Dayananda Sagar University (DSU) 

Capstone Project Guidelines

Introduction and Project Requirements

The Capstone Project is a compulsory component of the Trimester 4 Executive MBA programme offered by the School of Commerce and Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar University (DSU).

It carries 6 academic credits and must be completed within three months. The project enables students to apply their management knowledge to practical business situations and demonstrate their research and analytical abilities. Students must undertake the project in consultation with their assigned Project Guide.

Types of Research

DSU permits students to undertake any of the following three research approaches:

• Applied Research (Recommended): Focuses on solving practical organisational problems. Examples include identifying solutions for excessive cash outflows, improving cash inflows and optimising product or service pricing.
• Quantitative Research: Uses numerical data, statistical methods, percentages, tables and graphs to investigate specific research questions. Examples include financial statement comparisons and employee job satisfaction studies.
• Qualitative Research: Examines non-numerical information to understand perceptions, experiences and organisational issues. It may use interviews, open-ended questions, published research and secondary information.

Project Report Structure and Length

The final project report must contain 40–100 pages and follow the prescribed university format. The report should include a cover page, title page, student declaration, bona fide certificate, plagiarism certificate, plagiarism report, executive summary, acknowledgements and table of contents.

The main report must contain five chapters:

• Chapter 1 – Introduction: Research background, problem statement, objectives, scope and limitations.
• Chapter 2 – Literature Review: Critical review of previous research. A minimum of five research articles should be consulted, preferably recent publications from the last five years.
• Chapter 3 – Research Methodology: Research type, data sources, collection methods, sampling techniques and analytical tools.
• Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Findings: Interpretation of research results using tables, charts, graphs and other appropriate methods.
• Chapter 5 – Conclusion: Research conclusions and recommendations based strictly on the findings.

Submission and Evaluation

The project carries 100 marks. The synopsis receives 10 marks, Interim Review I receives 15 marks, Interim Review II receives 15 marks, the soft-copy report receives 20 marks, and the final Capstone VIVA receives 40 marks.

Students must submit their synopsis, attend both interim reviews, obtain guide approval and complete the plagiarism check before the VIVA. The acceptable similarity level must be below 20%. Following successful VIVA completion, two hard copies of the project report must be submitted.

Formatting and Academic Requirements

The report must use Times New Roman, 12-point font, black text, double spacing and justified alignment. Chapter headings should be 16-point bold, while subheadings should be 14-point bold. APA 7th edition referencing is recommended. Tables and figures must have appropriate titles, numbering and source references.

Plagiarism Report

Plagiarism, that is, the willful representation of another person’s work without acknowledgement or the deliberate and unacknowledged incorporation in a student’s work of material derived from the work (published or otherwise) of another, is UNACCEPTABLE and will incur the penalty of outright failure.

Projects containing copied content from ChatGPT, AI tools, or other external sources may receive ZERO MARKS as per the university’s academic integrity and plagiarism policy. Students must ensure that their projects are 100% customised, original, and plagiarism-free, based on their selected specialisation, research objectives, and individual understanding. All references and sources must be properly acknowledged.