Module 4: Investigating and Reporting 19.5 credits

This course represents the **fourth module** of the Engineering Management Master programme. It is designed to provide students with sufficient knowledge, skills, and experience to engage in research and development work. Through an independent project it also affords an opportunity to niche the degree, with an in-depth, empirical exploration of a topic suggested by the student. For this purpose, the course comprises the following two parts: _Research methods for General Management_ – training students in how to design, perform and report on scientific investigations from a management perspective, stressing the importance of ethics in business and research. Insights and training in qualitative and quantitative research methods and analyses, including literature review, choosing research strategy, defining sample/cases, reflecting on research outcomes based on methodological approaches, and elaborating ethical aspects of choices in management research. _Master thesis in General Management_ – providing students experience in conducting independent and in-depth study in line with academic research principles. Requiring the definition of a management topic to be contextualized and researched in an engineering-focused context. In addition to defining a problem and completing a thesis independently, students take part in seminars, defend their work and constructively discuss other students’ work. **Connection to research and practice** The course focuses on the practical, methodological, and theoretical aspects of scientific research, as well as its procedures and concepts. The acquired skills and knowledge aim to provide a deeper understanding of the scientific basis of theories relevant for engineering management and strengthen academic study and writing skills. The thesis itself provides a platform for interaction with practice as students are coached to formulate relevant research questions and gather primary empirical data/material.