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Master of Science by Coursework in Management Research

  • 1. Candidates must follow for three terms a course of instruction in Management Research and will, when entering for the examination be required to produce a certificate from a supervisor for the M.Sc. in Management Research appointed for the purpose to this effect.

  • 2. The course will consist of two parts and candidates must satisfy the examiners in the assessment (assignment/examination/practical work) associated with each component in Part One and Part Two. Modes of assessment and submission dates will be published by the M.Sc. Director and distributed to all candidates in the first week of the term in which the assessment takes place.

    • (a) Part One

      (i) Introduction to Research Methods, as prescribed in the Schedule. This course has two components-Management Research Methods, and Statistical Research Methods (both of which are assessed in Part One).

      (ii) Management and Organisational Theory, (core course in Management Research) as prescribed in the Schedule.

    • (b) Part Two

      (i) Advanced Research Methods. One of two possible Advanced Research Methods courses (Qualitative or Quantitative).

      (ii) Two elective courses. Two required specialist elective courses, one elective to be taken and assessed in Hilary Term, and one elective to be taken and assessed in Trinity term, chosen from the list of subjects and rubrics approved by the M.Sc. Director and published in the Gazette not later than the end of the Trinity term of the academic year preceding the year of the examination.

      (iii) Dissertation. Candidates are required to submit a dissertation in an agreed field of management research. The dissertation should demonstrate an ability to identify, formulate, implement and present a research project. The dissertation, not exceeding 15,000 words in length (including endnotes, appendices, tables, but excluding references), must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by noon on the first Monday of August in the calendar year in which the examination is taken.

  • 3. Candidates who fail to satisfy the Examiners in any one of the Part One Introduction to Research Methods components, or the Management and Organisational Theory core course assessment may retake/resubmit the failed assessment only once, by Week 10 of Trinity Term in the year in which the examination is taken. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in Part Two the Advanced Research Methods course or in either one of the two required electives my resit or resubmit the failed elective only once, by Week 0 of Hilary Term in the following year. Candidates who fail to satisfy the Examiners in Part Two in the dissertation may resubmit it on one, but no more than one, subsequent occasion, which shall be by Week 0 of Hilary term in the following year.

  • 4. The Examiners may choose to examine any candidate or group viva voce.

Schedule

  • (a) Research Methods (Introduction to Research Methods and Advanced Research Methods)

    The two components address and discuss the nature of research in management studies and its relation to other social sciences, epistemology, strategies for literature review, research design, qualitative methods, interviewing, questionnaire design and ethnography, data sources and data collection, statistical methods, statistical and econometric modelling, analysis and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data and the presentation of research results.

  • (b) Management and Organisational Theory

    The course aims to demonstrate and introduce the wide range of social science perspectives which can be brought to bear in the study of management and organisations. It will explore a range of epistemological and ontological interpretations of management in organisations, especially emphasising recent developments in theory. It will do so by treating a series of key substantive issues and topics-for example, trust and accountability; rationality; language and discourse, technology-from each of two broadly contrasting theoretical commitments. The first commitment comprises those perspectives and frameworks that focus on structure and institutionalised arrangements. A second comprises those approaches that emphasise action and process.

    By the end of the course students should be equipped to identify and evaluate the relative merits of a diversity of theoretical perspectives. A second and complementary purpose of the course is to provide sufficient understanding of key concepts within management and organisation theory to enable the student to make informed decisions on optional areas of study offered in subsequent terms.