Postgraduate Course: Capstone Project (EMBA) (CMSE11268)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | The final project, the Capstone Project, provides an opportunity for the MBA candidate to develop the ability to identify, analyse, research and propose a solution to a real problem of significance in business or administration. It can be a project involving contact with practice (for example in a company), a library based project using secondary data, a teaching case study, or a business plan. The standard expected is that the project will show knowledge and understanding of the area that is being researched; some contribution to knowledge is generally required for distinction level. |
| Course description |
Undertaking the Capstone Project requires the student to develop a deep level of analysis and understanding of the theory and processes of organisations and the business environment through the completion of a piece of individual research.
MBA participants can work on one of four types of Capstone Project:
Research Project
This type of project will involve critical engagement with a body of literature, followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative or quantitative data that can help to address gaps in the literature and improve our understanding of a particular subject in business.
Company sponsored consultancy project
Researching, analysing and making recommendations on an issue or problem that is provided by a company or another type of ¿client¿ organisation. There is an expectation that the project will be informed by an understanding of relevant literature and theoretical frameworks, but the emphasis is on the analysis of relevant information to resolve the client¿s issue or problem.
Business Plan project
Researched, costed, completed plan for some sort of (new) venture including risk analysis. It is expected that the case for the venture will have been made. The plan looks at operationalising the venture.
Early Stage Feasibility Study project
Focuses on a potential new venture. The ¿idea¿ will already have been researched and formulated. The project will look to prove or disprove the feasibility of the venture, making next steps recommendations where applicable.
Student Learning Experience
Students work individually on their Capstone Projects, but under the supervisory guidance of an experienced member of faculty. Students are required to keep in regular contact with their Advisor. As a minimum they should meet with their Advisor three times.
In particular, the following key meetings are required:
¿ A preliminary discussion of the student¿s proposal with the Advisor (this will cover, broadly, the feasibility of the idea; possible sources of data and reading; methods of analysis; a plan or timetable)
¿ Assessment of progress to date. This is most likely to be a short meeting to discuss data collection and to map out further progress
¿ Final meeting. In the latter part of the process, students may meet with their advisor to discuss the analysis or interpretation of data collected or to provide feedback on a sample chapter
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Lecture Hours 4,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
382 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment Information
100% assessment |
| Feedback |
Students meet with an Adviser to receive regular formative feedback on progress during the project including, for example, after the initial research proposal is developed. The final mark for the Capstone Project will usually be available after the final Board of Examiners in October. Individual feedback on the Capstone Project will be available online via ATLAS, usually by the end of October.
Students will be provided with electronic written feedback for all coursework. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Study in depth a topic of particular interested to the student, within the field of business.
- Plan, design, execute and report a significant piece of individual research.
- Gain experience of the processes involved in rigorous research
- Communicate, via a report, complex ideas and information in a coherent and structured manner.
- Contribute to knowledge through one of a research, consultancy, business plan or feasibility study pathways
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Reading List
| There is no reading list for the dissertation. Students carry out a literature review as part of the project. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The Capstone Project provides the opportunity for students to engage in a research project and, in particular, the ability to study a specific topic and question, identify the issues and how they may be researched, collect and validate appropriate data, organise and discuss the findings, their reliability and validity, and present results in a logical and clear manner. |
| Keywords | Research Capstone Enquiry Dissertation Consulting |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Julian Rawel
Tel: (0131 6)50 8067
Email: Julian.Rawel@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Angela Muir
Tel: (0131 6)51 3854
Email: Angela.Muir@ed.ac.uk |
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