ØABAC3900 Bachelor Dissertation Course description

I 3. studieår skriver studentene bacheloroppgave om et oppgitt tema innenfor valgt profil. Gjennom arbeidet med bacheloroppgaven får studentene trening i å gjennomføre et selvstendig arbeid der datainnsamling, analyse, tolkning og rapportering inngår. Studentene får erfaring med å gjennomføre et større prosjekt i gruppe, og de oppøver evnen til å bruke teori og metode i forhold til utdanningens fagområde. Studentene skal tilegne seg grunnleggende forståelse for forskningsmetode knyttet til økonomisk-administrative problemer.

Undervisningsspråk kan være på norsk eller engelsk.

Studentene må ha bestått/fått innpasset/fritak for minimum 100 studiepoeng for å få starte på bacheloroppgaven. 15 av disse studiepoengene må være:

1) Statistikk (ØAMET1100) og

2) Samfunnsvitenskapelig metode (ØAMET2100) eller Business Decision-Making Using Data (ØAMET2200)

We start the course with an introduction to basic theoretical elements needed to understand investment decision rules, corporate policy decisions, and capital budgeting/valuation. Then, we move forward to the topic of investment under uncertainty, which provides the main theoretical and methodological insights on portfolio selection, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM model), and the cost of capital. The topic of capital structure builds on the cost of capital to provide the understanding of optimal corporate policy decisions, in regards to capital structure, investment, and payout policy under the perfect capital markets assumption and in the presence of market imperfections (e.g., corporate tax rate, distress or bankruptcy costs). We also cover the interlinkages with operating decisions and other investment decisions of the firm by developing the intuition on working capital management and risk management. The last topic draws on all of the above to cover valuation with leverage and capital budgeting. This last topic provides the grounds for the ØABED3700 "Valuation" course.

Language of instruction is English.

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For å kunne fremstille seg til eksamen må studenten ha følgende godkjente arbeidskrav:

• Arbeidskrav 1: Gruppene må registrere seg innen 1. november

Arbeidskravet må være gjennomført og godkjent innen fastlagt frist for at studenten skal kunne framstille seg til eksamen. Dersom arbeidskravet ikke blir godkjent, gis det anledning til å registrere seg på nytt innen angitt frist.

The course is taught in-class/zoom/recorded lectures and students work on and discuss different assignments in groups and plenary sessions. Students are expected to play an active role in lectures and seminars. Students will also be required to discuss papers and course themes during lectures and seminars.

As a general idea, students will be asked to prepare some theoretical and/or practical material every meeting. Then, during the lectures, students are expected to actively participate and to generate discussion in the different learning activities (e.g., practical exercises, case/paper discussion, presentations) and should be prepared to work in teams as part of the learning process.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved for the student to take the exam:

• Coursework 1: Tools, excel templates. Students will take the tools proposed in the classroom and will adapt those tools to different setups in a practical excel exercise.

• Coursework 2: Assignments that comprise exercises and short case studies, small empirical analyses to deepen the understanding of the theories and apply them to real-world problems.

Both coursework requirements will be done in groups of 4-5 students (depending on class size).

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline for the student to take the exam. If one or more coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version by the given deadline.

The exam in the course is a supervised exam of 2 hours.

he following aids are permitted:

• Excel
• All handwritten and printed support material
• Calculator (see regulations for the use of calculators in the programme description)

Grade scale A - F