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Postgraduate Course

Entrepreneurship and Innovation MSc

We will help you to achieve your ambitions, from advancing your career in business development to running your own start up.

Students in discussion

Entrepreneurial and innovation skills are increasingly sought after by employers who want their teams to take advantage of new opportunities. On this course you will learn to design, develop and run your own innovation-driven business. Develop your understanding of organisations, their management and the changing contexts they operate in.

Please note: this course will not be recruiting in 2024. The next entry date will be September 2025.

York campus

  • Duration – 1 year full time, 2 years full time with year in industry, 2 years part time, 3 years part time with professional experience
  • Start date – September 2025
  • School – York Business School

Minimum entry requirements

    2:2 honours degree from a UK ENIC listed institution

    Experience Evidence of relevant experience if your degree is in an unrelated subject

Tuition fees

    UK 2024-25 £8,000 full time

    International 2024-25 £11,300 full time

Course overview

Develop the knowledge and skills you need to thrive as an entrepreneur in the contemporary business world. Through creative thinking you will learn to develop innovative solutions to challenges facing the business world today. You will engage with the latest research, combining this academic study with the development of practical workplace skills. On this course you will learn to:

  • Generate new business ideas
  • Develop and refine ideas
  • Design infrastructure
  • Launch new business ventures
  • Exploit technological innovation in business contexts
  • Operate within international markets
  • Lead teams and organisations in an ethical and informed way

We encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience between students and staff with a wide range of professional backgrounds. This fosters a collaborative learning community which will provide both support and varied perspectives throughout your study.

You can choose to study this course with a Year in Industry, allowing you to apply your learning and gain valuable experience. If you choose a Year in Industry you will be studying for a total of 2 years. Your first year will be a teaching year. In your second year you will either be on placement or conducting a skills and research based module.

Course structure

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time or part time. This allows you to fit your studies around other commitments.

If you choose to study full time the course will take 1 year to complete, or 2 if you choose a year in industry. You will study:

  • 9 compulsory modules, including a final Capstone Project module

If you choose to study part time the course will take 2 years to complete and the modules will be split across both years.

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

This module lets you familiarise yourself with the research expectations of postgraduate study. You will develop a thorough understanding of the research process and advance your skills in this area. We will support you in identifying a specialist business topic which you would like to specialise in and developing a proposal for your own research investigation. We will also introduce you to many of the interconnected contemporary issues that are essential for the study of business.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

On this module you will explore the relationships between business and society in an uncertain world. You will expand your understanding of the theoretical and practical issues relating to sustainable business, and engage with the current debates taking place in this field. You will evaluate issues of sustainability in the context of environmental, social and economic needs, and consider how these may differ at national and global levels.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

On this module we will introduce you to the history, contexts, theories and themes that are central to entrepreneurship and innovation. This will provide you with a solid theoretical and conceptual understanding. This means that you will learn how to approach the more specialist focuses of other modules in a balanced and critical way. The topics we will cover include different types of innovation, digital innovation and the importance of innovative environments.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

Entrepreneurship is a method of creative problem solving in business. On this module you will engage with the practical and creative processes behind new venture formation, as you learn to discover, evaluate and develop ideas into commercially viable concepts. To do this you will need to reflect on your current studies and your past business experience to identify a profitable business idea. You will then develop this into a feasible business plan.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

On this module you will learn to analyse business data. Exploring effective methods of summarising data, you will investigate the relationship between variables. This will give you practical skills in data analytics. We will also introduce you to the idea of the blockchain, and the scope of the blockchain industry. You will learn to:

  • React to blockchain trends
  • Investigate market disruptions caused by technology
  • Assess the impact of blockchain in industries worldwide.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

Digital technology has revolutionised marketing. This module will extend your understanding of digital and interactive marketing tools. This will help you to understand, assess and develop digital marketing strategies and tactics. You will learn about:

  • Website marketing and usability
  • Email marketing
  • Display and search advertising
  • Search engine optimisation
  • User generated content
  • Social media and content marketing.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

The principles of entrepreneurship can be applied not only to private and profit-orientated goals, but also to social initiatives. Recently we have seen new approaches to business practice and social engagement emerge to reflect this. On this module you will explore the challenges this new form of engagement represents to both entrepreneurial practice, and the ideals on which social enterprise is based. You will reflect on how the principles you have engaged with in other modules can relate to wider social issues.

