How to Write an MBA Thesis

How to Write an MBA Thesis

You decided a while ago that you wanted to give your business the best possible advantages. It’s your baby, after all. You need to stay ahead of the competition and really know what’s up, because you’re bound and determined to make your business a success.

So you set your sights on a master’s degree in business administration, an MBA, and you took a few classes in what you laughingly call your spare time. Then you took a few more. And now look at what you’ve done.

You’ve completed your course work and now it’s time to write your MBA thesis. Your thesis is all that’s left standing between you and your shiny new advanced degree.

You’ve met with your adviser, and you’ve studied the guidelines he or she gave you. You’ve talked it over with other students who have been where you are now, so you know a little about what’s up.

But what about the nuts and bolts of writing an MBA thesis? What now?

 

RELATED ARTICLE: STARTUP DURING COLLEGE: WHY SHOULD YOU TRY IT?

 

Not Just Another Essay

You already know that writing an MBA thesis is not like writing any other research paper. And it’s certainly not an essay. No, there is much more to it than that.

So where do you begin?

 

 

Choose a Topic You Really Care About

What an MBA thesis requires is that you take a stand about a particular idea or topic, state your belief about it clearly in the introduction to your thesis, and build your case in the remainder of the paper.

While your MBA thesis doesn’t require you to do original research—although you certainly can, if you decide to—it does require original thinking. And that may be the most difficult thing about it. You’ll need to investigate the topic thoroughly, develop your own opinions about it, and prove the rightness of your opinion with the bulk of your MBA thesis.

In the course of your studies, you have surely come across an idea or topic that sparked an interest in you. Choose a topic that is of great interest to you, because you’re going to be spending quite a bit of time together, this topic and you.

If you feel stuck, do some brainstorming, tossing out ideas and capturing them either on an audio recording or on paper. When you’ve settled on a topic, you’ll be ready to begin your research.

 

Be Creative with Your Research

You will need to compile a great deal of data in order to write a good MBA thesis, so it will help—a lot—if the topic you choose already has a lot of information available about it.

But don’t restrict yourself to the same old journals you used for your essays and other research papers during your advanced studies. Range far and wide to gather materials that will support the position you take for your MBA thesis. The internet can be a big help in finding data. And you can also conduct interviews or even visit businesses that embody something about your topic.

Be creative and have some fun with your research!

 

Build Your Argument

Build your argument point by point throughout your MBA thesis. One subsection should lead the way to the next, making the case for your point of view in an orderly way. In this way, you will steer your reader to draw the same conclusions you have drawn by the time he or she reaches the conclusion of your MBA thesis.

 

Finally, Check All the Details

Proofread your MBA thesis carefully for typos and transpositions. Check and check again every fact, detail, and number. A critical mistake can bring your whole argument to a screeching halt.

Your MBA thesis is one of the most important documents you will ever write. Approach it with enthusiasm and dedication and your MBA thesis is sure to be a success.