BUSI 885 is Liberty's DBA research concept course, preparing students for the applied doctoral research project. Its written work is a problem statement, research questions, and a concept paper in APA submitted as a first draft and a final draft; the comprehensive exam and weekly progress reports complete the grade.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as BUSI 885 Research Concept, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as BUSI885.
What BUSI 885 covers
The catalog description: This course will focus on students completing a research concept paper and preparing students for their applied doctoral research project.
The course focuses on completing a research concept paper that lays the foundation for the proposed dissertation and prepares students for the applied doctoral research project. Students review their core DBA readings, the dissertation manual and their collected professional literature.
The comprehensive exam (600 points, Week 3, three parts at 200 each, with at least 88% required on each part and overall) and eight weekly progress reports (80 points) have no guide here. Specific requirements are in the Concept Paper Instructions document. Each week runs Monday to Sunday, and the final week ends Friday.
BUSI 885 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Problem Statement | 25 | Not set in the guide; follow the Concept Paper Instructions |
| 5 | Research Questions | 25 | Not set in the guide; follow the Concept Paper Instructions |
| 6 | Concept Paper First Draft | 100 | Not set in the guide; follow the Concept Paper Instructions |
| 8 | Concept Paper Final Draft | 160 | Not set in the guide; follow the Concept Paper Instructions |
Week 4: Problem Statement
The problem statement for your proposed dissertation, submitted for review before the full concept paper. How to write BUSI 885 Week 4 Problem Statement.
Week 5: Research Questions
The research questions for your proposed dissertation, aligned with the problem statement. How to write BUSI 885 Week 5 Research Questions.
Week 6: Concept Paper First Draft
The first draft of your concept paper, providing the foundation for the proposed dissertation. How to write BUSI 885 Week 6 Concept Paper First Draft.
Week 8: Concept Paper Final Draft
The final draft of your concept paper, revised from first draft feedback. How to write BUSI 885 Week 8 Concept Paper Final Draft.
How BUSI 885 is graded
The published guide totals 1,000 points. The comprehensive exam is 600, the problem statement 25, the research questions 25, the concept paper first draft 100 and final draft 160, weekly progress reports 80 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Exam | 600 |
| Problem Statement | 25 |
| Research Questions | 25 |
| Concept Paper First Draft | 100 |
| Concept Paper Final Draft | 160 |
| Weekly Progress Reports (8) | 80 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach BUSI 885
The comprehensive exam in Week 3 must be passed to continue to the dissertation, so prepare for it first; the concept paper sequence begins in Week 4.
The problem statement and research questions are reviewed before the full paper, so treat them as the foundation of everything that follows.
Questions students ask
What is the BUSI 885 concept paper?
A brief APA paper providing the foundation for the proposed dissertation, built through a problem statement (Week 4), research questions (Week 5), a first draft (Week 6) and a final draft (Week 8), following the Concept Paper Instructions document.
What score is needed on the BUSI 885 comprehensive exam?
At least 88% on each of the three sections and on the exam overall; a student who fails one section may retake it once within a week.
Working through BUSI 885 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.