• General Studies Courses
• Arts & Sciences
• Business
  • A.A.S. Business
  • B.S. Business Administration
  • B.S. Health Care Administration
  • B.S. Human Resource Management
  • B.S. Information Technology
  • B.S. Organizational Leadership
  • Master of Business Administration
  • M.S. Organizational Leadership
  • Doctor of Business Administration
    • Admissions & Policies
    • Project/Dissertation Comparison
  • Certificates
• Safety/Emergency Services
• Academic Calendar
• Term Schedule
• Full Course Listing
• Academic Advising Center

Comparison of Dissertation and Research Project

A dissertation should:

1. Summarize and integrate pertinent research and theory in its topic area. Review of related research should concentrate on work that has been published in the past five years.
2. Make a contribution to knowledge in the topic area. For example, this can be done by: conceptualizing an issue or problem in a novel and useful manner; collecting new data through quantitative or qualitative research; demonstrating the applicability of a new method or treatment; synthesizing and interpreting existing data to gain new insights; or expanding the application of a theory or previous conclusions to a new area.
3. Show how a topic area is illuminated, expanded, or changed by the development of a new perspective.

A research project should:

1. Embody a comprehensive instructional approach in which applied research interacts with real work business challenges.
2. Demonstrate how grounded scholarly content is supportive of practitioner-researcher development. For example, this can be done by: extending the application of an existing process or theory; developing new applications for existing business theory; proposing counter arguments to existing theories or principles; or developing and demonstrating how improvements and cost-effectiveness can be integrated into existing business methods and procedures.
3. Illustrate how exposure to applied research principles and techniques prepares business professionals to adapt and apply the skills of applied research in their profession.