Department of Business Studies

BBA/MBA – Bahria Business

Project Handbook
A General Guideline

Prepared by
Research Cell
 )

Revised February 2013

Contents
PART A: PLANNING THE BAHRIA BUSINESS PROJECT....................................................3
1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................3
2 Learning Objectives............................................................................................................3
3 Most Frequently Asked Questions......................................................................................3
What makes a good Business Project?..................................................................................4
3.2 About Supervision.......................................................................................................5
About the Submission............................................................................................................7
PART B: BAHRIA BUSINESS PROJECT GUIDELINE..........................................................10
Components of a Project Report..............................................................................................10
The following chapters should be included in the Project Report:......................................11
Appendices...................................................................................................................................13
Appendix A..............................................................................................................................13
Appendix B..............................................................................................................................14
Title Page (Appendix A2)........................................................................................................17
Approval Sheet (Appendix A3)...............................................................................................18
1 Half Semester Progress Report.........................................................................................19
st

2nd Half Semester Progress Report & Thesis Approval Statement...................................20

Library Database Verification Form........................................................................................21
Client Registration Form..........................................................................................................22
Thesis/ Project Supervisor Allocation Form..........................................................................24
PART A: PLANNING THE BAHRIA BUSINESS PROJECT
1 Introduction
The final stage of the BBA/MBA programme is concerned exclusively with a well-researched and
written project of approximately 10000 – 15000 words, which provides details of individual or
group research into an agreed business issue. This Project will need to contain extended abstract as
well as more technical information relating to the study undertaken. The Project will enable
students to undertake a sustained investigation in an area of their choice. The Project provides an
opportunity for students to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired during the
taught elements of the BBA/MBA programme. For most students this will involve diagnosing
Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Finance or Human Resource
Management “problem”, in a real-world context, and making recommendations based on these
findings and analyses.
The aim of this handbook is to help the Students/Researchers to carry out their Project to the highest
standards as well as facilitate their learning process. If you encounter problems whilst undertaking
your Project or are unsure about how to proceed with your Project at any time you should consult
this handbook and the recommended text book first. If you cannot find the answers you are looking
for there, you should contact your supervisor to arrange a meeting.

2 Learning Objectives
The Business Project provides an opportunity to students to:
a) Develop an ability to formulate and undertake original research which has relevance to
contemporary business issues and problems.
b) Integrate and inter-relate concepts, techniques and skills acquired in the course of the program.
c) Develop and apply analytical and communication skills as required by the Project process.
3 Most Frequently Asked Questions
If you haven’t written a Project Report before there is no need to panic. You will receive guidance
and advice throughout the Semester in the form of guidance from a supervisor who will be assigned
to advise you on all aspects of the process. All of the advice contained in this section is equally
relevant to students writing a Project Report for the first time as it is to those who have done Project
type work before. Remember, the Project is your piece of work. How you approach your Project is
largely your responsibility. Others, including supervisors and the Research Cell staff will be able to
advise and discuss your work with you but you must be ready to manage and plan your Project
yourself. Here is a list of questions that students often ask us each Semester:

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4
About the Bahria Business Project
What makes a good Business Project?
How long should my Business Project be?
Does it matter if I write too much or too
little?
What should I do if I am having problems
keeping to the word limit?
Does my Business Project need to be an
original piece of work?
Can I look at a past Business Project to get
an idea of what is expected?
What subjects are allowed?
Visit the Research Cell or meet your
allocated Supervisor to discuss this issue in
more depth. Although there is no one set of
definitive criteria, work that is original,
relevant, well written, critically informed and
interesting tends to make a good Business
Project. Remember that you will be living
with your Business project for almost a Six
month period so choose a topic that is going
to keep you engaged and interested.
About 10 000 to 15000 words
Yes. As a guide you should aim to be within
10% of the 10 000 - 15000 word guideline
otherwise it could affect your grade.
Discuss this with your supervisor at the
earliest opportunity.
Yes. It must be your own work and must not
have been submitted previously to anybody.
For this you need to get your topic approved
from the Research Cell.
Yes. Business projects written by previous
students may be found in the library, but
these are a guide only.
Broadly any topic related to your area of
specialization with one or more of the
5

Are there any restrictions on my choice of
topic?
Whose role is it to identify a Business
Project?
3.2 About Supervision
Do I need a supervisor?
How do I get a supervisor?
Can I change my mind about my topic once I
have written my Proposal?
How many students does each supervisor
support?
subjects covered on the MBA programme.
You must also be aware that your topic needs
to be approved by the Research Cell and you
need a supervisor who is willing to provide
you with support.
You must do this yourself. Research Cell
Staff and Faculty will try to help by giving
some ideas of research areas and you should
use the guidance provided by this handbook
and the guidance given in the Proposal
Development sessions to help you.
Yes, without a supervisor your work cannot
be marked!
Supervisors will be allocated by the Research
Cell after students have registered for a
Business Project. You are not allowed to
choose your supervisor.
Yes, you can change your topic provided it’s
approved by the Supervisor and Research
Cell only before midterm examination.
This is dependent upon the ratio of
supervisory staff to students. As a guide
supervisors will take on at the most five
Business Projects.
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How do supervisors select their Business
Project?
What help can I expect from my supervisor?
What if I miss an appointment?
What if I don’t get on with my supervisor?
How many hours will I get with my
supervisor?
Supervisors are allocated student Business
Project which are in an appropriate area of
research.
Your supervisor will Facilitate and monitor
you in the progression of your Business
project. The supervisor is responsible for
supervising the process of the Business
Project and not necessarily the content.
Please note that it is not the role of the
supervisor to tell the student what to do at the
different stages of the process.
Unless the Supervisor stipulates otherwise
please use e-mail to make appointments.
You should advise your supervisor as soon as
possible if you are unable to keep an
appointment. Don’t just fail to turn up,
because you have a limited amount of contact
time available and cannot afford to lose it.
Try to resolve any difficulties which arise on
a face to face basis at an early stage. Inform
Research Cell if you still have problems.
You will get a maximum of 1 hour of contact
time with your supervisor per session.
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Will my supervisor be available throughout
the semester?
Can I get a second opinion from a different
supervisor?
About the Submission
Are there any requirements regarding the
format of my submitted Business Project?
Can I submit my Business Project by e-mail
or fax?
How many copies do I have to submit?
Does my submitted hard copy Business
Project have to be bound?
What is the deadline for submission of the
Business Project?
Supervisors will inform you when they are
going to be away from the University for a
long period. These dates need to be worked
into your research plan.
If you are having difficulties with your
supervisor, please contact the Research Cell.
Please do not approach a different supervisor
to ask their opinion on your Business Project.
Yes. Details of the format are provided in this
booklet.
No, under no circumstances is this
acceptable. Your draft work and final Thesis
must be submitted in hard copy.
2 Spiral Copies on the first submission which
would then be used for viva-voce sessions.
After you have cleared your
viva-voce/Defence and rework you would
then be required to submit one Hardbound
copy along with 1 CD and email soft copy to
research cell.
Yes, hard binding is a must as this would be
placed in the University Library as a
reference. Marks are not awarded for the
quality of the binding!
Research Cell will communicate deadlines
via Email, Twitter and Research Cell notice
board. It is your responsibility to keep a track
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 of notices that may come.

What are deadlines for Plagiarism The Supervisor will conduct plagiarism test
(Similarity Tests)? (similarity test) one week before submission.
There will be a final test on the date of
submission but this would not be shown to
students and will be treated as part of your
final evaluation.

Is it possible to get an extension to the Requests for extensions can be made to the
deadline? Research Coordinator through your
supervisor. However, we strongly discourage
this practice. A maximum of 10 days
extension can be given on a case to case
basis.

What are the consequences of handing the All late submissions would not be entertained
Business Project in late without an by the Research Cell and a case would be put
extension? forward to the HOD Office for further
Action.

Who will mark my Business Project? Your supervisor and Two Examiners
(Internal and External). The Examiners
would also conduct your viva-voce.

How will it be graded? According to the University Grading policy

exactly as your course work.

Will I get feedback? You will get feedback throughout the

Business Project process from your
Supervisor.

Will I get my Business Project back? No, if you want your own copy make sure

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 you keep a spare copy of your work.

When will I get the results? We do not disclose results to students. All
results are communicated to the exam cell.

Do I need to reference the work of others in Yes! You always need to reference work
my Business Project? accurately and consistently. Failure to
reference the work of others may result in an
accusation of plagiarism. The issue of
plagiarism is covered in the Project Log
Book.

