Overview
This short course is designed to build participants' awareness of their entrepreneurial potential and assess the viability of an innovative project.
Important notice – campus change
Students will complete the next academic year (2020/21) on the Jordanstown campus *
Thereafter, from 2021, they may transition campuses.
Precise timings will be communicated as we progress through the final stages of the build of the enhanced Belfast campus.
*subject to COVID-19 restrictions and on-line learning provision
Find out about the campus transition
Summary
Rapid changes in technology, political structures and lifestyles are creating
new markets and opportunities for enterprise and for entrepreneurial people. On the other hand, these factors combined with the pressure of aggressive competition, create an environment full of threats to challenge the determination of such. The identification and evaluation of new product ideas, the development of innovative routes to markets and the exploitation of key and largely limited resources are at the heart of any understanding of the entrepreneurial process. As larger companies downsize in pursuit of benefits of entrepreneurial SMEs a number of questions arise. Do SMEs just practice a simplified version of "sophisticated" business practiced in larger firms? Why, are larger firms apparently so keen to abandon "big" and "sophisticated" for "small" and "unorthodox"? Is the marketing and resource management practiced in entrepreneurial SMEs different, even fundamentally different? How do we understand the people who, despite adverse circumstances still seek to engage in new business venturing with all the attendant risks?
There is a need to address these issues and to explore the challenges that exist at the interface between entrepreneurial theory and practice, to answer these questions and to draw out the practical implications for practice in enterprising businesses in pursuit of development and possibly growth.
This course can be taken individually or combined over a period of time towards a Postgraduate Certificate of Professional Development.
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About this course
About
The aim of this short course is to build the participants’ awareness of their entrepreneurial potential and provide a framework for assessing the viability of an innovative new venture or the development of an existing one. It also seeks to give participants an opportunity to build their competencies in managing the business development process, focusing on new, small and medium sized ventures. The emphasis of the course will be on exploring best practice with respect to opportunity identification, resource management and innovative route-to-market planning.
To support the course, guest speakers drawn from Ulster University Business School’s wide network of contacts within the small to medium sized enterprise, (SME), sector, as well as the Visiting Professoriate, many of whom are entrepreneurial practitioners themselves, will discuss their experience of marketing-led enterprise development in practice. Their input will encourage participants to challenge existing theories and to explore new ways of thinking about business practice within the SME context. Videos and case studies will also be used which focus on entrepreneurial leadership in practice in order to further enhance learning. In addition, a project, which is lodged within a live SME case, is deliberately designed to expose participants to the realities of managing the innovative development of such a venture, providing them with an opportunity to critically review extant research in this space and to explore new ways of thinking about business practice in SMEs.
Linked programmes
MSc Business Development and Innovation,
PgCertPD Postgraduate Certificate of Professional Development
Assessment
100% Coursework
(1) Written Report - Feasibillity Study (75%)
Working in groups of three, participants on the programme will be required to prepare and submit an innovative route-to-market planning project for an entrepreneurial business venture, with supporting rationale. Maximum length of the planning report will be 20 pages.
In their report, perhaps in a part A, Venture Teams should initially, clearly establish the base potential of an entrepreneurial SME for continuous development and growth. To that end they should critically review the potential of the entrepreneurial team behind the project, the product itself, the potential of the market to be accessed and accessibility of resources required to exploit the opportunity. Then, in a part B of their report, based on their review, they should outline the best possible and most innovative route to market for the enterprise, with supporting rationale. Teams should set out clear recommendations based on their thinking to be considered by their client company
(2) Written Report - Individual Statement (25%)
Each member of the group will also be required to submit an individual statement, for the final 25% of the marks, providing insights to the role(s) they played in the team’s efforts, outlining the contributions, roles and responsibilities within the team.
Attendance
This course requires attendance on three consecutive days from 9.30am to 4.30pm on 24, 25 and 26 March 2021 plus follow-up seminars to be arranged to suit an individual basis. All classes will take place online.
Entry requirements
Any undergraduate degree.
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
Please see details of the English language qualifications and certificates we can accept - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/177404/Other-english-language-tests-and-qualifications-2017.pdf
International applicants will also require a short-term study visa. Further information is available at https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/visa-immigration
Start dates
Content
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10- or 20-credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate course typically 15- or 30-credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification and the assessment timetable. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised.
Calculation of the Final Award
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study. In Master’s degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Academic profile
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (18%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2019-2020.
Fees and funding
Prices
Northern Ireland & EU: £627.45
England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands: £627.45
International: £1,206.75
Fees information
Information about how to pay for a course including different payment options is available at
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/finance/student/tuition-fees-payments
Additional mandatory costs
Tuition fees and costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges), and normal living are a part of university life.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses we make every effort to highlight them. These may include residential visits, field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering) inoculations, security checks, computer equipment, uniforms, professional memberships etc.
We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free wifi is also available on each of the campuses.
There will be some additional costs to being a student which cannot be itemised and these will be different for each student. You may choose to purchase your own textbooks and course materials or prefer your own computer and software. Printing and binding may also be required. There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines. Additional costs vary from course to course.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs as well as tuition fees.
Please contact the course team for more information.
