Global Management
Mary Sully de Luque
About this opportunity
Thunderbird's bachelor's degree programs will position you as a global business leader ready to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing international business environment. These innovative, specialized degrees in Global Management or International Trade feature hands-on, global courses taught by Thunderbird's graduate-level faculty who provide an interactive, discussion-based classroom experience that deepens your learning. Any Barrett Honors College student who is considering majoring or minoring in Global Management or International Trade should contact the lead FHA or the Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Programs, Dr. Roy Nelson, at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Thesis
Barrett Honors College students enrolled in the Thunderbird School of Global Management undergraduate program, conduct their thesis on a variety of topics. Thesis projects are selected by each student based on their interests and under the guidance of a student's thesis director, as well as a second committee member. Past projects have covered topics such as global supply-chain analysis, smart cities assessments, electric vehicle adoption, and women's leadership in business, among many. Projects may be done using survey-based, interview-based, case-based, or another format decided during the thesis development process.
Academic Preparation
Working with their academic advisors, students will plan their Thunderbird undergraduate program of study, which includes Barrett Honors curriculum. The program of study consists of 30 hours of required course hours, as well as additional elective courses chosen by the student. Typically, students pursue a topic that is related to their courses studied, but this is not mandatory. To successfully gain credit for the Barrett Honors College thesis, the schedule of courses will need to be completed, in addition to the thesis project.
Recommended Timeline
The following is an example of a thesis timeline. Remember that all thesis are different, thus timelines and deadline will vary.
Thesis Timeline Example:
Meetings:
I will be meeting with my Thesis Director starting in September 2020 for once a month. However, changes can be made based on the milestone of the project. We will meet every other week during the semester until April 2021 via zoom. The primary aim of these meetings is to focus on research and interviews conducted, as well as assess the project stages. I will create a schedule based on the previous sessions and set goals to achieve before the subsequent meeting. These meetings will also assist me by providing thesis structure for my thesis through the advice from my director. I will also be meeting with my second committee member, at least once a month from September 2020 to April 2021 via zoom. The goal of my meeting with my second committee member is to ensure I am heading in the right direction as well as to seek the professor’s insights.
First Semester
Date: Task:
- August 2020 Work on the timeline and steps of the process of data gathering with due dates for each draft.
- September 2020 Working on questions for the interview and submitting to IRB
- October 2020 Interviews begin.
- November 2020 Have all transcribing from interviews
- December 2020 Analysis interviews into the thesis.
Second semester
Date: Task:
- January 2021 Beginning of month, have at least 25 pages of my thesis paper completed.
- End of month, have the first full draft done.
- February 2021 End of month, have a second draft done.
- March 2021 Mid-month, review thesis paper with director/second committee member.
- End of month, discuss the location of preference for my defense with both my Thesis director and second committee member.
- Arrange summit room reservations. Tentative thesis defense date.
- April 2021 Beginning of month, thesis defense.
- Final review, submitting for funding, completed Barrett's Online Defense Reporting form and submitting my thesis.
Other Honors Opportunities
Honors enrichment contracts are created on a case-by-case basis. Recent examples of successful contracts are: (1) Barrett Honors student conducted an individual research project that addressed issues such as the history of internet, global internet usage, inhibitors and facilitators of online learning, internet addiction, etc. (2) Barrett Honors student assisted with instructor research on gender influences in leadership; specifically, addressing inhibitors and facilitators of women in leadership, as well as barriers and means of access to institutional leadership pathways for women leaders, in business.