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PART B: BAHRIA BUSINESS PROJECT GUIDELINE

The theme/topic of the project should be current and based on latest Business developments and
Issues.

b. The Candidate (s) will have to give a Project Proposal to the Supervisor before commencing the
project work. There will be a proposal defense.

c. An approval certificate/letter should be received from the client/organization before finalizing the
Project topic. This should be on the official letter head of the organization signed by
company/department representative were the project is to be initiated.

Components of a Project Report

The sequence in which the project report material should be arranged and bound should be as
follows:
1. Title Page

2. Certificate/Letter by the Client/Organization

3. Acknowledgement

4. Abstract

5. Table of Contents

6. Table of figures (if any)

7. Chapters

8. Appendices

9. References

Title Page: Title, Name of the candidate (University and Enrol No.), Name of Organization, Place,
Month and Year of submission.

Certificate by the Organization: Refer to Appendix A

Acknowledgements: the candidate may thank all those who helped in the preparation of project.

Abstract: Abstract should not be more than one paged. It should include the purpose of the study,
highlights on the methodology and a summary of the major findings, conclusions and
recommendations.

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Table of contents: Use the built-in automatic Table of Contents in Word 2007/2010. The table of
content should list all the material following it as well as any material which precedes it.
The following chapters should be included in the Project Report:

1. Introduction (Details mentioned in the proposal including the company introduction. Refer
to Appendix B for Project Proposal Template)

2. Problem Definition and requirement analysis

3. Design and Implementation

4. Testing and Deployment

5. Future Enhancements/Action Plan

6. Conclusion

References: Students have the option of using either Harvard or APA Referencing styles.

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13
Appendices

Appendix A

(Sample of Certificate/Letter from the Client) Certificate This is to certify that this project
report, entitled “TITLE OF PROJECT WORK” by NAME OF STUDENT (S) (ENROL
NUMBER), submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of
Business Administration from Bahria University, Islamabad Pakistan, during the academic year of
201..., is a bonafide record of work carried out under my permission and guidance.

Designation

Name of Project Organization

Address

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 Appendix B
Project Proposal Template

Project Title:
Section A Project Outline:
Project Rationale What is the business need for the project.
Background/context/why should it be done – evidence
supporting need

Project Purpose: State the overall reason for the project

Project Goal: State the desired end result

Broad statement of Identify what work (and only that work) which must be
accomplished to complete the project successfully.
Scope:

Project Objectives: State the objectives of the project in SMART terms.

Anticipated Benefits: Describe how things will be different if the project is

successfully completed. Who will benefit, how they will
benefit, what is the gain.

Key Success Factors: List the factors that will be used to determine the success
of the project. ‘How do we know the project is
successful?’

Quality Definition: State the quality criteria against which the project will
be measured.

Major Deliverables: Specify the key deliverables on route to achieving the

project and specify final outputs/deliverables from the
project

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Estimated State the timeframes estimated for project completion.
Timeframe:

Estimated Budget: State the budget estimates required. Problem identified

by client.

Constraints: List the constraints that limit the project e.g. time cost,
quality.

Assumptions: List the assumptions that are made about the project.

Potential Risks: Identify the most serious potential risks.

Section B Structure/Personnel/Information
Requirements

Project Outline the project organizational structure and detail

the skill mix/possible personnel for the project.
Structue/Personnel
Project Manager

Project Team:

Skill Mix Nominee

Information Describe the system of communication to be used and

reporting mechanisms
Requirements:

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Section C Project Outline

Section D Project Plan

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 (Appendix A2)

Majors: MKT/HRM/FIN/SCM(Choose only one)

No. (As mentioned in Excel Sheet)

“Write your topic here”

By:
(Your Name) (Your Enrolment #)

(Degree/Program)

Department of Business Studies

Bahria University Islamabad

Fall /Spring-Year.

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 FINAL PROJECT/THESIS APPROVAL SHEET
Viva-Voce Examination
Viva Date __/__/____

Topic of Research: Analysis of HR policies and job

performance; a case of performance appraisal
methods of OGDCL
Names of Student(s): Enroll #
 Rida Siddiqui 01-322202-024

Class: MBA-2W

Approved by:

_________________________________________________________
Dr. Qazi Abdul Subhan
Supervisor

_________________________________________________________
Examiner-I

_________________________________________________________
Examiner-II

_________________________________________________________
Dr.Syed Haider Ali Shah
Research Coordinator

_________________________________________________________
Head of Department
Business Studies
 Bahria University
Islamabad Campus

MBA/BBA

1st Half Semester Progress Report

Enrollment No.

