MA Innovation and Creative Entrepreneurship*

The current social and economic climate shows a pressing need for innovative thinking and entrepreneurial action, particularly for recent graduates who either wish to start their own business or establish a career leading innovation in existing companies.

But being a founder is a lonely and risky business. 20% of SMEs fail in the first year, 60% fail in the first three. Alongside structural issues such as supply chain management and cash flow, mental health is a prominent key cause of business failure. Intrapreneurship, leading change within existing organisations, is similarly fraught, with resistance to change, lack of managerial support and available resources being key challenges.

As well as enabling you to develop the skills to approach complex problems, the MA Innovation and Creative Entrepreneurship course will focus on the importance of health and wellbeing and developing a sustainable practice.

The MA Innovation and Creative Entrepreneurship course is structured around three 60-credit units, as consecutive and equally weighted phases of study:

• Master’s Project 1: Orientation and Vision Setting
• Master’s Project 2: Exploration and Collaboration
• Master’s Project 3: Creating and Strategising

Master's Project 1: Orientation and Vision Setting

This unit comprises a range of projects to interrogate assumptions, understand the self, motivations and values that you'll need to be successful innovators, entrepreneurs and responsible leaders.

You'll explore a variety of reflective frameworks to identify, challenge and articulate their Drivers, Motivations and Values. By interrogating Leadership Styles and Team Roles, you'll understand the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion. You'll also explore Wicked Problems and interrogate and apply Sustainable Design Principles.

Live Project One will be set with an external partner, will run alongside the phases above and will enable the practical application and testing of the theories and frameworks explored.

Master’s Project 2: Exploration and Collaboration

This unit will extend your application of innovation and entrepreneurial frameworks and develop collaborative competencies. It will refine your understanding and application of appropriate research methods.

You'll explore different types of Innovation and innovation contexts and how to choose appropriate approaches. In addition, you'll explore entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial behaviours, understanding business proposition, legal structures and storytelling techniques, including speaking to diverse audiences and cultural sensitivity. You'll also explore methods for creating and testing customer personas and customer journey.

Also set with an external partner, Live Project Two will run alongside the phases above and will enable the practical application and testing of the theories and frameworks explored.

Master's Project 3: Creating and Strategising

This project will emphasise the your professional development as an innovator, entrepreneur and practitioner. The project could take the form of a proposal for a start-up business, a collaborative project with an external partner, an intrapreneurial proposal for your current employer, or a wider proposal engaging with an open problem in your industry or community. You'll develop sustainable approaches to business development, and explore ways to create strategic value as global and inclusive citizens.

Outputs will be appropriate to the aims of the project as defined, but are likely to include a mix of artefacts (including prototypes or MVP), business plans, research reports, case studies and policy papers. These final outputs will include versions written for appropriate external audiences. Outputs will be accompanied by the Reflective Journal.

This Master's course involves increasing periods of independent study and critical reflection that determine your major portfolio of practical work. This provides you with opportunities to embed your advanced skills, understanding and applying research methods towards the completion of project plans as identified through Learning Agreements.