ranking in the Quality scoring process.
As can be seen from the above discussion
the factors identified in the limited sources
identified in the abbreviated literature survey
closely align with those in this writer’s
experience. However the call to action must
begin at the origin of the problem
which
begins in the stage prior to a student
commencing their thesis.
4
.
The Solution to the Problem
-
Start at the
Beginning
-
The Current Pre
-
Thesis Process
As mentioned above, the clearly defined
structure of the TRM MBA up to the end of
the students s
econd trimester, means that
students just need to follow their study plan.
With the commencement of the students’ third
trimester, the situation changes and students
enter that trimester with their final core
courses and one non
-
taught course listed as
The
sis.
During a student’s third trimester, thesis
students must write a Thesis Prospectus which
is in fact a mini
-
thesis proposal. While
students, currently undertake writing this
Prospectus largely alone, it should done in
consultation with the program dire
ctor with
whom they typically informally meet perhaps
3
-
4 times during their third trimester.
By the end of their third trimester,
students should have completed their Thesis
Prospectus and been assigned an adviser from
among those available. Students are
allowed to
choose an adviser from those available, who
have less than five advisees and who are
teaching and researching in the area of the
advisee’s thesis topic.
From their fourth trimester on, the thesis
process currently depends upon the
arrangement
made between the adviser and
advisee, as to how often they will meet and
what progress is expected at each meeting.
This part of the process is currently verbal and
with students’ new
-
found freedom, this is
where the thesis process is likely to stumble.
Un
derstanding by both faculty and
students, that students work more effectively
to a sufficiently structured plan (as is common
in the pre
-
thesis stage of their studies), than to
an insufficiently detailed plan, is key to
overcoming many of the difficulties
experienced in students delaying completion
of their thesis (Burton and Steane, 2004;
Philips and Pugh, 2005).