BTH 9503 Bachelor Thesis - Advanced Managerial Accounting and Real Investment Theory
BTH 9503 Bachelor Thesis - Advanced Managerial Accounting and Real Investment Theory
The participants shall analyse a real problem from a real firm, and give their advice as to the decision to be taken. The Bachelors Thesis in Business Economics can be considered as a report, produced by the use of well-known economic models. The challenge will, in all essentials, consist of how to:
- Use the economic models correctly
- Collect information and to analyse, to be able to use as correct data as possible
- Discuss the models answers, and how to take in consideration the models weaknesses and other decision -relevant factors, typically qualitative factors, not taken account of in the models
- Present a proposal for decision, discussion of the proposal and, what next?
Examples of relevant approaches to problems are:
Accomplish a cost analysis regarding an activity, a series of activities, a department, a customer, a product or another relevant cost object, as a foundation for a proposal related to:
- Cost efficiency
- Profit considerations
- Outsourcing
Accomplish a real investment analysis, using a multi-period model. Examples of relevant problems are:
- Expansion or reduction decisions
- Outsourcing decisions
- Efficiency decisions
Accomplish a valuation of a firm, or parts of a firm, related to:
- Sale
- Quotation
- Generation change
After completing the course program, students will have:
- gained knowledge of the assignment problem area, supported by relevant textbooks and scientific articles,
- acquired basic knowledge of science,
- accumulated knowledge about how to define a research problem, conducting literature studies, developing research questions / hypotheses, weighing research design, qualitative and quantitative methods,
- gained in-depth knowledge of selected methods and techniques for collecting qualitative and / or quantitative data,
- accumulated knowledge about the relationships between purpose, approach, data quality, methodology, analysis and recommendation for resolution.
- Students should realize that the end-all recommendation is a consequence of a number of assumptions and choices made during the assessment work, and that "everything depends".
After completing the course program, students will have acquired:
- skills to implement all elements of a research process, including defining the research problem, selecting research designs, balancing method options and implementing the selected options
- skills in searching, collecting, evaluating and critically interpreting the relevant information about a problem (presenting and discussing results)
- skills in writing to explain and discuss information, problems and solutions in dialogue with different groups (writing a report that is aimed at both specialists and non-specialists)
- skills in working with a project, both individually and as a member of a group, as well as demonstrating proficiency in project management
- skills in applying techniques of data analysis that are relevant to the task
After completing the course program, students will have:
- gained the ability to make judgments with respect to relevant social, scientific and ethical aspects of the work
- developed ability to learn by identifying a need for further knowledge and to develop their expertise in an area of specialization
- gained an understanding that doing the best in the interest of one party will often mean a poorer solution for another party. Using business management models will neither ensure either justice or maximize of the involved persons as a group. The students shall understand the importance of being able to compare the advantages and disadvantages of different alternatives, analyse them and make conclusions. In additional the students shall realise that despite the problem regarding measurement of the firms output (quality and productivity) in one sense, it is important to try to figure out some objective goals.
The participants shall analyse a real problem from a real firm, and give their advice as to the decision to be taken. The Bachelors Thesis in Business Economics can be considered as a report, by the use of well-known economic models. The students must by themselves find a relevant sponsor and a relevant topic, contact a relevant firm and decide the nature of the problem. The topic must be relevant in the sense that it is natural to use theory and methods lectured on in BST 9502, Business Economics.
The Bachelors Thesis shall end with a proposal for a decision related to a real problem.
Students are expected to take personal responsibility for working with the bachelor’s thesis. For a successful outcome students are required to participate in counselling and workshops and to do work in advance as the basis for discussions and supervision.
Requirements related to the work process
- The requirements should be construed as mandatory.
- Submission of the problem definition by 1 February
- Attendance at thematic sessions
- Participation in the group of sessions, at least two individual guidance and group sessions
- Logging of input in connection with the thesis throughout the process until submission. Documentation of the progress of the work submitted to the supervisor (itslearning.bi.no) twice during the spring semester, in week 11 and week 18
Guidelines for writing Bachelor thesis are to be found on the student portal @BI.
Two years of college education in business administration or equivalent.
Covid-19
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.
The students are supposed to have previous knowledge in mathematics, investment and finance theory, statistics and accounting corresponding to two years of study in business and administration at university level.
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 100 Grouping: Group/Individual (1 - 3) Duration: 1 Semester(s) Exam code: BTH95031 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Seminar groups | 28 Hour(s) | |
Teaching | 2 Hour(s) | Participation in the library's information |
Prepare for teaching | 40 Hour(s) | |
Submission(s) | 80 Hour(s) | Prepare hand-ins |
Group work / Assignments | 247 Hour(s) | Working on the Bachelor Thesis |
Feedback activities and counselling | 3 Hour(s) | Guidance for the Bachelor thesis |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 15 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 400 hours.