SM9749 - Academic and Employability Skills, Research Methods and MBA Dissertation

The module is a 60-credit module with an expected total learning hour of 600 hours, majority of which expects you to carry out independent research and write a major dissertation report in semester 3. Across all semesters, you will attend on-campus or online sessions designed to support your transition from taught study to independent research and to develop academic, graduate and employability skills.

Academic Skills and Employability Support (Semester 1 and 2)
These sessions develop reflective practice, critical writing, presentation skills, teamwork and time management. Semester 2 consolidates core academic skills while placing greater emphasis on collaborative working and team presentations. Learning is supported through guided preparation, follow-up activities and independent study. Materials and additional resources will be available on the blackboard site.
Research Methods Support (Semester 2)
Research methods teaching is delivered through taught sessions, workshops, seminars, guided learning and independent study, supported by the module tutor and subject specialists. You will develop the knowledge and practical skills required for Masters-level research, including research design, methodology selection, ethics, philosophy, proposal development, and qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Topics include sampling, questionnaire design, hypothesis testing, interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis and content analysis. You will also be introduced to analytics software.
Dissertation Support (Semester 3)
In Semester 3, you will complete your dissertation through online workshops, supervisor-led weekly group action learning sets, one-to-one supervision, directed study and independent research. Workshops will address key stages of the project, including refining the research problem, reviewing literature, selecting methodology, analysing data and presenting findings. Supervisors, appointed at the end of Semester 2, will guide progress, maintain a log of activities and feedback, and monitor engagement while supporting your development as an independent researcher.

A range of approaches are adopted to accelerate your learning in this dissertation module.

You will learn through a combination of Seminars, workshops, activities delivered by seminar tutors . For those studying in distance learning mode this will be delivered via asynchronous and synchronous learning sessions and on-line materials.

You will also be allocated an academic supervisor at the end of Semester Two. This supervisor will organise a number of weekly group-based action learning sets, where you are expected to produce research work as per directed research. activities. After these group sessions, you will have the opportunity to book a number of one-to-one supervision meetings (spread over whole term) with your supervisor. Your attendance/engagement will be monitored during the dissertation stage.

During group and individual one-to-one meetings, you shall show your work and gain formative feedback from your supervisor. Please note that your supervisor will provide formative feedback on one full chapter of your dissertation and give feedback on other chapter outlines, but your supervisor will not read full drafts of the dissertation.

Whilst the dissertation aims to encourage your ownership of the dissertation and show independence in learning & research, the supervisor will provide ongoing support by guiding you through the process.

E-Reading Lists
The module will also have an e-reading list which directs learners to specific reading for each session. This includes direct access to repositories, journal articles and other academic sources. You will also be provided with access to a significant set academic research sources via the Northumbria University library portal.

You will also have opportunities to receive formative feedback from your tutor in response to opinions you express and issues you raise during workshop sessions and face-to-face or online tutorials. These formative feedback sessions are formally scheduled at key points throughout the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

MLO 1 Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of choosing, justifying and implementing an appropriate & systematic research methodology and methods for the successful completion of a major research project in a given time and resources.

MLO 2 Knowledge and understanding of a range of hard and soft skills and competencies required for research, employability, and entrepreneurship.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

MLO 3 Systematically identify your pathways-specific complex business problem, plan and execute a major research project on a contemporary business and then present your report to the relevant stakeholders thus demonstrating skills to solve complex business problems.

MLO 4 Be able to critically apply, analyse, synthesise and evaluate a range of discipline-specific concepts, theories and models, as well as demonstrate competency in choosing & implementing an appropriate research methodology, and collecting and analysing data for your chosen research topic.


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

MLO 5 Demonstrate curiosity and critical awareness of professional, ethical, social, legal and sustainability issues in research and also about the processes involved in the research, including reflection upon your own ethical values, job relevant skills, meeting targets, self-direction, originality, independence and the contribution of the research to the topic area.

Formative Assessment
Formative assessment of your academic , employability and research knowledge & understanding and skills as demonstrated in your submitted assignments, is a key component of the assessment strategy

You shall bring your work during seminar activities to your tutors during first two semesters and then to your dissertation supervisor during supervision meetings and receive formative assessment feedback. You should take this feedback on board, self-reflect and read further and refine your work to demonstrate independent learning.

You will also receive verbal or written feedback on your draft dissertation from your supervisor.


Summative Assessment

There are three assessments in this module.

Sem1: (MLO2)
An academic report on employment, career and entrepreneurial opportunities for MBAs including a personal development plan (PDP). Submitted at the end of semester 1. (1500 words). 10% weighting of total marks.

Sem 2: (MLO1,2,3)
A Research proposal (1500 words) on a topic and as approved by your tutor. This is weighted 10% of total marks in this module.

Sem 3: (MLO1-5)

A 12000 word Dissertation (80% of the total marks). which includes 1000 words of reflection on your personal and professional development

You will receive summative feedback followed by written comments on the submitted proposal which will indicate areas for improvement. Formative feedback will continue via supervision meetings and summative feedback will be provided following the marking of the dissertation.

Progression to dissertation is dependent on passing 120 taught credits.

None

This 60-credit module runs across all three semesters of your programme and is designed to build your confidence and capability as a postgraduate student and researcher, while developing the graduate skills needed for high-skilled employment or doctoral study

In Semester 1, you will begin developing core academic and employability skills. In Semester 2, the focus will extend to presentation skills, effective teamworking, advanced search skills, and the ability to synthesise information from multiple sources. You will also learn how to develop a dissertation proposal, including defining the topic and scope and structuring the literature review and methodology sections. Employability development continues throughout, supported by additional careers and employability workshops delivered by the Graduate Futures Team. Alongside this, you will study research methods to prepare for your final major project or dissertation. This will lead to the allocation of a research supervisor, who will support you in completing your final research project or dissertation.