MSc Entrepreneurial Practice

One year full-time or 30 months part-time

The MSc Entrepreneurial Practice will help students develop their
entrepreneurial skills in two ways...

Firstly, you will be encouraged to critically reflect on activities associated with
investigating a range of new business opportunities.

Secondly, you will be part of a learning community within the Business School’s Graduate Incubator, Innospace, which will further develop the skills required to establish businesses with real potential for long-term growth. 

It will also help develop the commercial awareness of managers in the public and
private sectors and will be of great relevance to those who are either actively
involved in the running of, or are seeking to set up, a social enterprise.
The programme will develop and enhance your knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Project management and the execution of a feasibility study
• Understanding the role of creativity in developing a business
• Reflective learning
• Understanding the key concepts and ideas involved in entrepreneurial learning and practice

Innospace Graduate Business Incubator

Facilities to support entrepreneurship at the Business School are rapidly
expanding, having launched our new £300,000 Graduate Business Incubator,
Innospace, in October 2007. Innospace has already attracted over 70 young
businesses, providing them with a stimulating and supportive environment
in which to grow. Current industries represented range from aerospace to
after school care, with the most popular areas being the Creative Industries
and Information Technology.

Special Features

• There will be extensive use of WebCT to provide additional learning materials onlin to communicate with students and as an aid to discussions.
• All essential books and learning materials will be included in the programme fee.
• The use of the Innospace will allow students the opportunity to set up their own business and operate from Innospace for the duration of their course.
• There is also the opportunity to work with existing businesses within Innospace to gain extra business experience and insight into the running of small business

Fees

For details of tuition fees for home and overseas postgraduate study by both full and part-time routes please visit the Business School's website at
www.business.mmu.ac.uk/pgfees.

Programme Content

The programme will be taught through a combination of workshops, student led
seminars, tutorials, forums with outside guests involved, coaching, facilitated
action learning sets and formal lectures. Successfully completing the taught units
qualifies you for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurial
Practice. You may then progress to the extended business plan, which leads to
the award of the Masters Degree in Entrepreneurial Practice.

Programme Structure

Shaping Your Ideas
This unit allow students to gain an insight into the key concepts and ideas
involved in entrepreneurial learning and practice. It includes: Business
Environment, Marketing, Finance, E-business, Creativity, Innovation,
Entrepreneurship, Market Research and Business Modelling.

Project Management Methods and Tools
This unit deals with the tools and techniques commonly used in modern
project management within business. It provides students with a range of
techniques they can use to undertake the mechanical process of managing
a project.

Integrated Marketing Communications
Planning and Control
This unit examines the planning, development and implementation of
integrated marketing communication strategies to achieve maximum
engagement and impact with target audiences.

Developing Professional Practice – Entrepreneurial Practice
This project allows students to work in groups on a community based
assignment, honing their managerial skills in a live situation.

Electives
Electives can be chosen from the wide range offered by the Business School,
subject to availability and demand. Popular electives include: Marketing-Led
Management, International Brand Strategy, Digital and Media Environment,
Logistics and Supply Chain Management and Finance for Non-Financial Managers.

Extended Business Plan

The business plan will normally take the
form of an empirical piece of research conducted with academic guidance and
supervision. Students receive instruction in research methods as part of
the process.

Assessment
A mixture of individual and group assignments, feasibility study, individual
learning record, business plan and presentation.

Business School Experiences

"I am very satisfied with the Innospace facilities and the business support services I now have access to. I personally believe that I would not have been in a position to develop my company as much as I have been able to do to date. The Innospace services have particularly benefitted my company in the following ways:
networking opportunities; peer support; access to broadband
facilities; MMU staff support and meeting spaces. I would like to take
this opportunity to thank MMU and your staff team for the advice and
support I have received to date."
Vanessa Augustus
Director, EQR Consulting

"The Innospace facility came just at the right time for me in terms of
providing a support structure for my young business. The business advisors
are a great help and personally, I have found the networking between the
variety of tenants to be the biggest plus; everyone helps everyone."
Warren Dawkins
Managing Director, The Ball Uncensored

“The MSc Entrepreneurial Practice
will help students develop their entrepreneurial skills in two ways.
First, they will be encouraged to critically reflect on activities associated with investigating a range of new business opportunities.

Second, they will be part of a learning community within Innospace which
will further develop the skills required to establish businesses with real
potential for long-term growth.”
Professor Ossie Jones
Head of Centre for Enterprise at the Business School

Career Development Opportunities
The MSc Entrepreneurial Practice will provide the skills, knowledge and
confidence to those wanting to develop and launch a business idea by establishing
a start-up company, adding an academic discipline to the practical experience of
entrepreneurship. It will help develop the commercial awareness
of managers in the public and private sectors and will also be of great relevance
to those who are actively involved in the running of or are seeking to set up a social
enterprise. The programme is designed to enhance managerial competences and
leadership skills thereby improving promotional prospects, career progression
and organisational effectiveness, as well as facilitating business start-up.

Entry Requirements
A good British honours degree (or equivalent) in any subject.
Applicants who lack the normal academic entry requirements may also be
considered. Such applicants would need degree equivalent professional
qualifications or significant relevant management experience.

Applicants whose first language is not English (and whose first degree was not
taught in English) are required to produce evidence of English Language proficiency
to TEFL minimum score 575 (minimum 4.0 in written test) or IELTS minimum
score 6.5. Applicants who have an IELTS score of 5.5 may be considered for
enrolment provided they successfully complete an approved MMU English
Language course.

Further information
For further information about study opportunities in the
Business School please visit our website at www.business.mmu.ac.uk
Enquiries about this programme should be made to:
courses@mmu.ac.uk
+44 (0)161 247 6069