Business & Economics, Our Students

BAB Seniors Complete Their Thesis Projects

5 min read

The BA in Business thesis is a culminating experience that provides students in the Manoogian College of Business and Economics of the American University of Armenia (AUA) with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the years in the BAB program. Upon evaluating the thesis proposals of students with high academic performance, a committee selects seniors to participate in the honors thesis project. Chosen students are required to conduct a thorough analysis of a particular issue in business or economics, apply the theories and frameworks learned in the program, and propose solutions to challenges examined in their study. The thesis project is meant to demonstrate the students’ analytical and interpretive skills. It is expected that the thesis involves substantial research, data collection and analysis, as well as a theme or construct akin to academic work. There were 41 BAB thesis projects completed in the 2019-20 academic year.

As one of the thesis supervisors Gayane Barseghyan asserts, “Thesis writing is a unique chance to work on a selected topic throughout the semester and in the BAB program that chance is given on a competitive basis. According to the requirements and work plan I set up with the students writing theses under my supervision, they studied academic literature on the topic, formulated research questions based on that, worked with data, applied relevant methodologies and interpreted results in the context of the literature. I would emphasize how eager they were to do the work I recommended, which also assumed learning and applying new methodologies not covered in their prior courses. As a result, due to this collaboration, as well as their intellect and hard work, they were able to produce competitive results. I am confident they all will demonstrate outstanding work in whatever they do in future and I wish them the best of luck!”

Below are the award-winning BAB thesis projects in the academic year 2019-20 along with several student testimonials:

Eduard Hovhannisyan
“The Timing of the First Marriage and Its Determinants”

Supervisor: Gayane Barseghyan
Emily Bazikyan
“Determining the Bitcoin Market Bubble: Fractal Market Analysis”

Supervisor: Gayane Barseghyan
Elen Sahakyan
“Sensitivity of Armenian Government Bond’s Market to Economic News: An Event Study”

Supervisor: Gayane Barseghyan
Rafayel Avagyan
“Armenian Public Education Expenditure and Labor Market”

Supervisor: Aleksandr Grigoryan

“From the day that I first learned about the nature of capstone thesis projects, I made sure to plan my studies so that I could properly concentrate on my research, as it was going to be the culmination of my studies at AUA. All the knowledge accumulated from summer research, econometrics, and research methods courses, along with my alleviated schedule in the last semester, allowed me to effectively develop the research question and methodology with my academic supervisor. The availability and collection of data was challenging, as my research was addressing the Armenian labor market. Nevertheless, the experience resulted in immense theoretical and practical gains as I delved deeper into the topic while thinking of ways to solve those issues along the way. And better yet, I am happy with the final product, as the paper has tackled an important issue relevant to Armenia, and can provide solid grounds for future policies concerning the labor market.”
Yana Hovsepyan
“Does a Better Developed Self-Control Contribute to a Person’s Financial Behavior and Well-Being in the Long Run?”

Supervisor: Gurgen Aslanyan

“Working in the environment that we all had to adapt to had its ups and downs. Of course, the constant anxiety about the situation was the downside, but the continuous support of my supervisor and all the other professors helped us all stay positive and motivated. Writing a thesis capstone is a very responsible decision and giving up was never an option. I had the guidance of my professors, who helped me with both data preprocessing and machine learning parts of my work and gave advice whenever I needed it the most. Overall, even though it was a very challenging period of my life, I will always remember with great warmth the support I received from my supervisor and all the others who contributed to my success.“
Levon Aslanyan
“What Effect Will Anti-Smoking Laws Have on the Armenian Economy?”

Supervisor: Vardan Baghdasaryan
Lusine Apresyan
“The Marketing of Scent: The Effect of Ambient Scent on Restaurant Customers’ Behavior in Armenia”

Supervisor: Theofanis Varvoglis

“Besides being exciting, as I got to explore a new topic, the capstone thesis project was an effective way of enriching my knowledge gained during the academic journey at AUA and applying it to valuable research in the restaurant industry, and for that I am deeply grateful to my AUA instructors and my supervisor Dr. Theofanis Varvoglis. While it was challenging to carry out the project during the pandemic and I had to make some adjustments to the original research design, I hope that my study will make a small but important contribution to the emerging field of aroma marketing.”
Nana Karapetyan
“University Major Choice in Armenia”

Supervisor: Vardan Baghdasaryan

“Once I completed my capstone thesis presentation, I knew it summed up years of hard work, as it was the outcome of the knowledge I have managed to gain from AUA and my instructors during these four years. During my studies, I had collected the pieces of a puzzle, and my capstone thesis project completed the picture as it is a wholesome and invaluable representation of the academic and computational skills I have acquired during my studies. Moreover, this experience was not only educational but it was also enjoyable, as I was motivated to explore and apply the skill set I acquired on a topic of interest to me.”
Alisa Aleksanyan
“Best International Practice of the Excise Tax Levy and Rate and its Implication for Armenia”

Supervisor: Vardan Baghdasaryan
Karen Manukyan
“Estimating the Size of the Shadow Economy of Armenia”

Supervisor: Vache Gabrielyan

“Writing the thesis paper was the largest academic project that I completed at AUA. It was the first time I went through the whole process of a research project, from defining the research question to doing the literature review and finalizing the results in the paper. Some of the challenges I encountered while writing the thesis drove me to study and learn concepts that I would not have learned otherwise. Completing the thesis would have been impossible without the supervision and assistance of Dr. Vache Gabrielyan. His guidance was of profound importance to me in all the stages of writing the thesis.”
Sona Avagyan
“Rent Price Determinants For Residential Apartments: Micro Evidence from Yerevan”

Supervisor: Gayane Barseghyan

“The capstone thesis course was one of the most valuable classes that I took at AUA. It allowed me to combine all the knowledge I gained during the past four years and drive it to creating something valuable. It was a challenging process, full of various limitations, especially considering that COVID-19 forced everyone to work online. Nevertheless, I am proud to say that we had quite informative online presentations on our projects. This was an invaluable experience for me. Due to this project, I acquired a lot of new skills in scientific research that will help me further in my academic development.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.