Master of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to provide a learner with specialised management skills in entrepreneurship and new venture creation. A qualified learner will be able to:

• Navigate the practical and theoretical entrepreneurial process and corporate entrepreneurship in a range of organisational context in order to identify an opportunity and conduct a feasibility study.
• Critically appreciate current practices on entrepreneurship in different contexts as well as case evidence on the application of venturing principles and other closely related concepts.
• Conduct research on entrepreneurship practises and issues and provide scientifically acceptable research outcomes that inform improved entrepreneurial and new venture creation processes.

Rationale

The Master of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation is designed to provide learners with specialised entrepreneurial and new venture creation skills. With the increasing globalisation and liberalisation of markets, creation of employment and meeting requirements for economic growth entrepreneurial activity is becoming more important than ever in emerging markets such as Brazil, China, South Africa, India etc. This qualification provides training, for learners that are focused on entrepreneurship education with research forming an integral part thereof.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Applicants who fall outside of the normal admissions process who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the University that they have a suitably cognate qualification and/ or experiential- or work based learning which has taken the learner to an equivalent level of a qualification specified above (under Formally Accredited Learning), may be considered for admission and/or for the recognition of prior accredited and/or prior experiential learning. Applicants who, after such assessment, are deemed to have sufficient potential but are in need of further academic development, may be required to broaden their curriculum to include preliminary qualifications prior to admission or parallel programmes after admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for access to this qualification is

• A four-year cognate Bachelors' Degree at NQF Exit Level 8; or equivalent.

This qualification comprises of 10 compulsory modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 180 Credits.

Compulsory Modules

• Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 10 Credits.
• Corporate Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits.
• Social Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits.
• Technology and High-growth Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits.
• Enterprise Development, 10 Credits.
• Global Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits.
• Decision Science, 10 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 10 Credits.
• Research Theory and Design, 10 Credits.
• Research Report, 90 Credits.

1. Navigate the practical and theoretical entrepreneurial process and corporate entrepreneurship in a range of organisational contexts in order to identify an opportunity and conduct a feasibility study.
2. Critically appreciate current practices on entrepreneurship in different contexts as well as case evidence on the application of venturing principles and other closely related concepts.
3. Conduct research on entrepreneurship practises and issues and provide scientifically acceptable research outcomes that inform improved entrepreneurial and new venture creation processes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• The nature of the relationship between theory and research is assessed, in particular by developing a model or set of variables for specification as a linear regression model.
• The role and functions of new and small firms in socio-economic development as well as different types of entrepreneurs is understood.
• Innovative methodologies in enterprise consultancy services and policy initiatives are identified.
• A plausible feasibility plan is prepared and presented for the creation of a business based on a new idea.
• Competence in structuring of appropriate strategies for corporate venturing is demonstrated.
• Entrepreneurship metrics are devised and analysed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Main preoccupations of quantitative research, described in terms of measurement; causality; generalisation; and replication are appreciated.
• Reliability, replication, and validity are presented as criteria for assessing the quality of research.
• Information is synthesised, analysed, interpreted and critically evaluated from a variety of different sources (lecture material, government publications, web-sites, bibliographic searches, primary data collection).
• Oral and written evaluations of the application of the principles of corporate entrepreneurship in case studies and company profiles are presented.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Research in the discipline of entrepreneurship is conceptualised, pursued, presented and appropriate recommendations are made.
• Appropriate theoretical principles are used to analyse and evaluate processes.
• Specialist knowledge in each stage of research, information and data collection and management, analysis and writing process is demonstrated.
• Research findings are analysed and reported, valid conclusions are drawn and appropriate recommendations are made.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment will be achieved by a variety of strategies. These include written examinations, group and individual projects and assignments, experiential projects (such as business evaluations and interviews) and a full research report (50% of the curriculum). Some of the criteria may be assessed through observation of the learners during their classes.

Integrated assessment will be both formative and summative.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment will take place during seminar presentations, discussions and project sessions. Self and peer assessment will contribute to formative assessment.

Summative Assessment

Summative components of assessment include the research report in which learners define the research question, identify appropriate research methodologies, undertake a literature review, critique the literature, collect and analyse data, and finally compile a report.

The written and examinations will require integration of information from the different areas of the course content.