are ready to submit and allows the university to appoint an external examiner.

This normally has to be completed at least three months before the date on which you think you will be ready to submit.

When your MA or MSc dissertation is ready, you will have to print several copies and have them bound. The number of copies varies between universities, but the university usually requires three – one for each of the examiners and one for your supervisor.

However, you will need one more copy – for yourself! These copies must be softbound, not hardbound. The theses you see on the library shelves will be bound in an impressive hardback cover, but you can only get your work bound like this once you have passed. 

You should submit your dissertation or thesis for examination in soft paper or card covers, and your university will give you detailed guidance on how it should be bound. They will also recommend places where you can get the work done.

The next stage is to hand in your work, in the way and to the place that is indicated in your university’s regulations. All you can do then is sit and wait for the examination – but submitting your thesis is often a time of great relief and celebration!

Some universities only require a digital submission, where you upload your dissertation as a file through their online submission system.

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How to Write Your MBA Thesis: A Comprehensive Guide for All Master's Students Required to Write a Research-based Thesis or Dissertation (Maastricht ... in Intercultural and Global Management)

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MBA THESIS PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

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This book is based on my experiences in completing my PhD thesis in 1995 and as Programme Director of the Master of Accounting at University College Dublin. I have prepared, evolved and used these notes as part of the Master of Accounting Research Methodology course. They are now being published for a wider audience, thanks to generous funding from the Irish Accountancy Educational Trust. The Irish Accountancy Educational Trust was established in 1981 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland as an independent charitable trust. Its objectives are to promote and facilitate the development of accountancy. The policy of the Trustees is to act as a catalyst for activities which would otherwise not be feasible. The author gratefully acknowledges the generous support received from The Irish Accountancy Educational Trust in respect of this publication. This book would not have been published but for its support. This is an introductory text. The complexities of many of the topics introduced here are left for more specialist and advanced publications. The book aims to be a concise, practical guide to the basics of doing research in accounting and preparing a research report – usually a dissertation. The primary audience for the book is undergraduate and masters-level students, although PhD students starting off may find some topics useful. Examples, references etc. are taken from the accounting literature, but students in other business disciplines may find some of the material applicable to their subject.

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50 Best Finance Dissertation Topics For Research Students

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Finance Dissertation Made Easier!

Embarking on your dissertation adventure? Look no further! Choosing the right finance dissertation topics is like laying the foundation for your research journey in Finance, and we're here to light up your path. In this blog, we're diving deep into why dissertation topics in finance matter so much. We've got some golden writing tips to share with you! We're also unveiling the secret recipe for structuring a stellar finance dissertation and exploring intriguing topics across various finance sub-fields. Whether you're captivated by cryptocurrency, risk management strategies, or exploring the wonders of Internet banking, microfinance, retail and commercial banking - our buffet of Finance dissertation topics will surely set your research spirit on fire!

What is a Finance Dissertation?

Finance dissertations are academic papers that delve into specific finance topics chosen by students, covering areas such as stock markets, banking, risk management, and healthcare finance. These dissertations require extensive research to create a compelling report and contribute to the student's confidence and satisfaction in the field of Finance. Now, let's understand why these dissertations are so important and why choosing the right Finance dissertation topics is crucial!

Why Are Finance Dissertation Topics Important?

Choosing the dissertation topics for Finance students is essential as it will influence the course of your research. It determines the direction and scope of your study. You must make sure that the Finance dissertation topics you choose are relevant to your field of interest, or you may end up finding it more challenging to write. Here are a few reasons why finance thesis topics are important:

1. Relevance

Opting for relevant finance thesis topics ensures that your research contributes to the existing body of knowledge and addresses contemporary issues in the field of Finance. Choosing a dissertation topic in Finance that is relevant to the industry can make a meaningful impact and advance understanding in your chosen area.

