Postgraduate Course: Dissertation (MSc AI for Business) (CMSE11710)
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 | 60 |
ECTS Credits | 30 |
| Summary | The dissertation requires students to conduct a piece of original research over the summer block on a topic related to the application of AI technologies to business. The topic can be related either to a knowledge gap or challenge identified based on critical engagement with a body of literature in the area of AI for business, or to a specific issue or challenge that a particular industry, organisation or group of individuals may face in relation to the application of AI to their activities. |
| Course description |
The Dissertation requires students to study in depth a particular topic related to the application of AI to business. The Dissertation allows the student to gain experience of planning, designing, executing and reporting a significant piece of individual research. Experience is also gained in the processes involved in research, such as obtaining relevant information from primary and secondary sources, analysing and evaluating data, and considering the ethical implications of their data collection and analysis choices. Students learn how to frame recommendations based on their analysis to target relevant stakeholders of their research, and how to communicate complex ideas and information in a coherent and structured manner.
Outline Content:
The dissertation requires students to identify a relevant research topic, and conduct an in-depth analysis of this topic through critical engagement with a body of literature, followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative or quantitative data, and the production of relevant recommendations for future research and current practice. In their dissertation work, students can choose to emphasise knowledge development through working to address knowledge gaps or challenges in existing literature in order to improve existing understanding of a particular subject related to AI for business. Alternatively, they can choose to solve a real word problem or challenge through the application of existing knowledge to examine how industries, organisations or groups of individuals engage with AI to conduct their activities.
Student Learning Experience:
The Dissertation provides students the opportunity to engage in a research project and, in particular, the ability to identify and study a specific topic, identify and critically engage with relevant bodies of literature, design an appropriate research methodology to collect and analyse data, consider the ethical implications of their methodological choices, organise and discuss the findings, including their reliability and validity, present results and their implications in a logical and clear manner, and develop recommendations appropriate for the target users of this research.
Dissertation work is conducted within a predetermined timeframe, which from start to finish lasts approximately 3 months (May through August for 12-month students). During this time, the students will be supported by an Advisor whose role is to provide advice and feedback on the research. This role includes, for instance, helping students to define the scope of their project, providing guidance on the research development and process, and delivering targeted feedback on specific deliverables during the research process.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 5 (Sem 2) and beyond |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
582 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
12000 word Dissertation.
The grading of the Dissertation follows the University's Postgraduate Common Marking Scheme. The Dissertation should be able to demonstrate technical understanding and be able to integrate knowledge in order to apply it to a research question. |
| Feedback |
Once students have been allocated to an Advisor, they are under that staff member's guidance throughout the entire process. Guidance is provided as formative feedback but the responsibility for the academic quality of a Dissertation is the student's alone.
Students are required to keep in regular contact with their Advisor.
Advisors will provide approximately 6hrs contact time with students via face to face, online meetings, and/or email communications.
The final mark for the Dissertation will be available after the final Board of Examiners in October. Individual summative feedback on the Dissertation will be available usually by the end of October. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Study in depth a topic within the field of business studies.
- Plan, design, execute and report a significant piece of individual research.
- Apply the processes involved in research, such as obtaining information from people, securing their co-operation, analysing and evaluating data, framing recommendations, and other methods of field study and data collection.
- Communicate complex ideas and information in a coherent and structured manner.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Work with a variety of organisations, their stakeholders, and the communities they serve - learning from them, and aiding them to achieve responsible, sustainable and enterprising solutions to complex problems.
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. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Raluca Bunduchi
Tel: (0131 6)51 5544
Email: Raluca.Bunduchi@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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