The MSc Entrepreneurship course has been designed for individuals with an entrepreneurial mind-set. It is open to students from any academic discipline who are looking to set up their own business, become future entrepreneurs or those looking to take over their family business. This course combines rigorous academic theory with the practical skills, hands-on experience and valuable networks you need to make your business a success.
This course aims to stimulate the entrepreneurial ethos of individuals and develop their skills and capabilities to lead and direct start-ups. This is done in four phases:
Phase 1: developing and screening your business ideas – your business ideas will be challenged by your peers and other business colleagues to see if they are sustainable and have the potential value in the current global climate. It will encourage you to plan ahead and anticipate any changes within your market so you are prepared to face them.
Phase 2: creating your offer and finding opportunities – you will define your value proposition and position it within the market against competitors and the current market conditions. This will also give you the opportunity to ‘hire’ your fellow classmates who ideas do not pass this stage to help develop yours.
Phase 3: utilise global market conditions – your skills in innovation and core competencies will be advanced to face international challenges and gain confidence to deal with diverse cultures and attitudes.
Phase 4: convincing markets and investors – here you will be pitching your business idea to venture capitalists and other business centres such as Wave Venture and 3i, to try to secure funding for your business idea to start to develop and grow it. You will have the opportunity to seek advice on internationalising your own concepts from experts and contacts that the course team will introduce you to.
This entrepreneurial journey expose you to the networks and investment opportunities you will need to get your ideas off the ground, and there is even the chance to access seed funding directly from the Business School.
In your final semester you’ll undertake the Entrepreneurship Experience Project, which enables you to kick-start your venture and find opportunities to finance for growing it to a sustainable one. During this project you will have the opportunity to complete against your peers to win a scholarship for attending the annual European Innovation Academy event in Italy. The event is a 3 week all-expense paid for opportunity for the qualified MSc Entrepreneurship students where you will present your business proposition to mentors and investors from Silicon Valley.

What you’ll gain from this degree?

– through the Entrepreneurial Experience Project you will have the opportunity to set up and establish your own enterprise and be mentored by experts in the field, or perhaps develop ideas for a family business with which you are involved already. You will have the opportunity to pitch directly to venture capital investors and business angels with the opportunity to raise funding or further collaborations.
– during the course your professional and business networks will be enriched by an international experience, following a ‘young’ entrepreneurial firm, experiencing directly the entrepreneurial journey.
– the course provides you a unique seed fund and access to the entrepreneurial community, presenting you with connections to experts, entrepreneurs, business angels and capitalists.
– all Entrepreneurship students at Nottingham Business School will have access to The Hive, a purpose built centre dedicated to helping turn business ideas into reality.
– develop management skills to explore new venture opportunities and advance participants’ ideas to feasible enterprises.

Careers and employability

You’ll develop a wide range of skills and abilities, enhancing your entrepreneurial skills and therefore your employability. You’ll be able to:
– become an entrepreneur starting your own venture
– identify career opportunities towards an entrepreneurial role
– develop the skills to gain accelerated promotion in your chosen profession
– lead change as an entrepreneur inside a larger organisation
– carry out consultancy work in a wide range of sectors, e.g. manufacturing, services, retailing
– advise other entrepreneurs
– undertake further study within the field of entrepreneurship.
From the last cohort three students have set up their own businesses, one student is employed in Switzerland and the remaining students are taking over areas within their family businesses.