MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship

Course module details

The MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship is an exciting masters course offered by Alliance Manchester Business School - home to Europe's largest number of innovation researchers. It can be taken as a one-year full-time course or part-time over two years.

This internationally-recognised degree looks at how:

• new ideas become successful products
• entrepreneurial expertise creates growth
• companies harness knowledge to remain competitive
• knowledge shapes society and vice versa
• climate change can be tackled with new technology
• to overcome the practical challenges associated with creating a new entrepreneurial venture
• economies can be transformed through successive gales of creative destruction?

The focus of the programme is on the analysis of key issues surrounding innovation management and entrepreneurship from the perspective of firms, governments and the global economy. The aim of this top-rated course is to produce well trained analysts of innovation, familiar with economic, social, political and management theories and approaches, and able to apply their interdisciplinary perspective to understand the organisational and policy challenges of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Authentic mastery - being able to apply these methods, tools and techniques in a real scenario - is at the heart of much of the teaching and assessment. There is a strong emphasis on research training, development of personal communication skills, team-working and presentation which gives you an excellent basis to pursue a variety of careers across all sectors, academic research or teaching.

The course uses an outstanding team of world class researchers, drawn the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR), combining the strengths of three former research centres: PREST (Policy Research for Engineering Science and Technology), CRIC (Centre for Research into Innovation and Competition) and CROMTEC (Centre for Research into Organisations, Management and Technical Change).

Lecturers on the course have wide expertise ranging from technology evaluation and foresight, policy making and agenda-setting through to areas of sustainable technologies, biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, mobile (3G) technologies and the wide range of technologies used in the construction, food, water, automobile, steel, pharmaceuticals, aviation, defence, and service sector industries. Our teaching is research-led and the content of the programme reflects the research conducted by MIOIR and by the subject group more generally.

The course consists of both compulsory and optional taught units. Compulsory course units include:

• Financial Appraisal and Investment Economics;
• High Technology Entrepreneurship;
• Innovation Management;
• Innovation and the Knowledge Economy; 
• Research Methods.

We encourage you to make the most of our cutting edge knowledge and real world experience in your choice of three optional course units and dissertation project, allowing you to develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of a particular aspect of innovation. Optional course units (subject to demand), in 2015/16 include: 

• Business Creation and Development;
• Case Studies in Technology Strategy and Innovation;
• Developing Enterprising Individuals;
• Innovation and Market Strategy;
• International Competitiveness, Business Strategy and Innovation Management;
• Regional, National and Global Dimensions of Science, Technology and Innovation.

An optional unit from another course in Alliance MBS can be taken with the permission of the respective course directors.  

You must complete a satisfactory dissertation to be awarded your MSc. A list of dissertation topic areas will be presented to you toward the end of the first term: dissertation topics reflect the diverse interests and expertise of research-active academics who teach on the IME MSc Programme and other research and teaching staff in the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) and Manchester Enterprise Centre (MEC). Sometimes there are opportunities to undertake dissertations related to on-going research projects or in collaboration with industry.

Listen to Research Methods module coordinator Kate Barker talk about the dissertation:

• Information on research dissertations (mp3 file)

Units are typically assessed by a combination of written work (essay or report) and presentation, group project assessment, individual essay and examination. The last third of the programme is spent researching and writing a dissertation of around 15,000 words, the choice of topic reflecting the student's interests and MIoIR's expertise.

Watch Mariola Lesniewicz talk about her experience at Alliance MBS.

Our last Postgraduate Open Day was held on 25 November 2015, and details of the next event will be posted as soon as the date is confirmed, and is likely to be held in November again.  The date will be published over the summer so please keep checking this page.

For an idea of what the event includes, see the  open day programme  from the last event.

Events round the world

We take part in events both at home and around the world, and we'd be delighted to meet you in your country . If you are visiting Manchester, you are also welcome to organise a personal visit .

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk