Master of Business Research

The Master of Business Research at Canterbury Institute of Management is a two-year postgraduate degree for people who want to understand how business knowledge is actually made. You will study research design, quantitative and qualitative methods, literature review technique, and how to write for academic and industry audiences. The later part of the degree is built around a supervised research project or thesis, where you work on a business question of your own choosing with guidance from a supervisor.

How the degree is structured

Australian master's degrees usually run one to two years full time and sit at level 9 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. This one is two years. You will enrol in units of study, each carrying credit points, across trimesters or semesters depending on the institute's calendar. Early units build your methods toolkit; later units are largely your own research. A capstone research thesis or major project normally sits at the end, and you may have the option of a work-integrated learning placement or an industry-linked research project, which is common in business research degrees. Confirm the exact unit list, credit point values, and trimester dates on the official CIM course page and the CRICOS register entry for course code 115260B.

What you actually learn

You will learn to frame a researchable question, choose an appropriate method, collect and analyse data, and present findings clearly. That means statistics and data analysis software, interview and survey design, ethics approval processes, and academic writing. You will also build the habits researchers need: reading widely, arguing from evidence, and taking feedback. For students coming from a coursework master's or a bachelor degree, this is where you learn the difference between reading research and doing it.

Who it suits

This degree suits three groups. First, graduates considering a doctorate who want a research qualification and a supervisor's reference before applying. Second, professionals in business, government, or consulting who need to commission, interpret, or conduct research and want formal training. Third, international students who want an Australian postgraduate qualification with a research component. International applicants need to meet the institute's English requirements, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common coursework-postgraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced, and the institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register; check the official page for current fees, intake dates, and entry requirements.

Graduates typically move into roles where evidence and analysis matter more than routine administration. Common destinations include:

• Research officer or research analyst in consulting firms, market research agencies, and corporate strategy teams
• Policy or program officer in federal and state government departments
• Business analyst or data analyst in banking, insurance, retail, and technology
• Research assistant or associate lecturer pathways at Australian universities, often a step towards a PhD
• Monitoring and evaluation officer in not-for-profits and international development organisations
• Consultant or advisor in professional services firms working on industry and government projects

Australian employers in these fields hire from sectors including financial services, health administration, education, public service, and management consulting. A research master's also strengthens applications for doctoral study, where a supervisor and a research proposal are usually required.