The MSc Research Project
Students have the option of studying five specialised electives in term three to give them a breadth of subject matter. Alternatively if students would like to study one particular area of interest in depth they have the option of taking two electives and completing a Business Research Project, which in some cases may be completed in partnership with a sponsoring organisation.
The Project will be of approximately 8,000 words. This offers an opportunity to specialise in a contemporary finance topic related to students’ future careers. The Project should be based on independent research either in the context of a single organisation or using third-party sources.
Students are encouraged from the start of the course to think about a topic for their Project. A member of academic staff supervises the project, and the student may choose whom they would like to work with. The Project must be submitted by the end of July. Company sponsored projects are encouraged and a number of such projects may be available.
Many students use this opportunity to complete a project in conjunction with an organisation they might want to work for. This gets their foot in the door and can lead to permanent employment post programme, whilst earning course credit. Cass Careers Service works to coordinate projects with organisations and students.
Some recent projects:
- Board of Directors & Firm Value Market Reaction to the Appointment of Executive & Non-executive directors
- Comparison of Implied & Historical Volatilities in the Currency Markets
- Corporate Finance Distress & Debt Restructuring: An examination of high yield bond issuers
- Did The 1990's US Banking Consolidations Create Value?
- Exploring the Interaction Between Earning Quality & Accounting Standards
- Performance Measurement - The role of EVA
- Private Equity Valuation Model
- What are the determinants of returns in emerging markets
- Why do firms buy back their shares? An Analysis of Share Repurchase Announcements by UK firms

