Programme Outlines and Overviews

This course prepares you for writing a master thesis in business administration by introducing key elements of research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as academic writing. In relation to the topical area finance, you will learn how to formulate a feasible research question, review relevant literature and data, choose appropriate methodological approaches, and plan an empirical study. The course guides you through the process of developing a research idea and crafting a thesis proposal, including an accompanying research plan. The main focus is on developing your quantitative method skills. This will strengthen your ability to structure and justify an empirical design, with emphasis on identifying causal effects using methods commonly applied in contemporary finance research, such as event-study designs, panel regressions, instrumental variables, and matching techniques. The course will also introduce you to the foundational qualitative approaches relevant to finance, such as case studies, document analysis, and interview techniques.