1. Decision Program Information for Master programme in Entrepreneurship, 60 ECTS credits (Magisterprogram i entreprenörskap, 60 högskolepoäng) This document was established by the deputy Dean at the School of Management 2012-02-21. The document applies from the fall semester 2012. Program code: IYAEP 2. General information Entrepreneurship is one of the key drivers for the economic growth of countries, industries, companies and obviously new firms. Future managers in existing and new-started companies need to be able to deal with challenging issues within the organisation and at markets. This program aims to bring theoretical understanding as well as practical skills to handle different problems and opportunities related to entrepreneurship, both independently and in a business context. The program is a one-year master program with three parts or themes: Entrepreneurship; Commercialisation; and a Master s thesis. The focus of the first semester is Entrepreneurship, in particular understanding and analyzing how entrepreneurs recognize opportunities and get engaged in businesses and how processes like these, and related processes as well, could be managed. It will also emphasize the understanding of creativity for individuals and teams, including idea generation and development tools, as well as research methods. The second semester consists of two parts: Commercialisation and Master s project/master s thesis. The former consists of four parts. They are: Project management; Business models; Business plan design; and International property rights. For the last part of the second semester students make a choice between two different tracks: project or thesis. The former focuses on business creation, working closely with the BTH s incubator unit. Here the focus is on issues concerning the creation and management of new businesses and the work is concentrated to the development of business plans and a live case of creating a new business. The latter, and second, track is writing a master s thesis. Focus is here on academic and analytical issues concerning entrepreneurship. The two tracks finish the program, with a thesis either in the form of a comprehensive business plan (track 1) or as a piece of academic research (track 2). One credit point (högskolepoäng) in the Swedish system corresponds to one credit point in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). 3. Aims and learning outcomes In addition to the aims regulated nationally, to be found in section 8, the following aims have been set for the program. On completion of the program the student will: be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship be able to analyze the entrepreneurial challenges in different contexts be able to master tools for creativity and business creation and related processes analyse and make judgments of complex situations in a business context be able to evaluate and undertake rigorous research or in-depth investigations into matters of entrepreneurship be able to demonstrate an understanding of the need to involve or consider issues of: project management, business models, business plan design, and International property rights, in relation to entrepreneurship be able to effectively search, collect and analyse data and information from different sources. 1
4. Learning and education The one-year program is open to students with their first degree from different faculty-areas. The program thus aim to develop a common in-depth understanding of the area of entrepreneurship, while at the same time making use of the diverse academic background of the student-group through the application of a problem-centred and cross-disciplinary approach to learning. This rests on the assumption that students have reached the level of academic maturity necessary for studies on the advanced level where independence and initiative are important. For the last semester students will choose between two tracks. One of them is the Master s project, here students will work individually or in teams in a managed incubation process, which is supposed to result in a comprehensive business plan for a new venture. Throughout this process students have access to, besides the senior academic faculty, advisors with an extensive practical experience from business development as well as specialists from different functional areas. In the other more academically oriented track (the master s thesis) teaching will be offered at seminars. Since students are not required to have previous practical experience the program will make use of company visits and presentations from managers in preferably newly created and small, growing firms from different industries, as well as case studies on industry relevant issues and company based projects and assignments. The idea is for the program to be liberating to students, getting them to reflect (critically) about issues in real life and situations in novel ways and to develop habits of mind that stretch and expand their capacity to think creatively. This privileges a processual view of reality and a style of thought in which movement and the becoming of things are accentuated. The program thus put equal emphasis on the learning of what and on learning how to learn. The program is taught in English and all learning resources used are in English. 5. Structure of the study program The program focus on central activities and processes linked to entrepreneurship. Students are exposed to a diverse set of different perspectives on entrepreneurship, which aim to contribute to an in-depth understanding of the area. For the latter part of the second semester students will choose between two tracks. One of these tracks has an entrepreneurial/practical focus where students work in teams on a business development project in an incubation-like process. The students can choose to develop their own ideas, or to take on existing ideas. The other track has a more traditional academic focus where critical analysis and in-depth understanding of the area of entrepreneurship is emphasized in a master s thesis. The program is continually evaluated and developed which may cause the courses offered and the position of the courses to change. The table below shows the structure of the suggested program. The content of the sister-program MENIN s first year is included, yet de-emphasized in the table. 2
