PARUL UNIVERSITY – ONLINE

COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT GUIDELINES

Introduction and Duration

The Comprehensive Project (CP) is a mandatory part of the Online MBA programme, undertaken during the third and fourth semesters and submitted by the end of Semester IV.

It carries 6 credits and provides students with an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to practical business situations and demonstrate expertise in their chosen specialisation.

Objectives of the Project

The project aims to develop practical knowledge, analytical skills, industry exposure, and professional capabilities. Students can explore areas such as business strategy, HR functions, ERP implementation, banking, industry analysis, marketing research, advertising, sales, and distribution. Fieldwork may also be included. Permission must be obtained before using an organisation’s data or information.

Project Format and Group Requirements

The guidelines initially mention a group of five students, but the FAQ specifically clarifies that the project must be undertaken individually only. Students can select one of three project formats:

• Research-Based Project: Academic research involving literature review, methodology, data collection, and statistical analysis.
• Industry Study / Industry-Defined Problems: Analysis of an industry, company, market trends, competition, and business challenges.
• Project Feasibility Study: Evaluation of marketing, technical, financial, and human resource feasibility.

Project Work in Semester III and IV

Semester III focuses on industry information, literature review, introduction, research methodology, and initial data collection. Semester IV focuses on data analysis, interpretation, findings, limitations, conclusions, and recommendations. Students must work under an assigned internal faculty guide.

Evaluation and Viva

The Comprehensive Project carries 200 marks and 6 credits. Evaluation includes project submission, viva voce, communication skills, and concept clarity. The internal and external evaluation ratio is 30:70. Students must deliver a 15–20-minute presentation followed by questions from the external examiner.

Plagiarism and Originality

The project report must maintain less than 30% plagiarism/similarity. Students must submit an originality declaration and a separate plagiarism report. Copying published information or another student’s work and presenting it as original may result in examination failure or other university penalties.

Report Formatting and Submission

• Font: Times New Roman.
• Font size: 12 for regular text, 14 for subtitles, and 16 for titles.
• Line spacing: 1.5.
• Page size: A4.
• Margins: 1.5 inches on the left and 1 inch on the other sides.
• Alignment: Justified.
• The project must be 80 pages
• Submit the report in Word format or converted to PDF for online submission.
• One spiral-bound hard copy must be brought for the external viva.

Important Submission Requirements

The report must include the title page, declaration, institute certificate, preface, acknowledgement, subject index, executive summary, complete project report, annexures, and bibliography. Submit the report to the internal faculty and upload it to the LMS.