Study Project (BA) and Research Project (MA)

csm Partner

In the Study Project (BA) and the Research Project (MA), students work in small groups of four to five persons for one semester (BA) or two semesters (MA) on a practically relevant and at the same time scientifically profound study. For bachelor students, the Chair for Marketing and Retailing possibly involves corporations, so that the results are treated identically like a consulting project, including a high benefit for the business partners and a high learning effect for you. For master students, usually scientifically relevant research projects are conducted.

The Subjects of Study/Research Projects are current practical and/or scientific topics, which are superior to the respective lectures within each semester and thus execute a cling function regarding individual issues.

The goal of these projects is the intensive analysis and discussion of one specific subject area, whereby you mainly learn five aspects: project management, scientific topic-/hypotheses-foundation, application of market research methods, short-term preparation/modification of presentations/elaborations and group-dynamics and -leadership. Examples of past topics in one- and two-semester study and research projects are:

  • Internationalisierung im E-Commerce (2022/23)
  • Innovation and Branding of MNCs: Effects and Contexts across Nations (2022)
  • Customer Experience entlang der Customer Journey mit Online- und Omnichannel-Firms (2021/22)
  • Corporate Social Responsibility across Nations: Effects and Contexts (2021/22)
  • Globales Markenmanagement multinationaler Unternehmen (2020)
  • Omnichannel Retailing and Tourism: Touchpoints in der Customer Journey (2019/20)
  • Reputation of Multinational Corporations in Global Markets (2018/19)
  • Internationalization of Online Retailers (2018/19)
  • Interdependencies in Multichannel Retailing  – Analysis of Stationary and Electronic Retail Brands (2017/18)
  • A Country Comparison of the Perception of International Retail Brands (2016/17)
  • International Management – Dynamic Operations in International Markets (2014/15)
  • International Brand Management – in Germany and France (2013/14)
  • Success determinants of companies in international sales markets – Evaluation of various Fit-approaches (2011/12)

For business partners, Study/Research Projects allow to continue studies that were previously available in-house and/or to draw up new ones. This also has acquisition effects of potential trainees and employees, supports students and PhD students of the Chair.

Application: Each semester, the places for Study/Research Projects are centrally distributed to the Chairs of Business Administration. Applications should usually be sent to the spokesperson for the Business Administration Department before the beginning of an semester including your preferences (i.e., January/February for Projects starting in the summer semester and July/August for those starting in the winter semester). Further information can be found here.

If you click on this icon you will be redirected to: Formal guidelines

The group formation and assignment of topics takes place after the first lecture. Some basic literature is made available for you, and a written test secures the state of knowledge of all participants.

When preparing the study/research paper, the formal guidelines of the Chair for Marketing and Retailing have to be considered, namely about the design of

  • the written study and
  • the presentations.

You can get access to them via the download area. In all of your study/research papers, you mostly use English-language literature in the form of journal articles. Information on the literature research with the databases available at the Trier University can also be found in the download area. The use and citation of WWW-documents is usually not allowed.

Study Project (BA)

Type
empirical research paper, 4 SWS, one semester, 18 Credits

Lecturer
Research assistants

Scheduling
generally summer semester, further option also in the winter semester

Content
In the study project students work on a more practical, but empirical study and either collect primary data or use existing data. Students learn how to formulate research questions and hypotheses, how to answer research questions theoretically, how to operationalize the measurement constructs, how to conceptualize a study design, and how to collect, prepare and analyze data. The study project takes one semester and is usually carried out by research assistants. Each student group, consisting of four to five persons, usually learn how to prepare a presentation, by presenting at least three times and how to write a project report.

Research Project (MA)

Type
empirical research paper, 4 SWS, two semesters, 20 Credits

Lecturer
Professor Dr. Prof. h.c. Bernhard Swoboda/research assistants

Scheduling
generally start in the summer semester

Content
In the research project students work on a more practical, but empirical study and either collect primary data or use existing data. Students learn how to formulate research questions and hypotheses, how to deduce hypothesis based on theory, how to operationalize the measurement constructs, how to conceptualize a study design, and how to collect, prepare and analyze data, based on scientific marketing research tools. The research project takes two semesters and is usually carried out by Professor Swoboda and research assistants. Each student group, consisting of four to five persons, usually learn how to prepare a presentation, by presenting at least five times each semester and how to write project reports in a scientific form.