Target
The master’s thesis demonstrates the student’s ability:
• to comprehend a complex problem related to their professional environment, using scientific methods, and
• to construct a practice-oriented work using scientific criteria, and by doing this to show the ability to define targets, to solve problems, to choose methods and to find a systematic approach by which to present scientific results.
The master’s thesis should demonstrate that the student is capable of grasping a complicated problem in connection with their organization or professional background, using scientific methods. The student should be capable of making thorough problem solving suggestions and to explain them both in theory and in practice. Students should be able to critically assess and compare alternative points of view, and the realization of each personal conclusion should be presented, explaining how individual decisions were made. For this reason, a master’s thesis should be seen as a practice-oriented project, demonstrating how the students has been able to grasp specific information from the course and to highlight interdisciplinary connections.
Purpose and Meaning
The master’s thesis is a practice-oriented composition that should be presented using scientific criteria in order to improve the student’s subject knowledge. Students learn:
• to ask relevant questions
• to define problems
• to offer various solutions to a specific problem
• to manage a project
• to look for and find relevant literature concerning a specific question or problem
• to discuss issues confidently and methodically
• to take part in a scientific discourse by written means
• to choose a suitable method for presenting his/her project (e.g. study of literature, interviews, observations, surveys, document analysis, experiment or case study using a combination of methods, with or without development of products, outflows systems), and to formulate further experimental possibilities.
Length
The master’s thesis should have a minimum volume of 110.000 characters (blanks excluded) and a maximum volume of 140.000 characters (blanks excluded) This is the equivalent of approximately 80 – 100 pages (excluding appendix). Under certain circumstances, and in agreement with the head of program, a shorter master’s thesis may sometimes be accepted. This depends on the quality of the work and the scientific orientation.
Supervisors
The supervision and assessment of the master’s thesis must be conducted by two supervisors: The primary supervisor takes responsibility regarding content and the secondary advisor regarding formal compliance. Lecturers from any MBA courses may become supervisors. Any external persons - recognized experts - can take on the role of a supervisor. The external advisor must be approved by the program coordinator. The second supervisor is part of the academic staff of Danube Business School. The advisors support the student by helping to plan and carry out his/her work, and by offering qualified feedback. The master’s thesis is assessed by a written expert’s report by the primary advisor.
Topic
The topic of a master’s thesis must be approved by the primary advisor and the program coordinator.
Defense of the Master´s Thesis
Master’s theses must be defended in front of an examination board of 3 persons. The thesis defence has a duration of approximately 45 minutes (20 minutes of presentation by the candidate, 25 minutes of questions by the examination board).
Further Details
Further details regarding content, formal requirements, deadlines, etc. may be found in the "Master's Thesis Manual” provided by the program coordinator within the lecture “Scientific Writing”.