On completion of the course the students will be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of certain areas related to business administration and to the program in which the thesis is written

2. demonstrate specialized methodological knowledge applicable to business administration and to the program in which the thesis is written

3. demonstrate insight into current research and development work in business administration and areas related to core topics of the program in which the thesis is written

4. demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge critically and systematically and analyze, assess and deal with complex phenomena associated with business administration

5. demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, independently and creatively as well as using appropriate research methods.
6. demonstrate the ability to plan and execute a research project within a predetermined time frames

7. demonstrate the ability in speech and writing to report clearly and discuss their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based, in dialogue with different audiences.

8. demonstrate the ability to make assessments, taking into account relevant scientific, societal and ethical issues and also demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects in research and development work.

The course consists of writing a master thesis. The course includes coaching seminars, but is based on independent work. At the end of the course all students must defend their thesis at a public seminar, act as main opponent at another student seminar, and actively take part in three other final seminars.

Seminar based tutoring.

The teaching is conducted in English.

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (i.e the equivalent of 180 credits at an accredited university). Also, 45 credits on advanced level with a minimum of 30 credits in Business Administration and 7,5 credits in Research Methods (or the equivalent).

The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.

ILO 1-5, 8 The written thesis.
ILO 5-8 The thesis process (Presence and activities in thesis defense & opposition, active participation at three other final seminars, active part in four preparatory seminars as well as project management (time management).
Examination form:
ILO 1-5, 8 examined by the written thesis and account for 80% of the total grade
ILO 6-7; participation and activity in nine sessions and project management (four preparatory seminars, final defense & opposition and three more final seminars) account for 20% of the total grade in the course. These activities are individually graded.

Note: A course grade can only be given if all ILOs are passed (grade E).

Name of the Test	Value	Grading
Examination1	30 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F

¹ All parts of the compulsory examination in the course must be passed with a passing grade (A-E ) before a final grade can be set. The final grade of the course is determined by the sum total of points for all parts of the examination in the course (0-100 points). Grade is set in accordance to JIBS grading policy. (A-E or Pass)

It is the responsibility of the examiner to ensure that each course is evaluated. At the outset of the course, evaluators must be identified (elected) among the students. The course evaluation is carried out continuously as well as at the end of the course. On the completion of the course the course evaluators and course examiner discuss the course evaluation and possible improvements. A summary report is created and archived. The reports are followed up by program directors and discussed in program groups and with relevant others (depending on issue e.g. Associate Dean of Education, Associate Dean of faculty, Director of PhD Candidates, Dean and Director of Studies). The next time the course runs, students should be informed of any measures taken to improve the course based on the previous course evaluation

Students write the Master thesis in pairs. Even though the thesis is written in pairs the course is examined on an individual basis.

Academic integrity
JIBS students are expected to maintain a strong academic integrity. This implies to behave within the boundaries of academic rules and expectations relating to all types of teaching and examination. Copying someone else’s work is a particularly serious offence and can lead to disciplinary action. When you copy someone else’s work, you are plagiarizing. You must not copy sections of work (such as paragraphs, diagrams, tables and words) from any other person, including another student or any other author. Cutting and pasting is a clear example of plagiarism. There is a workshop and online resources to assist you in not plagiarizing called the Interactive Anti-Plagiarism Guide. Other forms of breaking academic integrity include (but are not limited to) adding your name to a project you did not work on (or allowing someone to add their name), cheating on an examination, helping other students to cheat and submitting other students work as your own, and using non-allowed electronic equipment during an examination. All of these make you liable to disciplinary action.

Compulsory literature
Selected individually based on the thesis topic. The selection will be based on a discussion between students and tutors in relation to the chosen thesis topic.