Master of Business Research

Program Aim

CIM Master of Business Research program aims to extend knowledge and understanding of learners in a range of theoretical and empirical research methods and will enable them to make their own research contributions by completing an independent research project. Students will undertake a significant independent research investigation resulting in a thesis that will enable them in-depth exploration of their chosen area.

Program Rationale

CIM Master of Business Research provides students with a research degree that allows to plan, conduct and manage a substantial research project. As part of the program, students will engage in critical thinking, develop knowledge of ethical practice, and develop high level of cognitive, technical and creative skills to conceptualise, investigate and address research problems. In the Master of Business Research program, the curriculum for each student will be tailored according to their academic background. As part of the program, students will develop essential skills in research ethics and design, followed by comprehensive training in qualitative and quantitative research methods that are relevant to their specific research areas. Upon obtaining a cumulative score of 70% in all core courses, students will commence independent research in a study area of their personal interest and passion.

Program Learning Outcomes

CIM Master of Business Research graduate will be able to:

  • Initiate, create, plan and execute a substantial piece of business research in collaboration with a supervision team;
  • Demonstrate effective communication required to interpret and transmit complex information, concepts, theories and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
  • Apply high level of cognitive, technical and creative skills with which to conceptualise, investigate and address research problems;
  • Justify research aims, methodologies and results, considering the ethical and social consequences;
  • Critically review a complex body of knowledge, research principles and methods to demonstrate mastery in broad field of management and commerce;

Industry Needs

Graduate research students undertaking a Master of Business Research, represent a rich talent pool – possessing the knowledge, intellectual abilities, technical capabilities and professional standards to work on and solve industry-defined problems. By bringing a researcher mindset to industry, graduate research students can contribute to innovation across all sectors of the Australian economy and society and help underpin university-industry engagement. The average salary for an employee in the Business Research, Analysis, and Advisory Services industry, according to PayScale, the salary range goes up to $117,000.

As per the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), the graduate research degrees are the highest-level qualifications and through research they produce a different type of graduate. Research graduates (Level 9) are described as having an advanced body of knowledge in a range of contexts for research and scholarship and as a pathway for further learning.

Graduate research candidates develop expert knowledge and research skills, authoritative judgement, adaptability and independence during their candidature. They can make significant contributions to innovation within an industry and equally a graduate research candidate can benefit from the experience of learning from industry experts and experienced academic staff from a career development and learning perspective. 

Graduate Career Outcomes

The Master of Business Research program is a specialised program for students who are interested in a research career. The Master of Business Research will assist students in preparing to enter the competitive job market, where the average salary for an employee in the Business Research, Analysis, and Advisory Services industry, according to PayScale, ranges up to $117,000. Successful completion of Master of Business Research also provides a pathway to a higher learning as an admission requirement for a doctoral degree. Career opportunities in Master of Business Research program are quite diverse with possible career paths as a:

  • Researcher
  • Academic
  • Technologist
  • Consultant

Program Structure

The Master of Business Research will have the following delivery structure:

  • 2 years full-time, or (4 years part time for domestic students), face to face learning;
  • No work-based training involved
  • Each semester will run over 12 weeks
  • 6 courses (Year 1) followed by Thesis I and II (Year 2)
  • Each course has 4 contact hours per week broken down into lecture and tutorial components (2 hours lecture + 2 hours tutorial)
  • The program is equivalent to 240 credit points comprising 6 courses of 20 credit points each and thesis of 120 credit points

Program Location

This program is offered at our campuses in Sydney and Melbourne.

Program Progression Rules

Year 1

  • Contemporary Management & Leadership
  • Corporate Governance, Ethics and Sustainability
  • Theory and Literature Review
  • Quantitative Research Methods
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Research Design and Proposal Development
Credit Points: 20

MGMT401

Course Information

Professionals in this field need to be able to demonstrate an advanced understanding of leadership theories, concepts, and practice, including both traditional and contemporary forms of leadership and management.

This course provides you with essential theoretical and conceptual knowledge relevant to organisational theories and practices in the context of the contemporary business environment. It will cover topics related to management theory, management processes, leadership, managing people and contemporary issues in management.

