The aim of the dissertation is to enable students to develop and demonstrate independent research and critical thinking skills, and apply these skills to in addressing an emerging or existing issue within the business domain. The identified issue, and the techniques used to address the issue, will typically be based on the domain knowledge and applied skill-sets acquired during the course of taught coursework taken in both the Autumn and Spring semesters. This module further advances the implementation of agreed methodologies to the identified research issue, and requires learners to analyse and discuss the implications of the research findings in the context of prevailing literature relating to the central research issue. It is expected that students will articulate the results and perspectives presented in the dissertation in a balanced and theoretically sound manner. By the end of the module, students will be expected to have produced a substantial piece of well-communicated research that contributes to, and advances, existing knowledge in at least one of the following areas: contributing new empirical research or data, conducting new analyses of existing data; developing/refining theoretical models; applying research methodologies in a cross-disciplinary context, producing research-led findings that have wider implications in business and/or societal settings.

At the discretion of individual students, in conjunction with advice and guidance from research supervisors on the appropriate use of prior literature, data requirements, methodological issues, and ethical considerations surrounding their research.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: • Demonstrate an understanding of how to formulate research-led questions, hypotheses, and motivations. • Contextualise emerging subfields within risk, insurance, and finance, and the potential impact of emergent technologies and innovations. • Demonstrate evidence-based critical questioning and independence of thought in a research context. • Demonstrate a mastery of sourcing, collecting, cleaning, applying, and analysing data in a business domain. • Identify and apply appropriate research methodologies to address complex questions and hypotheses in a research context. • Generate an original research report that advances existing knowledge sets using appropriate research questions, data, and methodologies.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: • Demonstrate an appreciation of the importance of objectivity and balance in reporting throughout the research and writing process. • Critically reflect on the importance of ethics and sustainability in their own contribution to business and society.

N/A

Student learning in this module will be completed independently. As a capstone module, learners will demonstrate an array of technical, applied, and theoretical insight. By module end, guided by interactions with research supervisors, learners will become agile, curious, and articulate in their thought, and courageous and responsible in their actions.