Study period MEN MENIN Year 1 1 Entrepreneurship, 30cr 2 Project Management, 3cr 3 Commercialization, 12cr 4 Master s thesis Project, 15cr Master s Thesis, 15cr Contexts of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 27cr 3
Mandatory courses Course code/ Number of credits IY2529 30 Title Entrepreneurship Subject area/ Level Advanced, AXX Content Entrepreneurial process, opportunities, strategies, models and methods Intrapreneurship Corporate entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship as a research field and in society Idea generation, creativity and development processes Team and individual creativity Creativity tools and methods Cognitive, emotional and motivational capabilities Information search and reference systems Methods and methodologies for data collection and analysis 3 12 Project Management Commercialization Advanced, AXX Advanced, AXX Organizing projects and organizational characteristics Project leadership and learning Project planning and control Patent law, Licenses and copyright IPR and commercialization strategies Business plan: structure, process, performance and critical perspectives Business models: user, customer, product and market. 15 15 Master s thesis project in Entrepreneurship Master s thesis in Entrepreneurship Advanced, A1E Advanced, A1E Identify and evaluate a business opportunity Structured information collection and analysis Preparation for exploitation of a business idea, by planning a start-up, a venture sale or for intrapreneurship Academically in written reflect upon the entrepreneurial project in relation to theory Present and convincingly argue for a business idea Develop a thesis proposal and plan the thesis project Complete the project in a written Master s thesis Defend the master s thesis verbally in a seminar or in written 4
The aims and learning outcomes of the program are reached through the different courses included in the degree. Assessment and examination take place at course level and details concerning assessment and grading for the courses can be found in each respective course descriptor. 5
6. Selection If there are more qualified applicants than available places on the program there is a selection made. The procedure for the selection is as follows: The selection is based on the previous academic degree of the applicant. In the first step an assessment of the relevance of the degree is made. Here the applicant can score either 0; 0,5 or 1,0 points where the latter score marks the highest relevance. In the second step the applicant s previous experience of thesis work is assessed. If the applicant has done a thesis or project work of less than 15 ECTS the score is 0,5, while a thesis of 15 ECTS or more equal a score of 1,0. In the final step the two scores are added which means that the maximum score is 2,0. 7. Transition regulations for advancement Students are expected to have passed a minimum of 75% of the courses during the first semester of the Program before moving on to the second semester. Students with less than 22 credits after the first semester are to contact the study-counsellor to discuss an individual study-plan, before the start of the second semester. 8. Excerpt from the national Degree Ordinance Magisterexamen Omfattning Magisterexamen uppnås efter att studenten fullgjort kursfordringar om 60 högskolepoäng med viss inriktning som varje högskola själv bestämmer, varav minst 30 högskolepoäng med fördjupning inom det huvudsakliga området (huvudområdet) för utbildningen. Därtill ställs krav på avlagd kandidatexamen, konstnärlig kandidatexamen, yrkesexamen om minst 180 högskolepoäng eller motsvarande utländsk examen. Undantag från kravet på en tidigare examen får göras för en student som antagits till utbildningen utan att ha haft grundläggande behörighet i form av en examen. Detta gäller dock inte om det vid antagningen gjorts undantag enligt 7 kap. 28 andra stycket på grund av att examensbevis inte hunnit utfärdas. Mål Kunskap och förståelse För magisterexamen skall studenten - visa kunskap och förståelse inom huvudområdet för utbildningen, inbegripet såväl överblick över området som fördjupade kunskaper inom vissa delar av området samt insikt i aktuellt forsknings- och utvecklingsarbete, och - visa fördjupad metodkunskap inom huvudområdet för utbildningen. Färdighet och förmåga För magisterexamen skall studenten - visa förmåga att integrera kunskap och att analysera, bedöma och hantera komplexa företeelser, frågeställningar och situationer även med begränsad information, - visa förmåga att självständigt identifiera och formulera frågeställningar samt att planera och med adekvata metoder genomföra kvalificerade uppgifter inom givna tidsramar, - visa förmåga att muntligt och skriftligt klart redogöra för och diskutera sina slutsatser och den kunskap och de argument som ligger till grund för dessa i dialog med olika grupper, och - visa sådan färdighet som fordras för att delta i forsknings- och utvecklingsarbete eller för att arbeta i annan kvalificerad verksamhet. Värderingsförmåga och förhållningssätt För magisterexamen skall studenten - visa förmåga att inom huvudområdet för utbildningen göra bedömningar med hänsyn till relevanta vetenskapliga, samhälleliga och etiska aspekter samt visa medvetenhet om etiska aspekter på forskningsoch utvecklingsarbete, - visa insikt om vetenskapens möjligheter och begränsningar, dess roll i samhället och människors ansvar för hur den används, och - visa förmåga att identifiera sitt behov av ytterligare kunskap och att ta ansvar för sin kunskapsutveckling. 6
Självständigt arbete (examensarbete) För magisterexamen skall studenten inom ramen för kursfordringarna ha fullgjort ett självständigt arbete (examensarbete) om minst 15 högskolepoäng inom huvudområdet för utbildningen. Övrigt För magisterexamen med en viss inriktning skall också de preciserade krav gälla som varje högskola själv bestämmer inom ramen för kraven i denna examensbeskrivning. Högskolespecifikt för BTH För masterexamen krävs minst 60 högskolepoäng på D-nivå i huvudområdet, varav det självständiga arbetet ska utgöra minst 30 högskolepoäng. Av de 120 högskolepoäng som krävs för examen får högst 30 högskolepoäng komma från grundnivå. 7