Reaching professional skills with the Final Master Thesis: Collaboration towards actual solutions

Abstract

In order to motivate the student through a professional experience, and to improve the teaching-learning process by letting the student gain experience, we implement a collaborative learning-through-service methodology. This method increases the student involvement level and the deep understanding of the tools. As a matter of example, we present the implementation of this method in the Final Master Thesis (FMTh) of the Master on Corporate Finance at the University of Valencia (UV). In these FMTh, students have to valuate an actual innovation developed by UV researchers (on chemistry, in this case) with the goal of helping them to transfer (sell) this innovation to the industry. This collaborative learning-through-service methodology helps students put into practice the technics learned in the Master and give them a strong sense of the financial professional practice.