Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (professionnel)
A balanced learning degree
The programme is a one-year full-time Master’s degree which is offered to students with backgrounds in traditional business disciplines as well as in the humanities and physical sciences (biology, physics, and engineering for instance). Student diversity is viewed as an essential element as it encourages students to problematize ‘what is’ and project this forward into ‘what might be’ in order to develop new modes of organizing. These are key attributes in developing an entrepreneurial spirit.
Experienced professors from different countries present and discuss the managerial implications of the latest academic research using a variety of methods: lectures, case studies (traditional and live/interactive/staged), group work and individual presentations. Also, experienced practitioners from entrepreneurial businesses bring students their know-how and practical views as well as discussing their problem-solving approaches.
A further distinctive feature of the programme is a unique collaboration with a German institute for research and development which has a number of technological developments and ideas ready to be exploited on the market. Students of the course work in groups with representatives of the Institute to assess exploitation strategies for the technologies.
Schematic description of the programme
The programme is structured into 6 knowledge blocks that introduce the ideas and tools necessary to understand the theory of entrepreneurship and innovation; and apply entrepreneurship in practice.
- Entrepreneurship (enterprise culture and values; starting a new business theories of entrepreneurship; : creativity and opportunity identification; entrepreneurial environments; entrepreneurial management; strategic entrepreneurship; business planning: purpose, structure, content and presentation; growth, learning and dynamic capabilities of small firms)
- Managing Innovation (the dynamics of innovation; organising innovation; managing convergence in innovation; innovation and sustainability).
- Finance for entrepreneurial businesses (risk, return and valuation principles; typology and forecasting of revenues and expenses; capital budgeting: risk and cost of capital; debt; real options; venture capital industry and investment process; structuring venture capital deals; exit strategies; business valuation and harvesting decisions).
- Marketing (market segments and international marketing programmes; branding; cultural differences in marketing; international strategies when establishing businesses in different countries).
- Entrepreneurial tools (financial accounting, quantitative methods, negotiation).
- Masters Thesis (combining the academic knowledge taught in the classroom with the practical work and knowledge acquired within the mentor company. This block will be supported by methodology lectures, and embedded in a broader set of interactions between faculty, mentors and students.
Project-based Internship(s) and the masters thesis and the student-mentor-faculty relation
In semester 2, students work on a project based internship that leads to a Masters thesis. Linking students to companies is facilitated through matchmaking events between the LBA and companies in the Greater Region. Organisation/Company projects are mapped into a ‘mentor book’ which is then used to match students’ skills and work aspirations. Faculty supervision of students’ projects is also provided.
The course culminates in July in a final showcase conference where the students showcase their masters thesis to faculty.
ATTENTION ! NEW for the Academic Year 2012-2013: Students have the chance to specialize in three thematic tracks:
- General Entrepreneurship track
- Bio-Entrepreneurship track
- ICT-Entrepreneurship track
