Dissertation (Finance)

The Dissertation (Finance) module from The Open University is a 12-month programme which requires you to carry out a research project in Finance and write a dissertation.

At the end of your dissertation you will have to include a reflective account which is a requirement of the MSc in Finance. It fits into the notions of the reflective practitioner, whereby effective finance professionals consciously reflect upon, and learn from, their work-related experiences. To this end, the reflective account supports the development of the professional skills encouraged throughout the previous modules.

As well as the module website there are various other resources available to you. The set book Business Research Methods by Bryman and Bell (2015) provides thorough guidance on how to design and carry out business and management research projects. It is likely to be particularly useful as a resource when you are thinking about the particular methods of data collection and analysis that you want to use. It also provides some guidance on a range of relevant topics such as planning a research project, reviewing the literature, research ethics and writing up research. As you are reading articles for your literature review, you’ll also find it is a useful reference book to look up topics if there are methods and techniques you are not familiar with.

Vocational relevance

The module provides you with an opportunity to carry out a research project which has relevance for finance and business practice. You’ll also have a chance to familiarise yourself with professional databases, like Datastream, and the standard statistical software package Stata.