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Dissertation

Embark on a meaningful research journey with the NUS Business School Honours Dissertation, designed for BBA students eager to explore business questions in depth. The BBA Dissertation (BHD4002) is optional for students under the new BBA curriculum and is aimed at those who wish to build rigorous research skills within a specialised area.

Honours Dissertation (BHD4001)

The Honours Dissertation (HD) requirement will be offered in two tracks: a more research-oriented track that will focus on theoretical and empirical research at an appropriate level, and a more applied version that focuses on the application of theory to managerial and business issues. Students from the 2010 cohort onwards must work on a dissertation topic in their area of specialisation.

HD is not compulsory for Honours students. Only Honours students with a GPA score of at least 4.0 in every semester or fluctuating around 4.0 since joining the Honours program are allowed to do the Honours Dissertation.

Honours Degree Classification

Degree ClassificationGrade Point Average
Honours (Highest Distinction)4.50 & above*
Honours (Distinction)4.00 to 4.49
Honours (Merit)3.50 to 3.99
Honours3.00 to 3.49
Pass2.00 to 2.99
Table 1: For Students from Cohorts 2017/2018 onwards

Benefits

The benefits of doing a HD are as follows:

  1. To conduct research in the area of your interests
  2. To contribute to the topic in the area of your interests.
  3. You learn to frame your own research with the guidance of a professor.
  4. To evaluate if you wish to pursue a career as a researcher.
  5. Work with an established professor to produce good research, which may be published.

Level-4000 Business Courses to Replace Honours Dissertation

The dissertation requirement may be met by 12 Units of level-4000 business courses, with at least 8 Units from the student’s area of specialisation. For BBA Honours students who are completing two specialisations, 2 of the 3 level-4000 courses have to be in one of the two specialisations and the 3rd level-4000 course has to be in the other specialisation. For example, if you are reading two specialisations – Marketing and Management, you are required to read the following courses as HD replacement courses:

  1. 2 Level-4000 MNO courses + 1 Level-4000 MKT courses OR
  2. 2 Level-4000 MKT courses + 1 Level-4000 MNO courses.

For BBA Honours students who are completing three specialisations, you will need to read one level-4000 business course from each specialisation. For example, if you are reading Marketing, Management and Finance specialisations, you are required to read the following courses as HD replacement courses:

  1. 1 Level-4000 MKT course + 1 Level-4000 MNO course + 1 Level-4000 FIN course

If you do not have a specialisation, you can read any three level-4000 business course as HD replacement courses.

For BBA (ACC) Honours students, you are able to read FIN and/or ACC courses as HD replacement courses. For example, if you do not have a specialisation, you are required to read the following courses as HD replacement courses:

  1. 2 Level-4000 ACC/FIN^ courses + 1 Level-4000 business courses OR
  2. 1 Level-4000 ACC course + 1 Level-4000 FIN course + 1 Level-4000 business course.

If you have a Finance specialisation, you are required to read the following courses as HD replacement course:

  1. 2 Level-4000 ACC/FIN^ courses + 1 Level-4000 FIN course OR
  2. 2 Level-4000 FIN courses + 1 Level-4000 ACC/FIN course

If you have a specialisation that is not Finance e.g. Marketing, Management or Operations & Supply Chain Management, you are required to read the following courses as HD replacement courses:

  1. 2 Level-4000 ACC/FIN^ Courses + 1 Level-4000 course in the specialisation OR
  2. 2 Level-4000 course in the specialisation + 1 Level-4000 ACC/FIN course OR
  3. 1 Level-4000 ACC course + 1 Level-4000 FIN course+ 1 Level-4000 in the specialisation.

If you have two specialisations e.g. Marketing and Management, you are required to read the following courses as HD replacement courses:

  1. 1 Level-4000 ACC/FIN Course + 1 Level-4000 MKT course + 1 Level-4000 MNO course

^Students are allowed to read a combination of ACC and FIN courses (i.e. 1 ACC + 1 FIN courses, 2 ACC courses, or 2 FIN courses).

Note:

  1. Students who submit an HD that is not approved by the Head of the Department of his/her area of specialisation(s) will have to do another HD (that is in his/her area of specialisation) and delay graduation. (However, BBA Honours students have the option to graduate without a specialisation. This option is not applicable to BAC Honours students.)
  2. Honours Dissertation replacement courses cannot be used towards the fulfilment of a specialisation’s requirements.

