This module is the culmination of the MSc in Finance, where you’ll design and conduct your own research project and write this up as a dissertation. Your project can relate to existing academic literature in finance, a topic you've covered in a previous module on the MSc in Finance, or another financial topic you're interested in. This will enable you to demonstrate the research skills expected at masters level including formulating research questions; reviewing relevant literature and developing hypotheses; designing research to test your hypotheses and answer your questions; collecting and analysing data; and communicating findings and conclusions effectively and rigorously. Tuition in these research skills is provided in small groups, with online materials to help you develop your project. One-to-one support and feedback from your supervisor will guide you through the whole process.
What you will study
The module is organised into one introductory week and the following five stages and each supports the drafting of different parts or chapters of the dissertation.
- Preparing a research proposal for a quantitative empirical study
- Reviewing the literature and refining your research ideas and question(s)
- Research design methods: research approach, design and methods
- Carrying out your research and analysing your data
- Completing, writing up and concluding.
Each stage includes learning material that will support the carrying out of the research and the writing of the dissertation. Some stages provide detailed material, while others require greater independent work and are shorter in learning content.
At the end of your dissertation, you are required to include a reflective account. This fits into the notions of the reflective practitioner, whereby effective finance professionals consciously reflect upon and learn from their work-related experiences. To this end, the reflective account supports the development of the professional skills encouraged throughout the previous modules.
As well as the module website, there are various other resources available to you. For example, you'll be provided with guidance on writing your research proposal and literature review, and choosing and implementing your chosen research methods. You'll also be guided on the availability of various data sources used in empirical finance literature. For your empirical analysis, you'll be expected to build upon the knowledge that you acquired in your research methods module. You will also be guided to The Open University’s policy on the use of Generative AI for research.
Vocational relevance
The module provides you with an opportunity to carry out a quantitative empirical research project which has relevance for finance and business practice. You'll also have a chance to familiarise yourself with professional databases, like Eikon, and statistical software packages such as R.
Entry
As this is the final module that you will study in the MSc in Finance, you must have successfully completed the required compulsory modules and optional module.
This module requires approximately 600 hours of study over 47 weeks.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of this module and best time to start, please speak to an adviser.
If you have a disability
Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader.
If you’re using printed materials as part of reasonable adjustments to support your studies, note that printed versions of online materials are unavailable for this module.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor, who'll also be your research supervisor, to help you work through the study programme and mark and comment on your written work, and your contact for advice and guidance. You can contact your tutor by phone, email or via the tutor group forum on the module website.
The module website enables you to interact online with your tutor and other students studying the same module. Your tutor group will be smaller than with the other modules, as each tutor only supervises four students to provide thorough guidance during the research study.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box.