Subject: Social Sciences/Business

Credit level: SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate)

Credits: 20 SCQF/10 ECTS/4 US (Read more about credit study)

Eligibility: 1 year of undergraduate study and aged 18 or above

Language requirements: Evidence of language ability equivalent to IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or above

Start date: 05 July 2021

Length: 4 weeks

Contact hours: 72

Course fee:£3,388

Application deadline: 16 May 2021 (Midnight - BST)

This course explores the link between entrepreneurial theory and practice. It offers an introduction to some of the key areas of entrepreneurship research, and illustrates these theoretical insights with cases from a wide range of industries, sectors and countries.  Students will learn to reflect on the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurship and strengthen their critical thinking skills through discussion and practical exercises, including the development of a start-up business model. The combination of theory, methodology and practice will help students understand the challenges of entrepreneurship in the real world, achieving a complete view of this phenomenon and its different facets.

In the first part of the course, students will explore the foundations of entrepreneurship, including definitions of entrepreneurship, characteristics of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial networks and the context in which they operate. It will also introduce fundamental concepts, such as the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the digital ecosystem.

The second part focuses on start-up planning and will introduce methodological tools such as the Business Model Canvas.  The third part will cover entrepreneurial finance, and the fourth part will provide an overview of processes occurring beyond the start-up phase, such as entrepreneurial growth, exit and entrepreneurship policy.

Syllabus

Part one: 

• Session 1    Introduction to the course. Why entrepreneurship matters.

• Session 2    Entrepreneurship: personality trait, process or method?

• Session 3    Exploring what makes an entrepreneur

• Session 4    Emotions and entrepreneurship

• Session 5    Entrepreneurial networks

• Session 6    Entrepreneurial context and characteristics

• Session 7    Entrepreneurial ecosystems

• Session 8    Digital ecosystems

Part two: 

• Session 9    Planning new venture creation: from the idea to the start-up proposition

• Session 10    Start-up planning pathways

• Session 11    Start-up feasibility planning I: the Business Model Canvas

• Session 12    Start-up feasibility planning II: applications of the Business Model Canvas

• Session 13    Start-up feasibility planning III: identity, ideas, teams and competition

Part three:

• Session 14    Entrepreneurial finance I

• Session 15    Entrepreneurial finance II

Part four:

• Session 16    Entrepreneurial growth

• Session 17    Entrepreneurial exit

• Session 18    Entrepreneurial policy

• Session 19    Summary and conclusion