Undergraduate Course: Business Studies Long Essay (BUST10077)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | The Business Studies Long Essay is only available to students on the MA Language and Business degree programme in third year. This is an independent study programme where students work directly with one or more staff members to develop and complete an independent piece of research. The subject of the Long Essay is the student's responsibility and must be on a Business Studies theme. It must relate closely to the country in which the student is spending their year abroad or be on a continental European theme if the student is abroad in Europe. The subject of the Essay must deal with a contemporary issue and, whilst it may be necessary to present an historical perspective, history must not dominate the Essay. Essay topics chosen by students in previous years have included: an examination of how the Spanish retail company Zara became so successful; the contemporary and historical influences on the decline of the small business in France; the effect of water shortages on businesses in Spain; the effects of the expansion of the EU on trade and industry; advertising in post-Soviet Russia. |
| Course description |
The Business Studies Long Essay is a compulsory component of the Language and Business degree programme in third year, accounts for 40 credits and contributes to the final degree classification. The Long Essay is an important assignment as it is the only piece of work from the third year of the degree programme which is assessed by staff in the Business School at the University of Edinburgh. An outline proposal for the topic is submitted in week 7. Staff Advisers are allocated before Christmas, and students are encouraged to submit two pieces of interim work during the year (January and March) to receive feedback on their progress and academic guidance. As the assignment is expected to be an independent piece of research, Advisers will not offer feedback on multiple drafts of different sections or comment on a complete draft of the whole essay prior to submission. The Long Essay is submitted on the first day of semester 1 in Fourth Year.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and discuss the nature of independent learning and thinking as applied in research.
- Demonstrate in-depth and critical knowledge of a particular subject area.
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Learning Resources
Students are expected to research their own resources, but they will be given access to:
- the seminar slides from the 'Research in Management' seminars
- guidelines on good academic practice. |
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.
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. |
| Special Arrangements |
This 40-credit course is only available to students on the MA Language and Business programme in Year 3 during the compulsory year abroad. |
| Study Abroad |
Students on 'Language and Business' programmes expecting to study abroad in third year are invited to a pre-departure Long Essay Briefing organised by the Business School in semester 2. |
| Keywords | Long Essay |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kalsoom Jaffar
Tel:
Email: Kalsoom.Jaffar@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Tamara Turford
Tel: (0131 6)50 8074
Email: Tamara.Turford@ed.ac.uk |
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