Students at online universities may conduct business research

Students at online universities may conduct business research

Students who wish to gain hands-on experience in business may be able to participate in research opportunities offered by campus-based and online colleges, such as the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

Professors at the school recently completed a study that uncovered several reasons why consumers purchase extended service contracts, despite the warnings of market experts.

Consumer advocates have released several reports warning purchasers to avoid these contracts, which can cost between 10 and 50 percent of the original price of a product.

Researchers found buyers are more likely to add an extended warranty to pleasure purchases of products such as Blu-Ray players and iPods in order to avoid the high repair costs generally associated with damages to similar items.

However, extended service contracts are typically designed to cover the costs of malfunctions that are not likely to occur during a standard warranty period.

As a result, such contracts "increase the price of goods for those who can afford it least," as " low-income buyers are more likely to purchase [them]," said Baohong Sun, co-author of the study.

Business students and professionals may have the opportunity to work on similar studies if they enroll in campus-based or online degree programs.