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Practice Projects at the Lucerne School of Business

Harness the skills and knowledge of our students

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Do you have a business or business psychology-related topic or task that students with expert knowledge in the field might be able to investigate? Or perhaps you are interested in our graduates as an employer?

STUDENT / SERVICE PROJECTS

Our students work on a variety of tasks related to operational, business and business psychology issues affecting companies and organisations. 

At BSc level, students are available for business plans and project work (both as group assignments) and for BSc thesis projects (individual assignment). At MSc level, graduates work on their scientific practice projects and their master’s thesis. In each type of project, students analyse and investigate an issue of relevance to the client.

BACHELOR’S LEVEL

Business Plans

In their final year of study, students write business plans for companies, private individuals, or for their own business endeavours. They may be based on a new business idea, a new area of business or a market expansion. The projects are organised as group work and supervised by lecturers and specialists in the field.

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Business Plans in a Nutshell

  • Group work
  • Students in their final year
  • Submission of topic proposal by mid-August
  • Selection of topic: mid-September
  • Submission of project: January
  • Cost contribution: CHF 800 plus expenses (according to budget)
 

Student Projects

Project work combines issues of practical relevance with a scientific approach and precise analysis. If you need a sound foundation for your decision-making, you might consider commissioning a student project.

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Student projects are always organised along the same lines. Groups of students explore a specific issue using qualitative social research methods, familiarising themselves with the latter in the process. Expert interviews with selected people of interest and their subsequent systematic analysis, rather than large-scale standardised surveys, are at the centre of this approach. Possible interview subjects range from customers, experts, people affected by change processes, potential business partners, or competitors. The interviews are being recorded and analysed with a view to answering the research question and to testing any underlying hypotheses. The collected data often brings new and unexpected aspects to light. In addition to interviews, students may also explore the subject through observation. Students are supervised and supported by experienced specialist and methodology coaches.

 

Possible topics

Identification of unexplored potential in a family business, identification of previously undetected problems in an organisation, re-structuring a business to the benefit of all stakeholders, ensuring the smooth transfer of a family business to the next generation, analysis of the impact of the internet on the management of a tourism destination

 

Project Examples

  • Online Marketing in the Travel Industry: How do potential customers behave when looking for accommodation on the internet?
  • Knowledge management as a factor for success
  • Strategic market analysis for startups and SMEs
  • Real-life types of change: How was change experienced during and after the financial crisis by team leaders working in the Swiss banking industry?
  • Management of expert organisations
  • Employee surveys - current business practices

Student Project in a Nutshell

  • Group work
  • Second-year students
  • Submission of topic proposal by end of July
  • Selection of topic: September
  • Submission of project: January
  • Cost contribution: none

Bachelor's thesis

The bachelor's thesis is the final assignment of every BSc student. The selected topics are as diverse as the business world itself. They can be marketing, controlling or organisational issues, but what matters most is that they are rooted in professional practice.

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Graduates are generally expected to source and analyse their own data for their bachelor's thesis. To this end, they may use qualitative methods (e.g., interviews), quantitative methods (e.g., surveys) or a combination of the two. The methods used are expected to produce replicable results which can be applied and implemented in a practical context. That is why every bachelor’s thesis is unique: they are each tailored to answering a client’s specific question. 

Possible Topics 

Development of communication and marketing strategies, evaluation of processes and instruments, assessment of client needs, development of internal control system plans, market analyses, etc.

Bachelor's Projects in a Nutshell

  • Individual assignment
  • Students in their final year
  • Submission of topic proposal by mid-August
  • Selection of topic: September/ October
  • Submission of project: beginning of June
  • Pre-study and actual bachelor's thesis
  • Cost contribution: CHF 800 plus expenses (according to budget)
 

MASTER’S LEVEL

Scientific Practice Project

In most MSc programmes and unlike in the student projects at BSc level, students generally define their research question during the development of their project. Moreover, they derive and substantiate a recommendation for the client in the process.

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Scientific Practice Project in a Nutshell

  • Group assignment
  • MSc students in their first year of study
  • Submission of topic proposal: any time
  • Selection of topic: September/November
  • Submission of project: January/June
  • Cost contribution: none
 

Master’s Thesis

The Master’s thesis is the key element of any successful graduation. The business knowledge developed during the MSc programme, the topic selected by the graduate for their chosen major and the associated research methods converge, and are being applied, in the master's thesis. Students choose the topic for their master’s thesis and develop solutions for real-life business issues that create added value for their clients. It is, in short, a win-win situation. It is not uncommon for clients to pick up a master’s thesis to further pursue the issues discussed in it.

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Master’s Thesis in a Nutshell

  • Individual assignment
  • Students in their final year
  • Students select their own topic
  • Submission of project: December/June
  • Cost contribution: CHF 800 plus expenses (according to budget)
 

Research and service projects

In close cooperation with industry, service providers, public administrations, non-profit organisations and associations, the experts at the Lucerne School of Business initiate and work on research and service projects whose findings are incorporated into teaching and practice.

Absolventinnen und Absolventen als Arbeitnehmende

Graduates as Employees

Thanks to their extensive practical skill, graduates of the Lucerne School of Business fare well in the job market. If you are interested in enlisting the support of one of our graduates, we will be happy to help. The Careers Service of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts offers a wide range of services. For more information, visit careershslu.ch.

Practice Projects at the Lucerne School of Business

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