NMIMS CDOE UNIVERSITY PROJECT GUIDELINES

PART 1: SEMESTER III – PROJECT PRE-WORK (0 CREDITS)

Purpose of Project Pre-work

Project Pre-work is an optional but strongly recommended preparation stage for the mandatory Semester IV project. Its purpose is to help students begin early, receive faculty mentorship, finalise their project format and title, and avoid last-minute difficulties.

Selection of Project Format

Students must select one of the following three approved formats:

• Research-Based Project: Academic research involving literature review, research questions, methodology, data analysis, and conclusions.
• Business Plan: Identifying a business opportunity and developing a practical business proposal.
• Problem-Solving Proposal: Identifying and addressing a real-world problem within an organisation or department.

Specialisation and Project Title

The project title must be relevant to the selected specialisation:

• 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
• 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
• 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
• 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
• 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
• 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀
• 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆

Business Management students have flexibility to select topics across different management areas. Other specialisations must select topics directly related to their respective domains.

The title must be concise, not exceeding 20 words, and clearly reflect the selected project format.

Submission and Faculty Mentorship

Submit the project title and description through Student Portal → Exams → Project Pre-work. Faculty mentors will review the title and provide feedback. Students are encouraged to attend synchronous faculty sessions from Week 4 of Semester III. These sessions guide project structure, title selection, introduction, and data collection.

Originality and Deferred Submission

All titles, drafts, and proposals must be original, with proper citations for secondary sources. Approved titles will undergo plagiarism verification again during Semester IV. Students who do not participate or receive approval can revise and resubmit in Semester IV. Mentoring requests through Post My Query must be raised at least 15 days before the final submission deadline.

SEMESTER IV – FINAL PROJECT (6 CREDITS)

Mandatory Project and Registration

The final project is compulsory and carries 6 credits, with a minimum passing requirement of 40/100 marks. Students must register separately, pay the non-refundable project fee of ₹800, and submit within the announced examination cycle deadlines.

Project Format and Title

Students must select one of the three approved formats: Research-Based Project, Business Plan, or Problem-Solving Proposal. The title must not exceed 20 words and must align with the selected specialisation and project format. Incorrect alignment may result in the project not being graded.

Project Submission Requirements

• The main project document must be uploaded in PDF format only.
• Supporting materials, including charts, survey data, screenshots, photographs, graphs, and spreadsheets, must be included as PDF annexures.
• Handwritten or scanned image submissions will receive zero marks.
• Online submission through the Student Portal is compulsory. Hard copies and courier submissions are not accepted.
• The recommended project length is 50–60 pages.

Project Formatting Guidelines

Use Calibri or Arial, 11-point body font, 14-point bold section headings, and 12-point bold subheadings. Maintain 1-inch margins, 1.15 line spacing, 6-point paragraph spacing, justified alignment, centred titles, and bottom-centred page numbering.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

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.

Project Structure

The required structure depends on the selected format:

• Research Project: Abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, findings, discussion, conclusion, limitations, references, and appendices.
• Business Plan: Executive summary, market opportunity, business concept, business model, marketing strategy, financial plan, risk analysis, implementation, and sustainability.
• Problem-Solving Proposal: Executive summary, problem identification, situational analysis, solution development, implementation plan, organisational impact, reflection, and references.

Evaluation and Final Submission

Each project format has 10 assessment parameters, carrying 10 marks each, for a total of 100 marks. Evaluation covers research quality, originality, analytical skills, practical application, recommendations, implementation, and presentation.

Failure to submit after registration results in an Absent status, and fees are neither refunded nor carried forward. Students scoring below 40 or failing to submit must submit a fresh project in the next eligible examination cycle with applicable fees. Non-submission may prevent completion of the programme and issuance of the final certificate.