Students may choose from 1 of the 2 Honours tracks offered based on their academic inclinations and aspirations.

  1. Research Option:
    1. Dissertation in the area of specialisation (12 Units) AND
    2. 2 advanced Independent Study Courses not related to dissertation research area (8 Units) OR a Field Service Project (8 Units)

    Students who submit an honours dissertation that is not approved by the Head of the Department of his/her area of specialisation(s) will have to do another honours dissertation (that is in his/her area of specialisation) and delay graduation.

  2. Coursework Option*:
    1. 3 Level-4000 business courses in their area of specialisation (12 Units) AND
    2. Field Service Project (8 Units)

    The 3 Level-4000 courses that replace honours dissertation cannot be double-counted towards the fulfilment of the 24-Units specialisation’s requirements.

*Students who choose the coursework option are to note the following on the 3 level-4000 business courses required.

BBA Honours

For BBA Honours students who are completing one specialisation, all 3 level-4000 courses must be from the specialisation.

  1. Here is an example. BBA Honours students who are reading Marketing specialisation are required to read:
    • 3 Level-4000 marketing elective courses

For BBA Honours students who are completing two specialisations, 2 of the 3 level-4000 courses must be from one of the two specialisations and the 3rd level-4000 course from the next specialisation.

  1. Here is an example. BBA Honours students reading two specialisations – Marketing and Business Economics are required to read the following courses in one of the respective specialisations.
    • 2 Level-4000 marketing elective courses + 1 Level-4000 business economics elective course OR
    • 2 Level-4000 business economics elective courses + 1 Level-4000 marketing specialisation elective course

BBA Honours students who are completing three specialisations will read one level-4000 business course from each specialisation.

  1. Here is an example. BBA Honours students reading Marketing, Business Economics and Finance are required to read the following courses in the respective specialisation:
    • 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course + 1 Level-4000 business economics elective course + 1 Level-4000 finance elective course

BBA(ACC) Honours

For BBA(ACC) Honours students accountancy is considered as a specialisation in this context and the honours requirements can be fulfilled using Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses.

BBA(ACC) Honours students who do not read an additional specialisation must read all 3 level-4000 courses in finance and/or accounting to fulfil the accountancy specialisation as follows:

  1. 3 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses.  These are the possible combination of the number of Level-4000 finance or accounting courses: 3 ACC, 2 ACC+1 FIN, 3 FIN, 2 FIN+1 ACC.

BBA(ACC) Honours students who read an additional specialisation are required to read one of the following combinations:

  1. 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 Elective Courses from the additional specialisation; OR
  2. 2 Level-4000 elective courses from the additional specialisation + 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course
  • Here are some examples:
    • BBA(ACC) Honours students with Finance specialisation can read:
      • 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 finance elective course; OR
      • 2 Level-4000 finance elective courses + 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course
    • BBA(ACC) Honours students with Marketing specialisation can read:
      • 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course; OR
      • 2 Level-4000 marketing elective courses + 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course

BBA(ACC) Honours students who read two additional specialisations are required to read the following courses in the respective specialisations:

  1. 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course + 1 Level-4000 elective course from the first additional specialisation + 1 Level-4000 elective course from the second additional specialisation
  • Here is an example. BBA(ACC) Honours students with Finance and Marketing specialisation are required to read:
    • 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course + 1 Level-4000 finance elective course + 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course

Students may choose from 1 of the 2 Honours tracks offered based on their academic inclinations and aspirations.

    1. Research Option:
      1. Dissertation in the area of specialisation (12 Units) AND
      2. 2 advanced Independent Study Courses not related to dissertation research area (8 Units) OR a Field Service Project (8 Units)

      Students who submit an honours dissertation that is not approved by the Head of the Department of his/her area of specialisation(s) will have to do another honours dissertation (that is in his/her area of specialisation) and delay graduation.

    2. Coursework Option*
      1. 3 Level-4000 business courses (12 Units) with at least 8 Units from their area of specialization AND
      2. Field Service Project (8 Units)

The 3 Level-4000 courses that replace honours dissertation cannot be double-counted towards the fulfilment of the 20-Unit specialisation’s requirements.

*Students who choose the coursework option are to note the following on the 3 level-4000 business courses required.

BBA Honours

For BBA Honours students who are completing one specialisation, 2 of the 3 level-4000 courses must be from the specialisation and the 3rd level-4000 course can either be from their specialisation or another business specialisation.