Thesis/Project Title

Supervisor Student Meeting Record

No. Date Place of Topic Discussed Signature of
Meeting Student

Progress Satisfactory Progress Unsatisfactory

Remarks:_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

________________________________

Signature of Supervisor: _______________________ Date: _____________________

Note: Students attach 1st & 2nd half progress report at the end of spiral copy.
 Bahria University
Islamabad Campus

MBA/BBA

2nd Half Semester Progress Report & Thesis Approval Statement

Enrollment No.

Thesis/Project Title

Supervisor Student Meeting Record

No. Date Place of Topic Discussed Signature of
Meeting Student

APPROVAL FOR EXAMINATION

I hereby certify that the above candidates’ thesis/project has been completed to my

satisfaction and, to my belief, its standard appropriate for submission for examination. I

have also conducted plagiarism test of this thesis using HEC prescribed software and

found similarity index at _____ that is within the permissible limit set by the HEC for

thesis/ project MBA/BBA. I have also found the thesis/project in a format recognized by

the department of Business Studies.

Signature of Supervisor: ______________________________ Date: ______________

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Please Tick the Relevant Box: BBA □ MBA □
Major: _______ Sr. No_________

Library Database Verification Form

Bahria University, Department of Business Studies
With respect to the anti-plagiarism policies proposed by Higher Education Commission,
students are required to fill this form for the purpose of ensuring that the Thesis / Project topic
chosen by them has not been done before. Topics can be crossed checked with the database
available in the library.
Changes in the Thesis / Project topic, however, will require the filling of a new ‘Library
Verification Form’, but after midterm examination no changes in the Topic will be accepted.
This form must be submitted to the research cell within two weeks of Thesis / Project
Registration. Please submit the scanned copy of this form at research.cell@bahria.edu.pk
within two weeks of Thesis / Project Registration.

Please fill in the required information:

Enrollment No(s)

Student Name

Thesis / Project
Topic

STAFF USE ONLY

Topic Verification

Do you have the proposed topic in your library database repository?

 Yes
 No
Verifier Name: ______________________________ Sign: ________________________

Date: ________________________
Stamp: ____________________________________

SUPERVISOR APPROVAL:

Name: _______________________ Sign: _____________________Date: _________________

 Bahria University
Islamabad Campus

Client Registration Form

Name: _____________________________

Organization: _____________________________

Designation: _____________________________

Landline: _____________________________

Mobile: _____________________________

Email (Official): _____________________________

Organization Type: Public Private

Area: SCM MKT FIN HRM

Project Brief:
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Objectives:
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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Project Outcomes:
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Budget (Proposed):
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Signature Faculty Member: _____________________________

Name: _____________________________

Approved /Not Approved

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 Bahria University
Islamabad Campus

Sr. No_________

Thesis/ Project Supervisor Allocation Form

Please Tick the Relevant Box: BBA □ MBA □
1. Student Name: ____________________________ Enroll #: ________________________
Course Code: ________ Cr. Hrs ____Email: _________________________________________
Cell No. ________________ CMS Registration: Yes/No._____________________
(In case of Project, details of other Members)
2. Student Name: ____________________________ Enroll #: ________________________
Course Code: ________ Cr. Hrs ____Email: _________________________________________
Cell No. ________________ CMS Registration: Yes/No._____________________
3. Student Name: ____________________________ Enroll #: ________________________
Course Code: ________ Cr. Hrs ____Email: _________________________________________
Cell No. ________________ CMS Registration: Yes/No._____________________

Research Type: Thesis Project

Research Area: Supply Chain Management Marketing
HRM Finance

Name of Supervisor: ___________________________________________________________

1. Student Signature: ___________________________________ Date: __________________

2. Student Signature: _____________________3. Student Signature: ____________________

_________________________
Supervisor Signature

Note:

Student fill and send the scanned copy of this form to respective supervisor for the approval. After approval
send this form within one week after commencement of classes at research.cell@bahria.edu.pk.

25
Bahria University
Islamabad Campus

Sr. No_________

26