Course description
The Final Bachelor Thesis (FBT) is an independently prepared thesis, which summarizes the knowledge, abilities, and skills acquired in the course of studies and serve as a substantiation of the international business qualification awarded.
1.1. Students have to write the FBT about the same company in which the Internship was taken before. This shall ensure the practical approach of the FBT. Any exception has to be confirmed by the Program Director (PD) and is only granted in the following cases:
- A student does the internship in a consulting company (advertising agency, audit company, market research company, etc.), and analyzes the activity of company’s clients or solves a problem on request of clients. The situation should be clearly described in the FBT, reasons why the internship place and company under analysis do not match have to be explained.
- A student is not able to conduct an empirical research on the company which has been the place of the internship (due to bankruptcy of the company, inability to pursue the relationship with the company or the Academic Thesis Supervisor (ATS) rejects the company as a possible stakeholder for the thesis). In this case an internship which will be done/ was done in another company can act as the case for the FBT. A certificate that the company is aware and agrees that the FBT is written on its data has to be provided.
1.2. Due to the International scope of the study program, an international aspect has to be an essential element of the FBT. Generally speaking – internationalization is defined as “business that covers aspects of more than one (national) market”. The nationality/citizenship of the student, the country of origin of the company or the country where the company is legally registered is hereby irrelevant. The current size of the company, as well as the stage of internationalization (if the company is only in one country or already in several markets) is for that issue irrelevant as well.
In case the topic fails to fulfil any of the requirements – permission from the PD has to be obtained. Examples of “international aspects” are:
Foreign market entrance; Assessments of new geographical market; Introduction of a product in a new market; Internal and external communication aspects, which involve two or more international markets/ business units; Comparative brand attitudes among markets; Global or regional brand portfolio management; Adaptation of global strategy to a specific national market, International human resource management.
1.3. A relevant problem of a company/institution should be analyzed in the FBT. Aim of the work is to provide solutions to this relevant problem. The FBT is prepared during the seventh semester of studies and grants 15 ECTS credits.
Course results
- To be able to define the research problem and the main goals of a Thesis in a concise way Be able to integrate the theoretical knowledge obtained in the bachelor studies.
- Be able to apply the knowledge to identify a business relevant problem. To be able to perform a review of academic literature, relevant to the problem-area and the main goals of a thesis.
- To be able to prepare and conduct (on an individual basis) an empirical research in order to suggest managerial solutions. Be able to present a testable hypothesis, consistent with assumptions derived from literature review.
- Be able to collect quantitative and/ or qualitative data and perform appropriate empirical analysis to solve the research problem.
- Be able to formulate, select, analyze and generalize the information relevant for managerial solutions. Be able to demonstrate proficiency in academic writing, proper literature citation and compilation of a reference list.
- Demonstrate ability to present findings of the thesis to an academic community of peers and defend the thesis in front of a faculty panel.