  • Here is an example. BBA Honours students who are reading Marketing specialisation may read:
    • 2 Level-4000 marketing elective courses + 1 Level-4000 elective course from any business specialization; OR
    • 3 Level-4000 marketing elective courses

For BBA Honours students who are completing two specialisations, 2 of the 3 level-4000 courses must be from one of the two specialisations and the 3rd level-4000 course from the next specialisation.

  • Here is an example. BBA Honours students reading two specialisations – Marketing and Business Economics are required to read the following courses in the respective specialisations.
    • 2 Level-4000 marketing elective courses + 1 Level-4000 business economics elective course OR
    • 2 Level-4000 business economics elective courses + 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course

BBA Honours students who are completing three specialisations must read one level-4000 business course from each specialisation.

  • Here is an example. BBA Honours students reading Marketing, Business Economics and Finance are required to read the following courses in the respective specialisation:
    • 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course + 1 Level-4000 business economics elective course + 1 Level-4000 finance elective course

BBA(ACC) Honours

For BBA (ACC) Honours students, accountancy is considered as a specialisation in this context and the honours requirements can be fulfilled using Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses.

BBA(ACC) Honours students who do not read an additional specialisation will read at least 2 of the 3 level-4000 courses in finance and/or accounting to fulfil the accountancy specialisation and the 3rd level-4000 course can be from the accountancy or other business specialisation

  • Here are some examples of what the students may read:
    1. 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course; OR
    2. 3 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses
  • Do note that 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting can be in one of these combinations: 2 ACC, 1 ACC+1 FIN, or 2 FIN courses.  The 3 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting can be in one of these combinations: 3 ACC, 2 ACC+1 FIN, 3 FIN, or 2 FIN+1 ACC courses.

BBA(ACC) Honours students who read a one additional specialisation are required to read one of the following combinations:

  1. 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 elective course from the additional specialisation; OR
  2. 2 Level-4000 elective courses from the additional specialisation + 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course
  • Here are some examples:
    • BBA(ACC) Honours students with Finance specialisation can read:
      • 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 finance elective course; OR
      • 2 Level-4000 finance specialisation elective courses + 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course
    • BBA(ACC) Honours students with Marketing specialisation can read:
      • 2 Level-4000 finance and/or accounting elective courses + 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course; OR
      • 2 Level-4000 marketing elective courses + 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course

BBA(ACC) Honours students who read two additional specialisations are required to read the following courses in the respective specialisations:

  1. 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course + 1 Level-4000 elective course from the first additional specialisation + 1 Level-4000 elective course from the second additional specialisation
  • Here is an example. BBA(ACC) Honours students with Finance and Marketing specialisation are required to read:
    • 1 Level-4000 finance or accounting elective course+ 1 Level-4000 finance elective course + 1 Level-4000 marketing elective course

Note:

  1. Students who submit an HD that is not approved by the Head of the Department of his/her area of specialisation(s) will have to do another HD (that is in his/her area of specialisation) and delay graduation.
  2. Honours Dissertation replacement courses cannot be double-counted towards the fulfilment of a specialisation’s requirements.

HD Forms

  • HD forms for students intending to complete the Honours Dissertation over one semester.
  • HD forms for students intending to complete the Honours Dissertation over two semesters.
  • IHD/IHT forms for DDP students intending to complete the Integrated Honours Dissertation/Thesis.

HD Grading Schemes

Honours Dissertation Grading Scheme

Advice and Support

If you require advice about Honours Dissertation, you may consult Dr Cai Daolu (bizad1@nus.edu.sg).

For administrative matters, please email Mr Low Joon Kiat (bizljk@nus.edu.sg).

BBA Dissertation (BHD4002)

BHD4002 is an optional 8-unit dissertation course under the new BBA curriculum. This course provides an opportunity for BBA students interested in research to undertake a dissertation project, guided and supervised by BIZ faculty members.

Final-year students may take BHD4002 as a level-4000 elective to fulfil either BIZ major/second major requirements or as part of their Unrestricted Electives (UE).

To count BHD4002 towards your BIZ major or second major, the dissertation topic must be within the area of your declared BIZ major or second major.

Please note that BHD4002 cannot be used to fulfil requirements for the BIZ minor.
Apply Here
Download instructions and the application form for BHD4002
BBA Dissertation
Questions about the BBA Dissertation? Reach out to Dr Cai Daolu
Administrative
For administrative matters, email Mr Low Joon Kiat