A New Phase Begins
Welcome back to The Road to an MBA. If the earlier episodes focused on taught modules, simulations, and structured learning, this one marks a clear shift. The taught phase of the MBA is now complete, and I’ve officially begun the MBA final project, a stage that feels less like another module and more like the point where everything comes together.
From Student to Researcher
That doesn’t mean this phase is unstructured. Far from it. However, it does feel fundamentally different from what has come before. Earlier stages of the MBA were characterised by classroom energy, group discussions, and shared deadlines. This phase is quieter, more solitary, and deliberately slower. The focus has shifted from collective exploration to individual depth, requiring sustained concentration rather than bursts of activity.
There’s a learning curve in that transition. It demands discipline, patience, and comfort with spending extended time thinking, reading, and refining ideas, often without immediate feedback. In many ways, this has been an early lesson in itself: meaningful insight takes time.
Building the Foundation: Research Methods
We completed a six-week Research Methods module to prepare us for what comes next, culminating in a formal project proposal worth 10% of the final mark. From here, the MBA final project takes shape as an 8,000-word dissertation, supported by a recorded presentation, primary research, and ethical approval through the university. There’s a clear framework, a defined timeline, and an assigned advisor to guide the process chapter by chapter.
What’s changed isn’t the level of support, it’s the level of ownership. This is the point where responsibility shifts fully onto the student: from being taught how to analyse, to designing and executing a piece of research that generates its own insight. Getting the structure right at this stage feels critical, as early decisions will shape the quality and coherence of everything that follows.
Choosing a Real-World Challenge
My project is grounded in my own organisation and focuses on a strategic challenge that matters in practice as well as on paper. Choosing a real organisational context wasn’t automatic. The initial idea evolved through conversations, reflection, and a degree of restraint, narrowing the scope proved more difficult than generating ideas. Feasibility, access to data, ethical considerations, and the ability to ask the right research questions all played a role in shaping the final focus.
That process reinforced how important it is to define the problem carefully at the outset. Small changes in emphasis can significantly alter the direction and usefulness of the research. The final topic wasn’t the first idea I had, but it is a more focused and researchable one.
Engaging colleagues and stakeholders early helped test assumptions and sharpen the project’s relevance. That has brought a sense of responsibility alongside the opportunity. This research isn’t happening in isolation; it has the potential to influence thinking and decisions within the organisation, which raises the stakes in a positive way.
The Quiet Intensity of Independent Work
This stage feels quieter than earlier modules, but no less intense. There are fewer deadlines competing for attention, yet a greater expectation of depth and coherence. The work now needs to stand as a single, connected piece rather than a series of submissions. That’s daunting at times, but it’s also motivating.
I’ve had to be more deliberate about structuring my time, carving out space for reading, analysis, and reflection alongside day-to-day work. The MBA has already influenced how I approach problems professionally: I find myself being more analytical, more comfortable using data to challenge assumptions, and more willing to slow decisions down to understand second-order impacts. This phase has reinforced the value of stepping back before moving forward.
Looking Ahead
What’s surprised me most is the sense of confidence that comes with this phase. Compared to the start of the MBA, there’s less questioning of whether I belong here and more focus on producing something of real quality. I’m under no illusion that this will be easy, but I do feel better equipped to handle it.
Success, for me, won’t just be submitting an MBA final project. It will be producing insight that is rigorous, relevant, and genuinely useful, something that bridges academic thinking and real organisational practice.
The final project doesn’t feel like the end of the MBA journey. It feels like the point where the learning becomes most real: applied, reflective, and deliberately slower. Less about pace, more about depth.
The road continues, just with a sharper focus on what really matters.
This is just one chapter in the journey. For the full story, check out:
