Masters Degree (MSc) in ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Curriculum and instruction
This is a 180 credit, two year part-time, taught Masters level programme. The programme builds on the Strathclyde Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship's experience in developing and delivering the MSc Technology Entrepreneurship degree, and the International Division's experience in delivering a part-time MBA programme in the UAE since 1995. The outline structure of the programme is shown in the Table below.
Table 1: MSc Entrepreneurship Programme Structure
| Course Title | Credit Value | Level | |
| Year 1: | 60 | ||
| Introductory session | 0 | ||
| Class code TBA | Opportunity Recognition | 10 | SHE5 |
| Class code TBA | Selling in an Entrepreneurial Context | 10 | SHE5 |
| Class code TBA | Strategic Futures | 10 | SHE5 |
| Class code TBA | Building a Team | 10 | SHE5 |
| Class code TBA | Financing New Ventures | 10 | SHE5 |
| Class code TBA | New Business Modelling | 10 | SHE5 |
|
Students will also attend one integrating two hour tutorial per month for 8 months, in preparation for the Intensive Workshop at the beginning of Year 2
|
|||
|
Year 2: |
60 |
|||
| Class code TBA | New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop 1 | 10 | SHE5 | |
| Class code TBA | Leading and Managing New Ventures | 10 | SHE5 | |
| Class code TBA | Company-Based Investigation | 10 | SHE5 | |
| Class code TBA | Entrepreneurial Strategy | 10 | SHE5 | |
| Class code TBA | Growing and Harvesting the Venture | 10 | SHE5 | |
| Class code TBA | New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop 2 | 10 | SHE5 | |
| Students will also attend one individual integrating two hour small group tutorial per month for eight months in preparation for the second Intensive Workshop | ||||
|
Dissertation Business plan, developed and supervised in a structured fashion following the Supercoach® method
|
60 |
SHE5 |
||
Year 1 Programme Structure
In the first year, students are introduced to six essential blocks of entrepreneurship knowledge and skills in opportunity recognition, selling in an entrepreneurial context, strategic thinking, attracting people and financial resources, and modelling new ventures.
Selling in an Entrepreneurial Context introduces students to the theory and practice of communication in various forms, namely selling, negotiation, mediation and leadership. Selling skills are critical in entrepreneurship and this is why this class is positioned early in the first year as a base skill. Strategizing is another critical skill and the Strategic Futures class provides a second building block, building on the Opportunity Recognition class and feeding into the New Business Modelling class at the end of year 1. Between the Strategic Futures and the New Business Modelling classes, students are introduced to resourcing issues for new ventures, particularly people (Building a Team) and funding (Financing New Ventures). The New Business Modelling class focuses on creating financial models of new business concepts, shaping them, and subjecting them to sensitivity analysis. It integrates the learning from all first year classes.
In the first year students will attend a two hour introductory session, six seminars of 18 class contact hours each delivered by University of Strathclyde teaching staff, and eight two-hour small group tutorials spaced through the year. The tutorials integrate learning and prepare students for the New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop at the start of Year 2.
Year 2 Programme Structure
In the second year, students practise the skills acquired in the first year and build on them in six more advanced classes. In the first class in the second year, students participate in functionally complementary teams in the first New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop using the Supercoach® exercises. This provides students with an opportunity to test-drive business concepts they may have been formulating through year 1. Because this workshop takes place at the beginning of year 2, there is time to reshape or swap business concepts before the dissertation topic is chosen. There follows a succession of classes that introduce students to issues they will face once they start a venture, but which they should be planning for beforehand.
Year 2 classes close with a second New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop in which students, working individually this time or in their dissertation project teams if they have chosen to write a group dissertation, subject their business concepts to the Supercoach exercises a second time. Based on the Hunter Centre's experience with this methodology we expect that the business concepts presented in the second workshop will be quite different and much more credible and viable than those presented in the first workshop. The second workshop also helps students identify flaws, or areas of weakness or ignorance before they write their dissertations.
In the second year students attend six additional seminars delivered by University of Strathclyde teaching staff, on advanced entrepreneurship and strategy topics that build on learning in the first year. In addition, students will receive a further eight two-hour tutorials through the year from local staff as in the first year, but individually rather than in groups. These help prepare students for the second Intensive Workshop. Finally, they conduct a dissertation that integrates their learning from the two years of classes.
Modes of Programme Delivery
The principal mode of delivery is intensive three day 18 hour contact time seminars with University of Strathclyde teaching staff, supplemented by tutorials delivered by local staff. For dissertations, University of Strathclyde staff will supervise remotely, following standard practice on the International MBA programme. Estimated class contact time per 10 credit seminar is 20 hours as shown in Table 2 below, including pro rata tutorial time allocations across seminars. Considerable personal study time is expected of students both in preparation for the seminars, using reading lists and exercises provided, and to complete assignments after the seminars.
Table 2: MSc Entrepreneurship Class Contact Time
| Course Title |
Strathclyde Seminars (Hours) |
Tutorials (Hours) |
|
| Year 1: | |||
| Introductory session | 2 | ||
| Opportunity Recognition | 18 | ||
| Selling in an Entrepreneurial Context | 18 | ||
| Strategic Futures | 18 | ||
| Building a Team | 18 | ||
| Financing New Ventures | 18 | ||
| New Business Modelling | 18 | ||
| Sub-total: | 110 | 16 | |
| Year 2: | |||
| New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop 1 | 18 | ||
| Leading and Managing New Ventures | 18 | ||
| Company-Based Investigation | 18 | ||
| Entrepreneurial Strategy | 18 | ||
| Growing and Harvesting the Venture | 18 | ||
| New Venture Creation Intensive Workshop 2 | 18 | ||
| Sub-total: | 108 | 16 | |
| TOTAL: | 218 | 32 |
Running in parallel to the seminars, an integrating series of eight two-hour group tutorials will be provided in the first year by local staff who will have been trained by Hunter Centre staff in the Supercoach® methodology of coaching entrepreneurs. This methodology forms the basis of the structured exercises used in the New Venture Creation Intensive workshops at the beginning and end of year 2. The exercises enable the facilitator to structure the entrepreneur's learning in a context-free manner, thus avoiding having to give context-specific advice. They also facilitate group learning as students learn from their peers' presentations, and enable monitoring and assessment of student progress. The latest breakthroughs in research of relevance to practising entrepreneurs are monitored and readings are added to session reading lists. This updating is a collaborative effort by the university staff who use these techniques worldwide.
In the second year, students receive eight monthly two hour small group tutorials from local staff as in the first year. Again the tutorials use the Supercoach exercises as integrating mechanisms and ways of identifying where students need to work further on their business concepts. In the second year students are also required to complete a dissertation on an entrepreneurship topic. It is expected that this is most likely to be a detailed written business plan using an action learning methodology, prefaced by a review of the empirical and theoretical literature on new business planning and concluding with a personal reflection on lessons learned. It could also be on another action-oriented topic, such as, for intrapreneurs, creating an entrepreneurial organisation in an established business. Hunter Centre staff have considerable experience in supervising Masters theses of this type and are well aware of the issues involved. Students may conduct individual or group dissertations
Online Library Resources
The same on-line facilities used by UK full-time students on campus is available to all UAE students. The main electronic databases of full text academic and business articles are available to UAE students through the Business Information Service (BIS) and an Athens password. The most commonly used databases are ABI/Inform Global, British Humanities Index, Business and Industry, Emerald, Keynote Reports and LexisNexis. These facilities provided through the BIS, are available '24/7' with access from any internet service - students may use their own home based broadband services and/or the computer facilities provided at the SBSU Dubai campus. The sources of information provided through the BIS includes several hundred databases of business and management information, providing access to 10,000+ business and management, trade, and peer-reviewed journals, newspapers, and a wide range of country, industry and market analysis and reports.
Local Library Resources
Once registered on the MSc programme, students are entitled to use Library Resources in Dubai Women's College which they can use for reference or loan. They are also given PINs to allow them to access the library databases from outside the college.
IT Support
The SBSU Dubai campus is equipped with wireless internet facilities in all lecture theatres, classrooms and the postgraduate student common room. Additionally a networked computer and laser printer is available for student use in the postgraduate common room.
Admission requirements
Applicants shall normally:
- possess a degree (first or second class honours) in any discipline, from a United Kingdom University or any other accredited University; or
- possess other professional qualifications deemed, by the Programme Director (or nominee) acting on behalf of Senate, to be equivalent to the above; and in all cases
- applicants must provide documentary evidence of competency of written and spoken English. Minimum standards are a TOEFL score of 550/IELTS score of 6.0; and
- submit a personal statement of purpose that fits with the aims of the programme; and
- must attend a formal interview with the Programme Director or his nominee.
Applicants who satisfy the above provisions may, in addition, be required to have had a period of relevant experience.
In line with UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research requirements, all degree certificates of candidates enrolling on the programme must be attested by the relevant authorities.
Ranjit Gajendra
General Manager
University of Strathclyde Business School UAE.
PO Box 16062
Dubai
UAE
OFFICE: +9714 2089 282
TEL: +971 50 451 3455
EMAIL: ranjit@gsb.strath.ac.uk