Enterprise and Innovation - MSc
- Mode of study
- Full time, Part time
- Entry months
- September
- Duration of Study
- 1 Year / up to 20 months with entrepreneurship or placement pathway
- Subject Area
- Business and Management
- FEES (2022/23 academic year)
- UK - 2022/23 Fees TBC
- International - 2022/23 Fees TBC
Course Overview
Our practice-based MSc prepares you to be a creative thinker and problem solver. You’ll engage with businesses and experience real business issues from the outset, studying in the only UK business school with new businesses and entrepreneurs on site in our Smart Innovation Hub.
Key facts
- Gain substantial practical experience through a consultancy project or work placement.
- Get paid to work alongside an academic expert on a ‘live’ research project to help local SMEs bring innovative products and services to market quicker through Keele Research and Innovation Support Programme (KRISP).
- Relate your learning to the real-world through case studies and visits to businesses – on a previous field trip, students took a factory tour of Jaguar Land Rover to see lean manufacturing and sustainability initiatives in action.
- Large choice of optional modules allows you to tailor your studies to match your interests.
- Our Grand Challenges lecture series invites speakers to provide fresh perspectives on the political, ethical and intellectual problems we face as a world today.
- Keele is ranked 3rd in the UK for business by the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES 2019).
*Please note that our students’ health and wellbeing is paramount, therefore contact and work-based activities have been adapted to include remote / virtual approaches, due to the global pandemic.
About the course
On our exciting new flagship MSc, you’ll interact with entrepreneurs and start-ups, working on real-life business projects while you learn to give you the skills, knowledge and versatility to create and lead change with confidence in dynamic, unpredictable, complex and diverse environments.
Capitalising on Keele Business School’s co-location with the Smart Innovation Hub, you’ll engage not only with leading academics but with start-ups and entrepreneurs to gain a thorough grounding in current theories and concepts of enterprise and innovation, while watching entrepreneurs in action.
Thanks to our involvement in the EU-funded Keele Research and Innovation Support Programme (KRISP), you’ll be able to experience the challenges business managers face first hand, giving you a unique insight into broader business operations and the technological, legal, financial, ethical and economic constraints in developing new products, processes or services. To date, we’ve helped over 200 small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
Team building, group work, research, presentations and projects will help you develop vital management skills, such as business planning, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, delegation and time management.
A course highlight is the Creative and Personal Development study trip, a week-long residential team building exercise where you’ll disconnect from the outside world and work in teams to solve a real business issue. The event culminates with a dinner hosted, planned and served by you, after which you’ll present your findings and receive feedback from the businesses you’ve worked with.
Your final project gives you another opportunity to directly transfer your learning to the workplace by researching a current management topic, responding to a specific business issue or undertaking a ‘live’ work-based project.
Our goal is to get you ‘work ready plus’ by the time you graduate – ready to work industries that may not yet exist and with technology not yet invented, in other words, able to adapt and thrive in an uncertain tomorrow.
Course structure
You will study a mixture of core and optional taught modules during semesters 1 and 2. After you have completed the taught modules of the course, you will undertake a large project in semester 3 to further develop your knowledge in a specific area.
Module structure
SEMESTER 1
Core modules
- Creative and Personal Development
- New Business Plan
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainable Development
- Portfolio (part 1)
SEMESTER 2
Core modules
- Marketing Management in the Digital Age
- Developing an Investable Business Plan
- Portfolio (part 2)
During semester two you can also tailor your learning by choosing an elective from a large range of optional modules.
SEMESTER 3
After you have completed the taught modules, you will undertake a large independent project to further develop your knowledge in a specific area of management or to tackle a specific management issue within an organisation, all of which is designed to enhance your employability. You will choose one of the options below:
- Research dissertation
- Consultancy project
- Placement (UK/EU students only)
- Entrepreneurship (UK students only)
Dissertation
The dissertation is a formal written academic project of approximately 15,000 words, making it ideal preparation for future academic research at MPhil or PhD level or for the report-writing and scrutiny expected of senior management professionals. Taking inspiration from your own interests, and with support throughout from a supervisor with relevant expertise, you’ll choose a topic to research in HRM.