2. Personal Interest

Selecting Finance dissertation topics that align with your interests and career goals is vital. When genuinely passionate about your research area, you are more likely to stay motivated during the dissertation process. Your interest will drive you to explore the subject thoroughly and produce high-quality work.

3. Future Opportunities

Well-chosen Finance dissertation topics can open doors to various future opportunities. It can enhance your employability by showcasing your expertise in a specific finance area. It may lead to potential research collaborations and invitations to conferences in your field of interest.

4. Academic Supervision

Your choice of topics for dissertation in Finance also influences the availability of academic supervisors with expertise in your chosen area. Selecting a well-defined research area increases the likelihood of finding a supervisor to guide you effectively throughout the dissertation. Their knowledge and guidance will greatly contribute to the success of your research.

Writing Tips for Finance Dissertation

A lot of planning, formatting, and structuring goes into writing a dissertation. It starts with deciding on topics for a dissertation in Finance and conducting tons of research, deciding on methods, and so on. However, you can navigate the process more effectively with proper planning and organisation. Below are some tips to assist you along the way, and here is a blog on the 10 tips on writing a dissertation that can give you more information, should you need it!

1. Select a Manageable Topic

Choosing Finance research topics within the given timeframe and resources is important. Select a research area that interests you and aligns with your career goals. It will help you stay inspired throughout the dissertation process.

2. Conduct a Thorough Literature Review

A comprehensive literature review forms the backbone of your research. After choosing the Finance dissertation topics, dive deep into academic papers, books, and industry reports, gaining a solid understanding of your chosen area to identify research gaps and establish the significance of your study.

3. Define Clear Research Objectives

Clearly define your dissertation's research questions and objectives. It will provide a clear direction for your research and guide your data collection, analysis, and overall structure. Ensure your objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

4. Collect and Analyse Data

Depending on your research methodology and your Finance dissertation topics, collect and analyze relevant data to support your findings. It may involve conducting surveys, interviews, experiments, and analyzing existing datasets. Choose appropriate statistical techniques and qualitative methods to derive meaningful insights from your data.

5. Structure and Organization

Pay attention to the structure and organization of your dissertation. Follow a logical progression of chapters and sections, ensuring that each chapter contributes to the overall coherence of your study. Use headings, subheadings, and clear signposts to guide the reader through your work.

6. Proofread and Edit

Once you have completed the writing process, take the time to proofread and edit your dissertation carefully. Check for clarity, coherence, and proper grammar. Ensure that your arguments are well-supported, and eliminate any inconsistencies or repetitions. Pay attention to formatting, citation styles, and consistency in referencing throughout your dissertation.

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Finance Dissertation Topics

Now that you know what a finance dissertation is and why they are important, it's time to have a look at some of the best Finance dissertation topics. For your convenience, we have segregated these topics into categories, including cryptocurrency, risk management, internet banking, and so many more. So, let's dive right in and explore the best Finance dissertation topics:

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Cryptocurrency

1. The Impact of Regulatory Frameworks on the Volatility and Liquidity of Cryptocurrencies.

2. Exploring the Factors Influencing Cryptocurrency Adoption: A Comparative Study.

3. Assessing the Efficiency and Market Integration of Cryptocurrency Exchanges.

4. An Analysis of the Relationship between Cryptocurrency Prices and Macroeconomic Factors.

5. The Role of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in Financing Startups: Opportunities and Challenges.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Risk Management

1. The Effectiveness of Different Risk Management Strategies in Mitigating Financial Risks in Banking Institutions.

2. The Role of Derivatives in Hedging Financial Risks: A Comparative Study.

3. Analyzing the Impact of Risk Management Practices on Firm Performance: A Case Study of a Specific Industry.

4. The Use of Stress Testing in Evaluating Systemic Risk: Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis.

5. Assessing the Relationship between Corporate Governance and Risk Management in Financial Institutions.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Internet Banking

1. Customer Adoption of Internet Banking: An Empirical Study on Factors Influencing Usage.

Enhancing Security in Internet Banking: Exploring Biometric Authentication Technologies.

