Core Course
REC800 – Thesis Preparation
Course Unit Code: REC800
Type Of Unit: Core Course
Level of Course Unit: Postgraduate (Level 7)
Year of Study: First year
Semester: Second Semester
Number of ECTS Credits: 2.5
Mode of Delivery
Face to Face
Prerequisites
None
Course Objectives
This course is designed to guide students in the integrated completion of a Master’s Thesis related to the field of Real Estate. Through this course, students will engage in all phases of the research process, which include the design or selection of methodological tools, the collection and analysis of data, and the interpretation of findings.
Students will be challenged to critically assess the validity, reliability, and ethical considerations of their research methodology and approach. The objective of the Master’s Thesis in Real Estate is to strengthen students’ research abilities and critical thinking skills while deepening their understanding of the research process in the Real Estate sector, covering topics like investment strategies, property management, market trends, and financial decision-making.
This course prepares students to conduct original research that contributes to their academic and professional development within the real estate industry.
Learning Outcomes
- Formulate well-defined and investigable research questions and hypotheses
- Develop literature search skills using valid and reliable sources
- Cultivate skills in synthesizing literature to support their research questions
- Identify the importance of the reliability and transparency of a research study
- Develop data collection skills
- Develop analytical and critical thinking skills to interpret results and highlight knowledge gaps
- Develop writing skills to present the results and findings of the research
Course Content
- How to structure a master thesis
- Develop proper research questions and hypotheses
- Learn how to form well-supported arguments, and how to structure a comprehensive literature review
- Develop their qualitative/qualitative data collection approaches
- Identify the type of data collection (e.g. questionnaires, interviews, case studies, etc) suitable for a certain research question
- Explore the significance of transparency and reliability in research for the real estate market – sensitive data protection, confidentiality
- Explore qualitative/quantitative techniques in interpretating research findings
- Explore how to develop discussion and meaningful conclusions
Course Features
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures; in-class discussion and debates; in-class exercises; problem sets;
Teamwork; quizzes, interactive activities; etc.
Assessment methods and criteria
Small weekly activities that will help them structure their own thesis
Readings
• Tripathi, S.; Chaturvedi, R. K. (2023), Exploring Ethical Considerations in Research: Guidelines and Practices. Adhyayan: A Journal of Management Sciences, [s. l.], v. 13, n. 1, p. 41–45. DOI 10.21567/adhyayan.v13i1.08. Disponível em:
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=f5bbed5c-85e0-3a60-9266-8820a468900c.
• Yvonne N. Bui (2019), How to Write a master’s Thesis”, chapter 4: Organizing and Writing the Thesis
• John W. Creswell & J. David Creswell (2018), “Research design: qualitative, quantitative & mixed methods approaches”, Chapter 5: The Introduction: Offers guidance on crafting the introductory chapter of a thesis, covering problem statements, purpose statements, and research questions.
• Paul, J., & Criado, A. R. (2020). The art of writing literature review: What do we know and what do we need to know?. International business review, 29(4), 101717.
• IAN SMITH, A.; MARK STEPHAN FELIX, A. A Practical Guide to Dissertation and Thesis Writing. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=80690be3-b828-3401-8bcf-fed7430d7305 , Chapter 3: Reading, reading, reading: Background to your literature review
• LORRIE BLAIR. Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Brill, 2016. v. 00004 Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=16b76a63-5b4e-3923-bdb9-e6a247cc1043 , Chapter 4: Conducting and Writing
Literature Reviews
• Ridley, D. (2012). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students.
• IAN SMITH, A.; MARK STEPHAN FELIX, A. A Practical Guide to Dissertation and Thesis Writing. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=80690be3-b828-3401-8bcf-fed7430d7305, chapter 2: How do you choose a research topic?
• ORRIE BLAIR. Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Brill, 2016. v. 00004 Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=16b76a63-5b4e-3923-bdb9-e6a247cc1043. Chapter 3: Writing the Proposal
• Patten, M. L. (2016). Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials. Routledge.
• Lorrie blair. Writing a graduate thesis or dissertation. Rotterdam, the netherlands: brill, 2016. V. 00004 disponível em:
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=16b76a63-5b4e-3923-bdb9-e6a247cc1043 chapter 7: conducting ethical research
• Fisher, C. B., & Anushko, A. E. (2008). Research ethics in social science. The SAGE handbook of social research methods, 95-109.
• Bos, J. (2020). Research ethics for students in the social sciences (p. 287). Springer Nature.
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