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Master of Business Research (MBSR) - MBusRes

CRICOS code (International applicants): 059566G

	On-campus	Distance education
Semester intake:	Semester 1 (March)	Semester 1 (March)
Campus:	Toowoomba	-
Fees:	Tuition fee International fee	Tuition fee International fee
Standard duration:	1.5 years full-time, 3 years part-time

Contact us

Future Australian and New Zealand students	Future International students	Current students
Ask a question Freecall (within Australia): 1800 640 678 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315 Email: studybus@usq.edu.au	Ask a question Phone: +61 7 4631 5543 Email: international@usq.edu.au	Ask a question Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285 Email usqassist@usq.edu.au

Program focus

The Master of Business Research is a research degree that aims to train students in business research either for academic or management purposes. The task of the Master of Business Research student is to undertake a significant piece of research and report it in a scholarly dissertation. The Master of Business Research aims to provide students with opportunities to explore the resolution of particular management problems using specialist knowledge and advanced techniques through conducting research in a specialised area of business, management or information systems.

Program aims

The Master of Business Research aims to produce graduates trained in business research either for academic or management purposes. The task of the Master of Business Research student is to undertake a significant piece of research and report it in a scholarly dissertation. The Master of Business Research aims to provide students with opportunities to explore the resolution of particular management problems using specialist knowledge and advanced techniques through conducting research in a specialised area of business, management or information systems.

Program objectives

On successful completion of this program students will be able to:

comprehend and evaluate developments in a chosen area of business and critically examine the relationship between such changes and contemporary theory
identify, critically assess and apply selected research paradigms in terms of their theoretical status and their applicability for resolving contemporary business problems
undertake, interpret and evaluate management research using acceptable principles and techniques
develop and support a proactive approach to management decision making
create a scholarly document.

Admission requirements

Candidates for the Master of Business Research are required to have an appropriate degree in business, commerce or a related field from a recognised university. They must have obtained a minimum average of credit (GPA=5.0 on a 7.0 point scale) in their undergraduate degree or 5.5 or above for the second and third years of the degree.

In exceptional circumstances a candidate may be admitted to the Master of Business Research from a non-business/commerce background. Applicants who have not completed previous tertiary studies in business, commerce or a related field may be required to complete coursework specified by the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business with advice from the Head of the supervising School. Applicants intending to undertake a dissertation in information systems must have prior studies in information systems or computing.

On application, candidates must be able to provide an outline of the dissertation topic they intend to pursue.

International candidates for admission into this program must meet the University's English language proficiency requirements for postgraduate students. Please refer to Academic Regulation 5.4 of the University Calendar.

Note: Admission to the Master of Business Research is dependent upon the Faculty's capacity to supervise the proposed projects. Prospective candidates should consult with the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business before preparing their project proposals. Research concentrations within the Faculty of Business are updated periodically. The current list is available at the USQ Australian Graduate School of Business.

How to apply

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Domestic students

Application for postgraduate programs may be made directly to USQ. You should ensure you submit your application by the closing dates.

Program fees

Tuition fee

Domestic fee-paying places are funded entirely through the tuition/direct fees paid by the student. Tuition/direct fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. For more information about Tuition Fees, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ Fees.

International fees

International students pay tuition fees. For details about international student fees, refer to the International Fee Schedule provided by USQ International.

Program structure

The Master of Business Research is a 12-unit research program comprising four units of coursework and eight units of dissertation. Students must successfully complete the following courses:

Course	Semester/mode of offer
BUS8401 Research Methodology 1(Formerly MGT8401)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (EXT)
BUS8402 Research Methodology 2(Formerly MGT8402)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (EXT)
BUS8403 Research Methodology 3(Formerly MGT8403)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (EXT)
BUS8404 Research Methodology 4(Formerly MGT8404)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (EXT)
BUS8201 Masters Dissertation A (two units)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (ONC, EXT)
BUS8202 Masters Dissertation B (two units)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (ONC, EXT)
BUS8203 Masters Dissertation C (two units)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (ONC, EXT)
BUS8204 Masters Dissertation D (two units)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (ONC, EXT)
Administrative purposes only:
BUS8001 Masters Dissertation E (Continuing) (Continuing) (zero units)	S1 (ONC, EXT), S2 (ONC, EXT)

The dissertation allows students to undertake in-depth, independent investigation in a chosen area of business. To successfully complete the dissertation, students will be required to select a topic, develop a proposal, carry out supervised research on the topic using an appropriate research method and present the results in a dissertation of no more than 40,000 words.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 3 years to complete this program.

IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the computer requirements section of the Faculty of Business website.

Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to Academic Regulation 5.9 of the University Calendar.

Students must complete successfully all of BUS8401(Formerly MGT8401), BUS8402,(Formerly MGT8402) BUS8403(Formerly MGT8403) and BUS8404 (Formerly MGT8404) before commencing the Masters Dissertation courses.

Exit points

A student who successfully completes all BUS8401(Formerly MGT8401), BUS8402(Formerly MGT8402), BUS8403(Formerly MGT8403) and BUS8404 (Formerly MGT8404), may upon application, exit with the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Research.

A student who successfully completes all BUS8401(Formerly MGT8401), BUS8402(Formerly MGT8402), BUS8403(Formerly MGT8403), BUS8404(Formerly MGT8404), BUS8201 and BUS8202 , may upon application, exit with the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Research.

Exemptions

Exemptions will not normally be granted for the Masters Dissertation courses. Claims for exemptions for previous study should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment in a program. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with the Faculty's exemption policies. Exemptions approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by USQ.

Recommended enrolment pattern

The flexibility of the Master of Business Research program means that there will be a range of enrolment patterns and many students will have a unique enrolment pattern. Students requiring assistance should contact a Program Administrator. An example of a recommended enrolment pattern is set out in the table below:

Note: Students must complete successfully all of BUS8401,(Formerly MGT8401) BUS8402(Formerly MGT8402), BUS8403(Formerly MGT8403) and BUS8404 (Formerly MGT8404) before commencing the Masters Dissertation courses.

Course	Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied						Enrolment requirements	Comments
	On-campus (ONC)		Distance education (EXT)		Online (WEB)
	Year	Sem	Year	Sem	Year	Sem
BUS8401 Research Methodology 1	1	1	1	1			OE	(Formerly MGT8401)
BUS8403 Research Methodology 3	1	1	1	1			OE	(Formerly MGT8403)
BUS8402 Research Methodology 2	1	1	1	2			Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: MGT8401 OE	(Formerly MGT8402)
BUS8404 Research Methodology 4	1	1	1	2			OE	(Formerly MGT8404)
BUS8201 Masters Dissertation A	1	2	2	1			OE	two–unit course
BUS8202 Masters Dissertation B	1	2	2	2			Pre-requisite: BUS8201 OE	two–unit course
BUS8203 Masters Dissertation C	2	1	3	1			Pre-requisite: BUS8202 OE	two–unit course
BUS8204 Masters Dissertation D	2	1	3	2			Pre-requisite: BUS8203 OE	two–unit course

Footnotes
OE	Before enrolling in this course students must check that they have satisfied the 'Recommended prior study' or 'Other enrolment' requirements set out in the Other requisites section of the course specification.