Note: Modules offered each academic year are subject to change. Listed below are the modules and timetables for 2021/22
Strategic Entrepreneurship (5 ECTS)The module aims to provide students with an introductory and up-to-date perspective of the main phenomena characterizing the entrepreneurship field. A key feature of this Entrepreneurship course is the integration of theoretical constructs and real-business issues and best practices. On the one hand, the module will shed light on the latest theoretical concepts developed in the field of entrepreneurship; on the other, it will offer students the opportunity to focus on the strategies of entrepreneurial ventures, start ups, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the domestic and international market.
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Business Model Innovation (5 ECTS)The primary task of a start-up is to search for a winning business model (BM). A winning BM: creates superior value for customers by meeting their needs; delivers that value more effectively and efficiently than competitors/alternatives; and makes a sustainable profit. The process of business model innovation (BMI) is an entrepreneurial process. The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the BMI process and practically apply key tools and techniques with potential customers and investors.
Entrepreneurship in Practice Workshops (10 ECTS)The ‘Entrepreneurship in Practice’ Workshops consists of six workshops featuring relevant topics in the field of Entrepreneurship that are not addressed in-depth by core or electives modules. Each workshop will be delivered by experienced entrepreneurs, consultants and international professors and will place specific emphasis on real business dynamics. Departing from and building on the topics discussed through the workshops, students will be asked to work in groups in class and after class.
Entrepreneurial Wellbeing (5 ECTS)Wellbeing is not only a vital part of everyone’s life but it is also a crucial entrepreneurial skill that enhances performance by supporting personal development and helping businesses grow. Entrepreneurial Wellbeing is a multidimensional concept that encompasses a variety of human experiences and contexts (e.g. work-life integration, meaning and purpose, optimism and positive affect, vitality and self-esteem, decision-making, leadership, influence and positive engagement). The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the complex, both objective and subjective, aspects of wellbeing. It highlights how we allow short-term decisions to override what’s best for our long-term wellbeing, acting against our own best interests. The course focuses on three key areas of Entrepreneurial Wellbeing: 1) the opportunity for personal development; 2) the ability to more effectively lead others; and 3) the capability to build a healthy team and organisational culture.
Technological Entrepreneurship (5 ECTS)This course introduces the fundamental concepts, processes and applications of technology entrepreneurship. You will explore the ways in which entrepreneurs create value in and through science and technology, including taking an idea, sourcing high-potential commercial opportunities for it, gathering resources such as talent and capital, ascertaining the best route to the market, and managing the ethical and social consequences of such enterprise.
To gain practical experience alongside the theory, students will work on a staged portfolio which will allow them to apply the concepts to practice, in different industries. Scientific and technological innovations increasingly specialized, hybridized and globalized, and we will explore contexts as diverse as Bitcoin, the Dark Net and genetic testing. This module will also examine the overarching concepts that span the entire field.
Social Entrepreneurship (5 ECTS)Social enterprises are organisations that seek to create significant social impact through their initiatives and activities. They are often nonprofits, but also operate within the private and public sectors and within a variety of organisational settings. The aim of this module is to help you develop a critical awareness of what social entrepreneurship entails, and the major approaches, opportunities and problems associated with the development of such ventures in an international context. We will examine the theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects concerning various aspects of social entrepreneurship and analyse patterns of social entrepreneurial behaviour locally and internationally.
Digital Tools for Growth (5 ECTS)The module on Digital tools for growth focuses on the development trajectories of small businesses through the use of digital tools and aims to provide students with an in-depth analysis of the impact of new digital platform on new companies’ growth and scale. The module will provide an overview of the biggest platforms available for companies to grow online. The bulk of the lectures will be delivered by professionals working Dublin-based hi-tech corporations, like Facebook and Google.
International Entrepreneurship (5 ECTS)The module aims to provide students with an introduction to becoming an entrepreneur. A key feature of this Entrepreneurship course is the integration of theoretical constructs and real-business issues and best practices together with the leadership, strategic thinking and cultural understanding required to be an entrepreneur. On the one hand, the module will shed light on the latest theoretical concepts developed in the field of entrepreneurship; on the other, it will offer students the opportunity to focus on the strategies of entrepreneurial ventures, start ups, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the domestic and international market.
Entrepreneurial Finance (5 ECTS)This course deals with important aspects of financing the start, the orderly development and the growth a new or emerging enterprise. We begin by defining entrepreneurship and exploring the elements of a classic successful bootstrap entrepreneurial experience. With this as background, we examine the financial issues (including investor return and capital structure concerns) that confront entrepreneurs as they consider financing options such as venture capital, convertible debt, private equity in various case situations and the challenge of managing growth. We conclude with an introduction to exit considerations such as going public and/or the sale of the business.
Brand Management (5 ECTS)Brands permeate modern economies and are among the most complex and exciting entities in contemporary management. They have evolved from their genesis in consumer products to encompass many forms including B2B, services, retail, corporate and global brands. Strong brands are one of a company’s most valuable assets, so their management and development is crucial to the long-term success. Yet brands are special in that while managed by companies, part of their creation and positioning takes place in the mind of the consumer. This module is designed to develop an understanding and appreciation of the theory of brand management and its application in a variety of organizational and cultural contexts including entrepreneurial ventures.
Digital Business Models (5 ECTS)This module will investigate digital business model realities and new trends in different competitive landscape and industries. It will begin with an overview of how the internet and the digital world impacts firms’ strategies and business models. Then major strategic layers and digital business models will be discussed before analysing today’s challenges and formulating prospective diagnosis. There will be a comprehensive introduction to the Business Models Canvas and Value Networks, focusing on how they are impacted in the digital era. Upon completion of the course, participants will have a solid foundation in business modelling techniques and tools.
Dissertation/Company project (30 ECTS)The objective of the research dissertation is to allow students to demonstrate and apply the techniques and knowledge acquired from the taught modules to a managerial problem of real world academic, social or economic concern by conducting an independent piece of empirical or theoretical research under the guidance of a Supervisor. In an experiential learning manner, the key actions involved are designed to develop different research skills and demonstrate the student’s ability to write clearly and to undertake various types of management research topics, to reflect on their own development and learning, and to effectively communicate the results of their research.Students have three possibilities to complete this module:
1. Business Plan: Develop a business plan for a new business idea
2. Company Project: Self-select a company and define a specific scaling strategy
3. Theoretical dissertation