Previous students have researched subject matter as diverse as the factors affecting teacher retention in state-funded education or the high labour turnover in the IT Industry, to the effectiveness of training at a decoration company in China and gender discrimination in the retail sector.
Consultancy Project
From June to September, you will spend eight to 12 weeks undertaking a management research project on behalf of an organisation (chosen by Keele Business School). You’ll put into practice what you’ve learned, developing and applying your skills to solve a business problem, issue or focus on a specific project. As part of the eventual assessment, you’ll present your findings to the host organisation, exactly as you would do within the workplace. For example, one student looked at the process for dealing with performance issues and, by streamlining communications and exploring the use of ‘soft’ HRM methods (team boards), managed to bring down delivery times substantially making significant cost savings as a result. Another previous student analysed how employee engagement levels affect a working organisation, while another sought to identify best practice for a local council as part of its large-scale event management.
At the end of the year, Keele Business School presents one student with the ‘Student Consultant of the Year’ award. Please note that participation in the Consultancy Project is only available after a comprehensive selection process
Entrepreneurship pathway
An excellent opportunity if you have an idea for a new business venture, this module will provide you with the time, space and expertise to develop it. For between eight weeks to 12 months, you’ll be given the option of a base within the University’s incubator and have access to workshops and guidance from a network of entrepreneurs and business advisers. During this time, you’ll complete a portfolio of evidence on your idea and present this to an external stakeholder. Places are limited, and you will be required to undertake an interview prior to acceptance on this module.
The Entrepreneurship pathway is available to UK and international students. Yet for international students, the availability of the Entrepreneurship pathway is subject due to the latest visa regulations.
Placement
In an increasingly competitive job market, employers are looking to recruit employees who have high-level knowledge, skills and workplace experience. With support from the Faculty Placement Officer, you will gain first-hand professional experience on a suitable, paid work placement for between eight weeks to 12 months. During your placement, you will be required to complete an extended project on behalf of the organisation. As part of the eventual assessment, you’ll present your findings to the host organisation, exactly as you would do within the workplace. Your placement can be based anywhere in the UK giving you the opportunity to work with local, national and international organisations.
Students who require a visa to study in the UK may be able to add in a work placement depending upon the programme. The ability to add a work placement is dependent upon the UK Immigration rules at the time of the request. It may be that for some programmes students will not have the option to request a placement period to be added to their programme before they arrive in the UK and would need to apply for a new visa. There is no guarantee that a placement will be provided and that students who have a visa are subject to a number of restrictions on the type of work, including placements they can undertake.
How the course is taught
Our teaching and learning strategy is wide-ranging and innovative, seeking to give you a rich learning environment that draws actively upon leading edge research, as well as current business practice and problem-solving to develop your entrepreneurial mindset.
Real-life business case studies and projects throughout will help you appreciate broader business issues, challenges and the context in which businesses operate today, in particular, the move to digital first and increasing societal demands for sustainability and ethical behaviour.
A key strength of our programme is our commitment to developing your critical thinking skills through problem solving exercises, which will benefit you for the rest of your working life. Encouraging you to question, apply and evaluate different theories, creative approaches and techniques, you’ll build confidence, develop sound judgment and become adept at generating ideas and alternative solutions.
You’ll learn from leading researchers and external practitioners, gaining industry insights through guest lectures and field trips, for example, to visit the Chamber of Commerce or Town Hall.
How you'll be assessed
Assessment is varied and includes the use of essays, skills portfolios, reflective diaries, exams, workbooks, presentations, reports, posters and practical projects. Most modules combine several forms of assessment.
Where possible, assessment is designed to reflect skills and practices in the workplace, including team working, idea generation, meeting deadlines and so on, so you get a feel for the pressures of everyday working life. You will experience both individual and group presentations and have an opportunity to communicate your ideas in different ways to different audiences. For example, you’ll develop and present a business model canvass and get feedback from practitioners and serial entrepreneurs. You’ll work on an individual management report, making strategic recommendations to the Board of Directors for how the firm should respond innovatively to a challenge of sustainable development. You’ll undertake a group based concept development task, starting with brainstorming and engaging in cycles of divergent and convergent thinking before considering, in as far reaching a way as possible, the implications of your project for the economy, society and the environment.
