Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Honours Thesis

Credit Points: 48.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
BUSM4476	City Campus	Undergraduate	610P BUS Portfolio Office	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2018, Sem 2 2018, Sem 2 2020

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Konrad Peszynski

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1654

Course Coordinator Email: Konrad.peszynski@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: City Campus

Course Coordinator Availability: Appointment by email

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required Prior Study:

BUSM4472: Honours Thesis in Context

BUSM4473: Honours Thesis in Practice

BUSM2758: Honours Research Methods in Business

BUSM2759: Honours Enterprise Research Practicum

Course Description

This capstone course guides you through the rigorous process of independent research, culminating in a 15,000-word scholarly thesis of publishable quality. You'll delve into a business problem of your choice, refining your research question through extensive literature review and theoretical grounding. Applying ethical and appropriate methodologies, you'll collect and analyse data to draw meaningful conclusions and contribute new knowledge to your chosen field. Beyond the thesis, this course enhances your critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management skills, preparing you for diverse careers where advanced research expertise is valued. Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark in this course will be one of the course marks that will be used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level (this applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onward). See the WAM information web page for more information.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

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On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

CLO1: Critically evaluate a contemporary business problem or issue from multiple theoretical and practical perspectives, demonstrating an understanding of diverse stakeholder concerns.

CLO2: Synthesise a comprehensive literature review that identifies key theoretical frameworks, research gaps, and methodological approaches relevant to the chosen research topic.

CLO3: Critically assess the suitability of existing theories and models for addressing the research problem, justifying the selection or development of a conceptual framework.

CLO4: Design and execute a rigorous research methodology, incorporating appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative techniques, to collect and analyse data ethically and effectively, demonstrating awareness of relevant ethical principles and guidelines.

CLO5: Communicate research findings and implications in a scholarly thesis that adheres to academic conventions, demonstrating the capacity to engage a range of audiences with complex business concepts.

Overview of Learning Activities

In this course, you are required to undertake independent self-directed work. The direction of this course will be under the general guidance of a supervisor who has knowledge of the area of study and substantial research experience. You should meet with your supervisor on a regular basis to monitor the progress and direction of study. The thesis is to be submitted for examination with the approval of the supervisor. You should aim for a refereed conference paper from the thesis.

Overview of Learning Resources

Various learning resources are available online through MyRMIT Studies/Canvas. The lecture notes and workshop notes are posted on Canvas.

RMIT Library provides extensive resources, services and study spaces. All RMIT students have access to scholarly resources including course related material, books, e-books, journals and databases.

Computers and printers are available at every Library. You can access the Internet and Library e-resources. You can also access the RMIT University wireless network in the Library.

Contact: Ask the Library for assistance and information on Library resources and services: http://www.rmit.edu.au/library. Study support is available for assistance with assignment preparation, academic writing, information literacy, referencing, maths and study skills. Additional resources and/or sources to assist your learning will be identified by your course coordinator and will be made available to you as required during the teaching period.

Overview of Assessment

The assessment alignment list below shows the assessment tasks against the learning outcomes they develop:

Assessment Task 1: 100% (Honours Thesis)
Linked CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or in online forums through individual and group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation.