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2021/2022  BA-BSOCO1005U  Bachelor project

English Title
Bachelor project

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 15 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business Administration and Sociology
Course coordinator
  • Alfred Reckendrees - Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy (MPP)
Main academic disciplines
  • Organisation
  • Sociology
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 01-07-2021

Relevant links
Learning objectives
The student should be able to:
  • conduct inquiries at the intersection of Sociology and Business Administration as represented by the topics and approaches covered in the BSc SOC program
  • independently identify a relevant problem, formulate a relevant research question, provide a comprehensive analysis and an answer to the chosen research question
  • identify, select, and use theories and methods relevant to the project
  • provide comprehensive knowledge and make use of research literature
  • develop a research strategy that allows for an answer to the research question including relevant quantitative and/or qualitative methods
  • identify, collect, and analyze relevant empirical material
  • demonstrate awareness of implications of the chosen theories and methods, assess the quality of data, and critically reflect upon the research strategy used as well as the results produced
  • provide a clearly formulated Bachelor thesis meeting the standards of academic writing accessible in terms of both language and content.
Examination
Bachelor project:
Exam ECTS 15
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group exam Oral group exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 2-3
Size of written product Max. 40 pages
groups of 1 person: max 40 pages
groups of 2 persons: max 60 pages
groups of 3 persons: max 80 pages

For more detailed rules on what is included in these pages and how the pages are counted, see My.CBS.dk
Assignment type Bachelor project
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
30 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale

The student’s spelling and writing skills are taken into consideration in the overall assessment of the examination performance, but the academic content is given the highest weight.
Regulations regarding the summary Each project must contain an abstract written in English. It is included in the overall assessment.
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam period Summer, The group exam takes 60 min. for two students and 90 min. for three students.
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The re-take takes place according to the same rules as the ordinary examination. However, the following supplementary rules apply:

1) For projects where some of the group members have been awarded the grade 00 or below at the oral examination, the failed students receive a request from the internal examiner to which they have to submit individually a response of 2-3 pages before a set deadline.

2) For projects where all members are awarded the grade 00 or below at the oral examination, the overall project is deemed unacceptable. Before the re-take, the project must be revised and improved. For improving the project, the internal examiner will give a brief written critique of the project within eight working days after the ordinary oral examination.

3) If the group has not submitted a thesis, a new thesis must be handed in with a substantially changed problem formulation. The supervisor has to confirm that it is different from the one which has been worked on so far. There are two hours of extra supervision for the discussion of the problem formulation, research question and structuring the thesis. However, in extra-ordinary cases a minor number of extra supervision hours may be granted. Please contact the Bachelor coordinator regarding this.
Description of the exam procedure
  • Although the thesis is the focus point for the examination, the examiners may ask questions relating to other parts of the curriculum, if relevant for the project. 
  • Groups will be allotted additional collective feedback on the written project.
  • Each student will be awarded one grade, reflecting an overall assessment of the project, the oral presentation and the defense. The student’s proficiency in spelling and fluency in writing will also be taken into account in the assessment. However, most emphasis will be put on the academic content.
  • For additional information about the examination procedure, please see the bachelor project manual on CANVAS.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The bachelor project is the final and major independent work in the BSc Soc programme where students are to demonstrate the qualifications obtained during three years of undergraduate studies. Its objectives and requirements follow and expand on the first and second year projects.

 

The requirements are more rigorous than they are for the former projects particularly with regard to definition of the research question, use of academic literature, theory, methods and empirical data.

 

The project work is finished with a thesis showing the student’s ability to formulate a relevant problem, to conduct a systematic and valid analysis supported by a theoretical and methodological framework related to the field of Business Administration and Sociology, and critically reflect upon the empirical data, theories and methods used, and the results of the thesis.

 

The overall theme of the bachelor project is Business Administration and Sociology.

 

The project should be set up as a research project based on empirical data (which might also be literature). The problem formulation and research question should be relevant to central themes of the BSc Soc programme.

 

Students are encouraged to choose a research question concerning issues and challenges of private or public organizations, or they could choose studying phenomena on the socio-economic level relevant also to private and public organizations. (The research question may draw on problems and issues experienced during their internship, if the student has participated in an internship programme.)

 

Guided by the research question, the project can draw on knowledge from all three years of study.
Description of the teaching methods
Online tutorial
Lectures and workshops.
Feedback during the teaching period
Feed-back is given throughout the semester in different ways:

- The ongoing supervision, where the supervisor provides ongoing supervision on the
students written draft and relevant discussion regarding the project.
- The Bachelor project workshops aim at peer-to-peer feedback.
- The Conference seminar (approx. 1 month before hand-in of the thesis) provides
both peer-to-peer feedback and faculty-student feedback.
- After the oral exam, the students are invited for feedback on the written BA project
by their supervisor.
Student workload
Intro lecture and workshops 8 hours
Conference day 6 hours
Preparation of classes and conference day 18 hours
Project work 370 hours
Oral exam 10 hours
Further Information

Although it is possible to write an individual project, it is strongly recommended that students organize in groups of 2-3 students. Each group chooses and formulates a specific problem to investigate using theoretical perspectives and methods obtained during the three years of study.
Expected literature

See the bachelor project manual on CANVAS.
Last updated on 01-07-2021