Entry Requirements
Academic entry requirements
Undergraduate degree in any subject with second class lower (2:2) or an international equivalent.
English Language Entry Requirement for International Students
IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component . The University also accepts a range of internationally recognised English tests.
If you do not meet the English language requirements, the University offers a range of English language preparation programmes.
During your degree programme you can study additional english language courses. This means you can continue to improve your English language skills and gain a higher level of English.
Funding
There may be additional costs for textbooks and inter-library loans.
Living costs
Keele University is located on a beautiful campus and has all the facilities of a small town. Student accommodation, shops, restaurants and cafes are all within walking distance of the teaching buildings. This is a very cost effective way to live and to reduce your living costs.
Scholarships and Funding
We are committed to rewarding excellence and potential. Please visit our scholarships and bursaries webpage for more information
Our expertise
Teaching staff
KBS staff have extensive teaching, research and work experience in their fields. The School maintains a strong commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching and research. Our staff members have substantial teaching experience and are committed to continuing professional development as academic teachers. Many of our permanent lecturers have PhDs or other higher degrees or professional qualifications.
The School’s Employer Advisory Board helps to ensure course content remains relevant and up-to-date, ensuring you leave with the skills employers prioritise most. You will be taught by a range of leading experts in enterprise, innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing and management, who will share their own professional experiences, which helps to put marketing in the broader context of the business environment.
Facilities
The course is run from Keele Business School’s new home – the Denise Coates Foundation Building – a state-of-the-art facility complete with 220-seat lecture theatre, a ‘think lab’ study space, data laboratory, cafe and business lounge.
Home to our accounting, business management, economics, finance, HRM, international business, management and marketing programmes, our Business School is the first to be located on a Science Park. As well as new teaching spaces, our building is unique in that it is also home to the Smart Innovation Hub, a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which includes space and support programmes for innovation-led businesses, providing opportunities for students and staff to work collaboratively with entrepreneurs and business owners, gaining invaluable networks and experience.
If you choose to study business and management modules available, you’ll have access to the Bloomberg Suite with all its economic, financial and business real-time data, world news, analyses and reports from the world’s biggest financial organisations. You can choose to complete the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) certificate free of charge, an eight-hour e-learning, self-paced course which covers economic Indicators, currencies, fixed income and equities.
Based in the heart of England, Keele University is easily accessible by motorway and public transport. You’ll find everything’s on your doorstep, with the most important facilities gathered together at the centre of campus, which, at 600 acres, is one of the biggest in the UK.
Recognised for the highest quality teaching, the University was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), while 97% of our research is classed as world-leading or of international importance (REF 2014). In the global top 20 for campus sustainability, environmental and corporate responsibility underpin the running of our own business and these themes are embedded into our teaching of future professionals and leaders.
Careers
This exciting master’s course aims to futureproof your career by equipping you with the necessary knowledge, skills and techniques to solve current and future real-world problems. While the challenges may change over time, the problem solving processes we teach will remain as relevant as ever.
Gaining practice and experience while you study, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the nature of entrepreneurialism, the role of entrepreneurs in the economy and the operating models of entrepreneurial businesses. You’ll learn how to apply a range of different theories, creative and innovative approaches, tools and techniques and, at the same time, develop the skills required to solve business dilemmas, think up and implement solutions, making the most appropriate business decisions.
The MSc Enterprise and Innovation will equip you with a broad knowledge of enterprise, innovation, business planning and marketing, ready to be a problem solver, wealth creator, creative thinker and idea generator on graduation. With the confidence to generate, implement and manage new ideas, even in changing or uncertain contexts, you’ll be a valuable asset to any type of organisation in the public, private or not-for-profit sector.
You may choose to pursue a career innovating in-house as an intrapreneur or as a business consultant identifying and fixing problems, supporting change management, new product development or research and development. Alternatively, by the time you leave, you may already have an investable business plan and be ready to set out as an entrepreneur yourself. You’ll also be ideally placed to pursue further postgraduate studies at MPhil or PhD level.
Examples of the roles you might progress to during the course of your career include:
- Business Consultant
- Business Design Lead
- Business Development Manager
- Business Founder
- Fundraiser
- Management Consultant
- Product Manager
- Research and Development Manager
- Start-up Entrepreneur
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