You will develop abilities to effectively communicate and apply relevant leadership principles to address the diverse needs of various stakeholders. You will be able to think critically about core management theories and evaluate and communicate their relevance to contemporary management practice in a complex, diverse and rapidly changing globalised workplace.

The aim of this course is to develop your understanding of the role of leadership in shaping the organisational vision, strategy, culture & values for successful and sustainable management relationships.

Course Level Aims and Learning Goals

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) specify what you should know and be able to do by completion of this course.  The CLOs aim to contribute towards your attainment of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Graduate Attributes (GAs), discussed further below.  The CLOs are:

  1. Explain how key management concepts, principles and theories can support ethical, inclusive and sustainable management practices in culturally diverse workplaces.
  2. Effectively disseminate outcomes to various stakeholders using highly developed communication skills as an individual or as a part of team.
  3. Source and evaluate empirical scholarship reporting on contemporary management issues.
Credit Points: 20

CGES401

Course Information

Professionals in this field need to be able to comply with regulatory processes and promote ethical practices demonstrating their understanding of principles of corporate governance and ethics in the contemporary business environment.

This course develops students’ appreciation of the complexities of ethics and corporate governance and develop their ability to consistently apply business principles that promote socially and environmentally sustainable business practices in a global environment. This course covers topics of business ethics and corporate social responsibility; core concepts of sustainability and sustainable development; ethical principles, stakeholders, and the nature of the corporation; ethical obligations of corporations; competitive advantage.

Students will develop knowledge of the legal regulation of companies and skills to pro- actively identify and evaluate the legal and ethical challenges arising in the corporate world and respond to them in a sustainable manner, with an emphasis on strong corporate governance.

The aim of this course is to develop students’ abilities to understand the complexities and importance of ethics, corporate governance, and sustainability in relation to the society and environment within which they operate, and in relation to individuals employed within organisations.

Course Level Aims and Learning Goals

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) specify what you should know and be able to do by completion of this course. The CLOs aim to contribute towards your attainment of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Graduate Attributes (GAs), discussed further below. The CLOs are:

  1. Individually and as a member of a team, analyse business scenarios involving business ethics, corporate governance, and sustainability, and explore their impact on organisational management
    and leadership
  2. Critically evaluate and compare the role of stakeholders and corporate managers’ moral obligations in business decision making
  3. Analyse critically the legal and ethical challenges arising in the corporate world in a sustainable manner, with an emphasis on strong corporate governance
  4. Apply different business strategies that promote global, social, ethical, political, environmental, and technological sustainability
Credit Points: 20

MRES901

Course Information

This course develops students’ understanding of how to present a structured philosophical framework for critically analysing the theoretical arguments of others, as well as developing and defending one’s own arguments. This course prepares students to conduct a comprehensive literature review, required in all business research dissertations. This course initially focuses on identifying, understanding and developing a critical awareness of the underlying theory upon which the subsequent dissertation is based. Having addressed the underlying theory, the course proceeds to highlight the foundational importance of the literature review in framing the research topic and in identifying important conceptual and theoretical research issues from the extant academic and professional literature.

Students will develop critical awareness of underlying theory and the subsequent drafting of a critical review of the literature that summarises the major research issues and past contributions in an area. In turn, the literature review leads to the identification of “gaps” in the literature and a consequent research problem and associated research questions. It also focuses on the skills required in discussing preparing and presenting literature reviews and other aspects of research in a rigorous academic style.

The aim of this course is to assist students to seek out extant business research that relates to the area they intend to pursue in their research project.

Course Level Aims and Learning Goals

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) specify what you should know and be able to do by completion of this course. The CLOs aim to contribute towards your attainment of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Graduate Attributes (GAs), discussed further below. The CLOs are:

  1. Synthesise and critically evaluate authoritative information to develop convincing, evidence-based arguments or perspectives.
  2. Identify opportunities for the extension, testing or development of extant theory/academic literature.
  3. Devise research reports in a coherent and concise manner.
  4. Present and defend theoretical arguments in a research seminar setting.
Credit Points: 20

MRES902

Course Information

This course provides an introduction to the use of quantitative methods in research. Emphasis will be on achieving an understanding of quantitative methods and associated statistical techniques considered so that you can think critically about suitable procedures for research design, collection and analysis of data, and the usefulness of statistics. The course will cover research design, population/sampling selection, construction of data collection tools, various types of data collection methods, and data analysis such as multiple regression and factor analysis.