2. The Impact of Mobile Banking Applications on Customer Engagement and Satisfaction.

3. Evaluating the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Internet Banking Services in Emerging Markets.

4. The Role of Social Media in Shaping Customer Perception and Adoption of Internet Banking.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Microfinance

1. The Impact of Microfinance on Poverty Alleviation: A Comparative Study of Different Models.

2. Exploring the Role of Microfinance in Empowering Women Entrepreneurs.

3. Assessing the Financial Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions in Developing Countries.

4. The Effectiveness of Microfinance in Promoting Rural Development: Evidence from a Specific Region.

5. Analyzing the Relationship between Microfinance and Entrepreneurial Success: A Longitudinal Study.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Retail and Commercial Banking

1. The Impact of Digital Transformation on Retail and Commercial Banking: A Case Study of a Specific Bank.

2. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in Retail Banking: An Analysis of Service Quality Dimensions.

3. Analyzing the Relationship between Bank Branch Expansion and Financial Performance.

4. The Role of Fintech Startups in Disrupting Retail and Commercial Banking: Opportunities and Challenges.

5. Assessing the Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on the Performance of Retail and Commercial Banks.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Alternative Investment

1. The Performance and Risk Characteristics of Hedge Funds: A Comparative Analysis.

2. Exploring the Role of Private Equity in Financing and Growing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

3. Analyzing the Relationship between Real Estate Investments and Portfolio Diversification.

4. The Potential of Impact Investing: Evaluating the Social and Financial Returns.

5. Assessing the Risk-Return Tradeoff in Cryptocurrency Investments: A Comparative Study.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to International Affairs

1. The Impact of Exchange Rate Volatility on International Trade: A Case Study of a Specific Industry.

2. Analyzing the Effectiveness of Capital Controls in Managing Financial Crises: Comparative Study of Different Countries.

3. The Role of International Financial Institutions in Promoting Economic Development in Developing Countries.

4. Evaluating the Implications of Trade Wars on Global Financial Markets.

5. Assessing the Role of Central Banks in Managing Financial Stability in a Globalized Economy.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Sustainable Finance

1. The impact of sustainable investing on financial performance.

2. The role of green bonds in financing climate change mitigation and adaptation.

3. The development of carbon markets.

4. The use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in investment decision-making.

5. The challenges and opportunities of sustainable Finance in emerging markets.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Investment Banking

1. The valuation of distressed assets.

2. The pricing of derivatives.

3. The risk management of financial institutions.

4. The regulation of investment banks.

5. The impact of technology on the investment banking industry.

Dissertation topics in Finance related to Actuarial Science

1. The development of new actuarial models for pricing insurance products.

2. The use of big data in actuarial analysis.

3. The impact of climate change on insurance risk.

4. The design of pension plans that are sustainable in the long term.

5. The use of actuarial science to manage risk in other industries, such as healthcare and Finance.

Tips To Find Good Finance Dissertation Topics 

Embarking on a financial dissertation journey requires careful consideration of various factors. Your choice of topic in finance research topics is pivotal, as it sets the stage for the entire research process. Finding a good financial dissertation topic is essential to blend your interests with the current trends in the financial landscape. We suggest the following tips that can help you pick the perfect dissertation topic:

1. Identify your interests and strengths 

2. Check for current relevance

3. Feedback from your superiors

4. Finalise the research methods

5. Gather the data

6. Work on the outline of your dissertation

7. Make a draft and proofread it

In this blog, we have discussed the importance of finance thesis topics and provided valuable writing tips and tips for finding the right topic, too. We have also presented a list of topics within various subfields of Finance. With this, we hope you have great ideas for finance dissertations. Good luck with your finance research journey!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i research for my dissertation project topics in finance, what is the best topic for dissertation topics for mba finance, what is the hardest finance topic, how do i choose the right topic for my dissertation in finance, where can i find a dissertation topic in finance.

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