Undergraduate Course: Management Honours Business Plan Dissertation (BUST10170)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | The Management Honours Business Plan Dissertation is a dissertation option for students registered in the MA (Hons) Business with Enterprise and Innovation. It sits alongside the standard Management Honours Dissertation. Similar to the later, it is taken in the 4th year of study and satisfies the dissertation requirement for students aiming to graduate with an MA from the University of Edinburgh.
The Management Honours Business Plan Dissertation is an independent research project resulting in a 15,000-word document comprising the following sections: a) Business Plan document, b) Methodological Overview, c) Critical Reflection. |
| Course description |
Similar to the standard Honours dissertation, the Management Honours Business Plan Dissertation is a 40 credit course (equivalent to 2 full courses at Honours) and equates to one-sixth of the total Honours assessment taken over both the Honours years (6 courses in 3rd Year and 4 courses plus the dissertation in 4th Year). The business plan dissertation is a significantly independent component of the MA (Hons) Business with Enterprise and Innovation degree programme. Undertaken over a period of nearly 12months, it requires students, supported by their Dissertation Advisor/ Supervisor, to carry out independent research towards generating a rigorous business plan as well as draw out critical reflective lessons.
Outline Content
The business plan dissertation largely entails independent student research towards developing a business plan and drawing out reflective lessons from the exercise. There will, however, be a couple of lectures and programme level teaching, as well as three business plan workshops, and ongoing project supervision and feedback in line with usual scheduled dissertation milestones.
Student Learning Experience
The business plan dissertation provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their abilities in the graduate attributes that form part of the learning outcomes identified by the University of Edinburgh. In addition practical skills will be built in research and enquiry, applied entrepreneurial skills, personal and intellectual autonomy, communication and personal effectiveness.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Lecture Hours 2,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 8,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
374 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% Dissertation (Individual) - 15,000 words - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: In line with the standard dissertation, students will be expected to submit a chapter of around 5,000 words (emerging business plan draft) in Semester 1 for which formative feedback will be provided. A draft of the reflective piece will be reviewed in Semester 2 (usually February), matching the window when findings/ discussions chapter for the standard dissertation is reviewed. Students will also be able to contact their supervisor and consult on other matters throughout the year as appropriate.
Summative: Feedback will be provided on assessment within agreed deadlines. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate research skills in planning, executing and reporting research.
- Demonstrate independent learning and critical thinking.
- Demonstrate critical and in-depth knowledge of business planning for a new venture.
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Reading List
Core text(s)
Osterwalder, A.,Pigneur,Y.(2013). Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers, Wiley.
Greene, F.J.(2020). Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.United Kingdom:Bloomsbury Publishing.
Bell, Emma, Bryman, Alan and Harley, Bill. (2019) Business research methods Oxford,United Kingdom: Oxford University Press
Saunders, Mark N.K, Lewis, Philip and Thornhill, Adrian (2012). Research Methods for Business Students, Old Tappan: Pearson Education UK
Creswell, J.W.(2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches.SAGE Publications. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Convey meaning and message through a wide range of communication tools, including digital technology and social media; to understand how to use these tools to communicate in ways that sustain positive and responsible relationships.
Critically evaluate and present digital and other sources, research methods, data and information; discern their limitations, accuracy, validity, reliability and suitability; and apply responsibly in a wide variety of organisational contexts.
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Apply creative, innovative, entrepreneurial, sustainable and responsible business solutions to addresssocial, economic and environmental global challenges.
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary organisational disciplines; comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.
Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore and solve them responsibly.
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| Keywords | Business plan,New venture,Startup |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Samuel Mwaura
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Tamara Turford
Tel: (0131 6)50 8074
Email: |
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