MSc Enterprise and Business Creation

Planning to start your own business soon, or looking for an opportunity to run and manage a new business idea? Then this course is for you. It offers the perfect opportunity for you to develop initial business ideas and plan a real commercial venture, with relevant support, before starting the business once you graduate.

About the course

Unlike postgraduate degrees at other institutions, the unique structure of this degree is focused on helping you to develop and realise your business ideas.

The structure of the course will support this business development, eg all assessment is via targeted coursework, as exams are of no value in starting a business. Teaching is jointly taught by experts at UEA along with many tutors within the enterprise community, experienced in business and business creation.

Beginning in September, the first semester (autumn) takes all participants (irrespective of their experience) through the fundamentals of business creation. In semester 2 (spring) you then have the chance to tailor your learning to your chosen business focus. The choice of modules draw upon the competencies of UEA and partners, including:

• Entrepreneurship in Global Health and Care - in collaboration with UEA’s pioneering Norwich Medical School, the School of Health Sciences, and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
• Creative Enterprise: Sustainable Business for the Arts - in collaboration with UEA’s multi-award winning faculty of arts and humanities including its world fame in creative writing and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.
• Entrepreneurship in Agritechnology and Industrial Biotechnology - in collaboration with Europe’s leading centre for plant and health sciences in the Norwich Research Park.

Exit routes

Uniquely, in the third semester (summer) you will have a choice of four exit routes:

For participants wishing to continue their business education, before starting their business, Route One (making the complete degree 12 months) allows the participant to take a number of business school modules, eg, Integrated Business Decisions, Leadership and Change Management.

For participants wishing to spend time on business research on or ahead of their own business, Route Two (12 months in total) provides for one of two options:

researching some aspect of their own business, culminating in presenting a dissertation, or doing consultancy on behalf of a business culminating in the presentation of a consultancy report.

Routes Three and Four are expected to be the most popular exits with both featuring the development and finalising of the participants’ Business Plan ahead of each launching their business. In Route Three, participants create their final Business Plan, before presenting to potential investors and mentors to gain investment and feedback and support.

Route Four is unique. ‘Prize-winning’ participants will secure investment so they are ready to launch (or very soon to launch) their business. Participants will remain in the Enterprise Centre (rent-free) for a further six months with supported incubation to get their business running. This is a unique option within the course in that it enables you to extend your total course to (18 months). NB: visa conditions may apply.

Entry Requirement

Our first requirement is that you have a desire to create your own business.

Next we will look at your academic achievements and any relevant experience that you have. Qualifications might include:

• A lower second class honours degree (2:2) or international equivalent in any subject from a recognised institution
• Professional qualifications, e.g. accounting, medical etc.
• Technical qualifications, e.g. HNC etc.

You do not need business experience to join this course but any you do have could be useful in your application and may be more important than your academic qualifications. For example:

• Full or part-time work
• Self-employment or portfolio career (e.g. in the arts)
• Research experience relevant to your business idea (e.g. science, medicine etc.)
• Any business you have started (successful or not)
• eBay trading activities
• Investing or personal stock market trading
• Leadership or management experience (e.g. in the military)

To help decide if the course is right for you, we ask you to submit your business idea with your application, describing what the business idea is and why the world needs it. This does not have to be essay format but can be presented in the form of diagrams or tables as a summary of your business.

Candidates will be considered at the discretion of the course leader. Those who meet our requirements will be asked to take part in an interview.