Credits: 15

Compulsory module

On this module we will take you through the process of developing an entrepreneurial opportunity for a new product or service. It is built around the Building Business Opportunities with Technology app, ebook and online programme. We will support you to complete this course through class workshops, activities and and assignments which give you practical skills to take forward into your career. There will also be an element of personal development, as you identify the thoughts, actions and skills that make an entrepreneur.

Credits: 60

Compulsory module

This module gives you the opportunity to apply everything you have learnt throughout your course to a current business issue. You will define, research and analyse a topic of your choice, identifying potential solutions and reaching evidence-based conclusions. Your capstone project can take the form of either an academic dissertation or an applied business consultancy project.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and learning

All of your modules will be delivered using a variety of different teaching sessions. This includes:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Guest speakers
  • Workshops
  • Events

Each module has a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) where you and other postgraduate students will benefit from online debate and collaborative approaches to learning.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Optional placement year

Choosing the placement year option can give you a competitive edge in your future career. It is an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you have learned in the workplace.

You will be on placement for a full academic year, after you have successfully completed all of the taught modules. During your placement, you will also work towards and complete your Business Consultancy Project.

Assessment

We use a wide variety of assessment types, which help you to develop skills relevant to the workplace. This includes:

  • Presentations
  • Critical essays
  • Portfolios
  • Reflective journals
  • Case study work

You will receive feedback on your work throughout each module. This will help you to improve your work for your graded assessments. We will advise you on developing your skills, useful areas for research and how to extend your business knowledge further.

Entry requirements

Qualifications

Minimum entry requirements

    2:2 honours degree from a UK ENIC listed institution

    Experience Evidence of relevant experience if your degree is in an unrelated subject

If your degree is in an unrelated subject, but you can provide evidence of relevant professional experience, your application may still be considered.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.0 (with no skill below 5.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

If you do not have traditional qualifications, you might be able to provide evidence of professional experience in the subject as an alternative way to meet the entry requirements. This is called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Appropriate references and records of employment would need to be presented to support your case for admission.

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

Fees and funding

UK 2024 - 2025 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to this postgraduate course is:

  • £8,000 for full time study

If you choose to study this course with a Year in Industry, the tuition fee for full time study would be £9,200.

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master’s course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2024 - 2025 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to this postgraduate course is £11,300 for full time study.

If you choose to study this course with a Year in Industry, the tuition fee for full time international students would be £14,900.

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

    UK 2024-25 £8,000 full time

    International 2024-25 £11,300 full time

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Career outcomes

Where could Entrepreneurship and Innovation take you?

The skills in innovation, creativity and business development you build on this course will be valuable in a wide range of business settings. The leadership skills you will develop will put you in a good position to move into management roles. Specialist modules such as Data Analytics and the Blockchain will give you the industry-ready, transferable skills needed for a competitive edge in the marketplace.

This will give you an advantage in roles such as:

  • Business manager
  • Project manager
  • Marketing executive
  • Human Resources officer
  • Business analyst
  • Supply chain manager
  • Management consultant

The course could also lead you to undertake further postgraduate study through an MPhil or PhD.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £6,500 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2022).

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

  • Employer events
  • LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
  • Workshops on application writing and interview skills
  • Work experience and volunteering opportunities
  • Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.

Apply for this course

We will open recruitment for 2025 applications towards the end of 2024. Please check back later for more information.

For postgraduate degrees you must apply directly to York St John University using the links below. This will take you to the application form you need to fill out for this specific course. 

To complete the online application form you will need to create login details. 

Fees and key information

Apply now

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