How to Write a Master's Dissertation Assignment

Assignment Task

The MSc Dissertation is an individual, mandatory, end-of-studies report written in two phases:

Part

1. The Dissertation Proposal (4 ECTS) is written in the spring semester, as a deliverable for a 12H seminar, taught by the Dissertation Supervisor. Each supervisor teaches 12-15 students each year and supervises their individual reports. Submission deadline 2023: April 30.

2. The Final Dissertation (10 ECTS) is written in the two months following the end of the spring semester. This paper is based on the project laid out in the Proposal.

Objectives & Characteristics

The objective of the MSc Dissertation is to assess students’ capacity to produce answers to real-life, professional challenges, relying on academic readings and empirical data analysis. In particular, the assignment is designed to address the following competences:

• Identifying suitable and sustainable approaches to real-life problems.
• Proposing inclusive and/or sustainable recommendations.
• Designing initiatives that achieve sustainability objectives.
• Recommending solutions based on data analysis (primary or secondary data1)

Contrary to purely academic research or standard MSc theses, this work has a strongly professional orientation, addressing a real-world challenge in the domain covered by the programme. Readings and data analyses should result in operational recommendations that can be directly applied in real life. This applied aspect of the Dissertation is more important than theoretical discussion and elaboration.

The Role Of The Supervisor

The dissertation supervisor may be a permanent or associated professor or instructor. They are assigned in the autumn semester by the Head of the Programme in collaboration with the related Academic Department.

Students are enrolled in a 12-hour course, composed of lectures and workshops with their supervisor. Students are assigned to a group of 12 to 15, working in the same broad area, and develop their own individual project. The course sessions aim to direct students to examine their topic of interest in depth, collecting and synthesizing relevant information. Discussions encourage cross-fertilization and foster critical analysis and thinking.

The mission of the supervisor it to validate the scope and outline of the work. Supervisors guide students in shaping their research question and defining a method of data collection to source the evidence to answer it.

The supervisor marks the Dissertation Proposal at the end of the spring semester. For the next two months, the supervisor remains available for problems relating to data collection, analysis and writing of the final report.

The Research Question

The Dissertation work aims to provide (several) alternative, substantiated answers, solutions and recommendations to the research question. Students must initially argue the importance and relevance of their research question by considering the following issues:

• Why should this question be asked?
• What are the real-word challenges relating to this issue?
• Is it possible to answer this question? (data availability and accessibility; confidentiality issues)
• Can the possible alternative answers be substantiated?

Data Collection

Data collection aims to find the evidence that will support answers to the research question driving the Dissertation.

• The Dissertation may collect and analyse original, primary data, that is, data collected by the student using a scientific method of data collection: survey, in situ observation, model testing, semi-directive interviews, focus group, etc.
• Alternatively, the Dissertation may analyse secondary data, that is, already published evidence. Secondary data sources are diverse: company data, sectoral and/or professional data, panels, sectoral analyses, annual reports and financial statements, OECD and other international agency and NGO publications, articles from professional reviews, studies by specialised firms and experts in the field, government studies, official reports, etc.

Data Confidentiality

In the case when a Dissertation collects data from a specific company, it is essential to ask for and obtain the company’s authorisation to use these data and/or any internal documents of the company.

The structure of the manuscript may vary according to the topic (e.g. chapter titles, order of the chapters etc.). The outline of the Dissertation Proposal must be validated by the supervisor before submission. The documents must cover the following content:

Dissertation Proposal

1. Introduction: presenting the inspiration and importance of a real-world, professional challenge

2. Literature Review: linking this problem to academic and other readings from the Library resources.

3. CONCLUSION: reformulating a research question and outlining the method and the procedure to be followed in order to answer it.

Final Dissertation

4. Method: description of the method and procedure used to collect data and evidence. Details of sample, measuring instruments (e.g., questionnaire, interview guide or documents analysed) etc.

The MSc Dissertation is an individual, mandatory, end-of-studies report written in two phases:

Part

1. The Dissertation Proposal (4 ECTS) is written in the spring semester, as a deliverable for a 12H seminar, taught by the Dissertation Supervisor. Each supervisor teaches 12-15 students each year and supervises their individual reports. Submission deadline 2023: April 30.

2. The Final Dissertation (10 ECTS) is written in the two months following the end of the spring semester. This paper is based on the project laid out in the Proposal.

Objectives & Characteristics

The objective of the MSc Dissertation is to assess students’ capacity to produce answers to real-life, professional challenges, relying on academic readings and empirical data analysis. In particular, the assignment is designed to address the following competences:

• Identifying suitable and sustainable approaches to real-life problems.
• Proposing inclusive and/or sustainable recommendations.
• Designing initiatives that achieve sustainability objectives.
• Recommending solutions based on data analysis (primary or secondary data1)

Contrary to purely academic research or standard MSc theses, this work has a strongly professional orientation, addressing a real-world challenge in the domain covered by the programme. Readings and data analyses should result in operational recommendations that can be directly applied in real life. This applied aspect of the Dissertation is more important than theoretical discussion and elaboration.

The Role Of The Supervisor

The dissertation supervisor may be a permanent or associated professor or instructor. They are assigned in the autumn semester by the Head of the Programme in collaboration with the related Academic Department.

Students are enrolled in a 12-hour course, composed of lectures and workshops with their supervisor. Students are assigned to a group of 12 to 15, working in the same broad area, and develop their own individual project. The course sessions aim to direct students to examine their topic of interest in depth, collecting and synthesizing relevant information. Discussions encourage cross-fertilization and foster critical analysis and thinking.

The mission of the supervisor it to validate the scope and outline of the work. Supervisors guide students in shaping their research question and defining a method of data collection to source the evidence to answer it.

The supervisor marks the Dissertation Proposal at the end of the spring semester. For the next two months, the supervisor remains available for problems relating to data collection, analysis and writing of the final report.

The Research Question

The Dissertation work aims to provide (several) alternative, substantiated answers, solutions and recommendations to the research question. Students must initially argue the importance and relevance of their research question by considering the following issues:

• Why should this question be asked?
• What are the real-word challenges relating to this issue?
• Is it possible to answer this question? (data availability and accessibility; confidentiality issues)
• Can the possible alternative answers be substantiated?

Data Collection

Data collection aims to find the evidence that will support answers to the research question driving the Dissertation.

• The Dissertation may collect and analyse original, primary data, that is, data collected by the student using a scientific method of data collection: survey, in situ observation, model testing, semi-directive interviews, focus group, etc.
• Alternatively, the Dissertation may analyse secondary data, that is, already published evidence. Secondary data sources are diverse: company data, sectoral and/or professional data, panels, sectoral analyses, annual reports and financial statements, OECD and other international agency and NGO publications, articles from professional reviews, studies by specialised firms and experts in the field, government studies, official reports, etc.

Data Confidentiality

In the case when a Dissertation collects data from a specific company, it is essential to ask for and obtain the company’s authorisation to use these data and/or any internal documents of the company.

The structure of the manuscript may vary according to the topic (e.g. chapter titles, order of the chapters etc.). The outline of the Dissertation Proposal must be validated by the supervisor before submission. The documents must cover the following content:

Dissertation Proposal

1. Introduction: presenting the inspiration and importance of a real-world, professional challenge

2. Literature Review: linking this problem to academic and other readings from the Library resources.

3. CONCLUSION: reformulating a research question and outlining the method and the procedure to be followed in order to answer it.

Final Dissertation

4. Method: description of the method and procedure used to collect data and evidence. Details of sample, measuring instruments (e.g., questionnaire, interview guide or documents analysed) etc.

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