Final Presentations
Three years of hard work. That’s the Bachelor of International Management. One and a half years of intense studying for the Masters. With both programs, a host of real business challenges along the way, until it culminates in the Thesis Defense.
How can all the learnt knowledge, practical case studies and real-world business possibilities be showcased in one final thesis and presentation?
Papers, Plans & Reports
If students present a Research Paper, that means contributing to a body of existing research within the business world. If they are presenting a Business Plan, that’s about creating a viable plan for a new business idea using existing research. And if the presentation is for a Management Report, it should address a problem faced by an existing company and develop a solution that incorporates corporate culture.
Whether the Thesis is a Research Paper, a Business Plan or a Management Report, it is several months worth of hard work. As original research, the thesis should be a collection of primary data based on a combination of fieldwork, archival investigation, observation, interviews, surveys and data analysis. For a Bachelor thesis, we’re talking 8,000 – 12,000 words. And for Masters, 12,000 – 15.000 words.
Students are matched with a specialized supervisor to provide mentorship as they prepare their thesis, but of course, ultimately, it is down to the work that the students produce themselves. As a student presenting his Master in International Management thesis, Laszlo Pinter had this to say:
It’s been an amazing experience. I was trying to convert my passion into my thesis. I’ve learnt so much and can’t wait to turn it into a real success.
The Defense
Following the submission of the thesis, students need to defend it. This means an intense 5-minute presentation, including an introduction, motivation for the thesis, overview of research, proposed solution, main findings of research and a strong conclusion.
Across our campuses in Geneva, Barcelona and Madrid, students presented their Thesis Defense on a wide range of topics – from AI-powered digital marketing solutions within the food and beverages industry to how the EU can incorporate new FIFA football agent regulations to shaping a solar future.
The presentation is followed by 30 minutes of rigorous questioning from the jury. And it’s here where students really need to be robust in defense of their thesis. It’s no easy feat and hard work prevails. As Academic Coordinator and chair of jury for the thesis panels, Gregory Shields was impressed with the quality on show:
As a school, we demand a high level of work and presentation. What is really pleasing is how the students have responded to this. You need humility and honesty to be a responsible leader, so it was great to see those traits on show.