Emphasis will be given to the selection of statistical analyses that would be appropriate for different types of quantitative data.

The aim of this course is to develop your understanding on how to conduct an appropriate statistical analysis of the data, interpret research results, and accurately report the data analysis and interpretation.

Course Level Aims and Learning Goals

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) specify what you should know and be able to do by completion of this course. The CLOs aim to contribute towards your attainment of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Graduate Attributes (GAs), discussed further below. The CLOs are:

  1. Critically analyse the key concepts and terminology associated with various quantitative data analysis.
  2. Apply various sampling and measuring techniques and issues associated with quantitative research designs.
  3. Conduct, interpret and present a variety of quantitative analyses for different research questions.
  4. Demonstrate literacy skills to assist in reviewing, understanding and assessing published research in your specific field.
Credit Points: 20

MRES903

Course Information

This course aims to develop understanding of the nature of qualitative research, major philosophical foundations underpinning qualitative research and more specifically the interpretivist research perspective. The course will introduce qualitative research methods most often applied in the Business, Accounting and Information Systems disciplines. The course will also help develop fundamental research skills and prepare you for undertaking an independent research study. It addresses design principles of qualitative studies, with a specific focus on the collection of verbal, textual, and data analysis techniques.

You will develop knowledge and skills to guide through the research process including: a literature review, development of research question(s) and a theoretical perspective that will inform the methodology, selection of research strategy/design, and the application of research methods and techniques of data collection and analysis.

The aim of this course is to develop your knowledge and skill in relation to qualitative research methods so as to prepare them to undertake a scholarly research–based project.

Course Level Aims and Learning Goals

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) specify what you should know and be able to do by completion of this course. The CLOs aim to contribute towards your attainment of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Graduate Attributes (GAs), discussed further below. The CLOs are:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge and skills in selected qualitative research methods of data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination.
  2. Discuss and address ethical and professional aspects of qualitative research.
  3. Critique published research in terms of its ability to collect, analyse and interpret data consistent with a particular theoretical perspective or paradigm.
  4. Present the results of qualitative research in a professional academic manner in both oral and written formats.
Credit Points: 20

MRES904

Course Information

This course provides you with an opportunity to develop your investigative, analytical and critical skills in order to design a current research project. This course will support you to fully understand the nature and requirements of the research process and its components, and to establish a conceptually and structurally sound plan for the forthcoming research. The course focuses on specific aspects of research including literature review and critical appraisal; reference management; framing the research question and determining research approaches; and related ethical issues.

The aim of this course is to equip you with the practical and critical skills to prepare a detailed research proposal within a focus relevant to business. Additionally, you will develop competence in assessing the validity of the published literature, determining the gaps in the evidence and developing a feasible study design that complies with the principles underpinning responsible research practice.

Course Level Aims and Learning Goals

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) specify what you should know and be able to do by completion of this course. The CLOs aim to contribute towards your attainment of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and Graduate Attributes (GAs), discussed further below. The CLOs are:

  1. Critically analyse relevant literature, including theory and its application to situate research within the literature, using high level cognitive and technical skills.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to develop an answerable research question based on critical examination of existing evidence and theory.
  3. Formulate a coherent research proposal, containing a research question, a rationale, a methodological approach, including specific methods of data collection and analysis.
  4. Successfully disseminate the proposed field of research to a multi-disciplinary audience in a concise and comprehensible manner.

Year 2

  • Research Project – Thesis I
  • Research Project – Thesis II
Credit Points: 60

MRES905

Year 2 requires completion of the Master of Business Research thesis of approximately 40,000 – 50,000 words that demonstrates the capability of the candidate to make a contribution to knowledge and/or professional practice in the field of business, accounting and information systems.
Students would require to complete all six (6) first year courses to commence MRES905 Research Project – Thesis I.

Credit Points: 60

MRES906

Year 2 requires completion of the Master of Business Research thesis of approximately 40,000 – 50,000 words that demonstrates the capability of the candidate to make a contribution to knowledge and/or professional practice in the field of business, accounting and information systems.
Students would require to complete all six (6) first year courses plus MRES905 Research Project – Thesis I to commence MRES906 Research Project – Thesis II.

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