MABU4070 Research Design and Project Description Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian and English

This course covers the research process from the planning phase until completion of the master’s thesis, including literary searches and referencing, formulation of research questions/hypotheses/issues, choice of research method and development of a project description, as well as ethical assessments relating to the student’s own work. Formal requirements for the project description are also covered to enable the student to complete the project description for their master’s thesis by the end of the course.

Malte Runge

The students will practice approaches and skills that make them better equipped to fulfill the leadership role. Leadership in practice includes the role as a leader, power and influence strategies, moral leadership, conflict leadership, leadership in crisis, leadership theories and important topics like mindset, team climate, and motivation. Students will gain insight into central, international leadership literature.

The course consists of two main components: developing knowledge of leadership and awareness of the student's own conduct as a leader.

The knowledge part comprises a critical review and discussion of key topics from the syllabus applied in relation to the students' own work experiences.

Language of instruction is English. Small group discussions and written course work (including the exam) can be done in Norwegian or English.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can develop a research question for their master’s thesis
• can independently describe relevant academic frame of reference and/or context as a foundation for a project plan for the master’s thesis

Skills

The student

• can plan a research project and write a project description in a precise scientific format and language
• can carry out extensive and systematic literature searches relating to their own project description, summarise and discuss the findings of others, and cite sources correctly
• can reflect upon ethical issues related to the project

General competence

The student

• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of data and use them in scholarly arguments
• can critically assess relevant ethical norms and values related to the chosen method in the project plan
• can assess whether a research project requires various forms of registration or approval in accordance with the applicable legislation

A significant part of the learning will take place through the students' own experiences and work experience. This will be facilitated through group work, exercises and work-related assignments. Between teaching sessions, the students will receive assignments related to the course activities.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the examination:

• compulsory attendance and participation at seminar days for your own specialisation
• presentation of own student’s project description for the master’s thesis with subsequent discussion in a plenary session
• held the role of opponent, providing feedback on one or more fellow students' project plan (peer assessment/opponent)

A project examination in the form of a project description for the student's master’s thesis, individual or in groups, depending on whether the thesis will be written individually or in a group. Scope: 3,000 words (+/- 20%). For group assignments, one overall grade is awarded for the whole group.

Resit examination: If the student fails the assignment, he/she will be given opportunity to submit a reworked version.

If the course is taught in English, students can also choose to write/conduct the examination in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish).

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Pass/fail

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.

At least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded for the papers assessed by two examiners form the basis for determining the level for all the exam papers.

The students should have leadership experience.