Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management MSc

Product Ideation 

In this module, you’ll explore ways to build sustainable business concepts that create value for yourself and the planet. 

You’ll apply design thinking concepts, such as ideation and prototyping, to sustainable business challenges, and explore different approaches to innovation (incremental, radical and disruptive) and the implications each of these approaches have on the efficacy of business solutions. 

Sustainable Practice

You’ll be introduced to different sustainability frameworks, including the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and evaluate challenges, opportunities and potential actions through the lens of sustainable development and our inter-connected global society.

You will reflect upon sustainability-related issues that you may face within your career and use these to inform a personal sustainability plan. You will also audit a business of your choice to identify elements of best practice and recommend improvements.

 Innovation Product Development

In this module, you’ll learn how to test and validate early business concepts, gaining essential customer feedback to enhance product scope and the development of a minimum viable product (MVP).

You’ll carry out practical product development activities within the context of theoretical innovation and entrepreneurial frameworks, such as lean start-up and the innovation matrix. Through these exercises, you’ll be introduced to concepts such as iterative, radical, sustainable and transformational innovation.  

Business Management

You’ll explore core concepts of business strategy, financial viability and long-term sustainability in the development of new business ideas.

You’ll learn how to use a range of financial documents, such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cashflows, to support effective decision making and leadership. You’ll recognise the need for financial acuity to inform pricing, strategy, business models and protection of intellectual property.

Final Major Project

Drawing upon the knowledge and experiences gained from previous modules, you’ll deliver a practice-led research project that’s located within a defined context.

The Final Major Project should reflect your awareness of the contexts, challenges, possibilities, and goals of your practice. It could be for a new idea of your own, a project or new product for an existing organisation, or a proposed resolution to a significant challenge.

The delivery of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management MSc is provided in three ways: 

• Lectures provide the theoretical background and wider context to each topic
• Seminars focusing on the application of the theory to sectoral practice
• Tutorials help students apply theory to their own practice and assignments

Experiential learning (or learning by doing) makes up the teaching and assessment approach for this course, and you will develop collaboration and communication skills by working in teams at times. 

Each module has two assessments which are staggered to avoid submission deadlines in the same week.  

You’ll be assessed via a range of methods, including:  

• Written reports
• Portfolio reviews
• Verbal assessments
• Pitch presentations
• Team working assessments

There are no exams, so 100% of your assessment is coursework.

Feedback is provided regularly throughout each module.

A 2:2 honours degree (or above) or Level 6 equivalent qualification is desirable. However, candidates without a degree or formal qualification are still encouraged to apply, if they have significant relevant work experience. If you'd like to discuss our entry requirements, speak to an advisor.

Start-ups and innovators require a number of skill sets, so we'll consider applications from people with a wide variety of graduate and professional backgrounds who possess a clear interest in starting a business or increasing innovation in an existing business.

We'll also welcome your application if you have formal or 'certified' learning (such as training courses not run by universities or colleges) and learning from work experience or self-study. This is called Accreditation of Prior Learning (APEL), and should have been gained within the last five years, and be equivalent to the learning outcomes of our minimum entry qualifications.

APEL applicants using experience to apply should note there is an application fee for entry with advanced standing or with exemption from specific modules or credit.

If English isn’t your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

International applicants who require a student visa to study in the UK must take a recognised language test that is approved and vouched for by the University. Our Applicant Services Team can help with any questions you may have about study visas or suitable language tests.

This course has one intake per year: September.

Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds, but all share a desire to learn how to start and build a successful business. We show you how to do it properly, confidently and successfully. The three most common ‘types’ of student on the course tend to be: 

• Falmouth University graduates who dream of becoming a successful creative freelancer or successful startup founder. 
• People living in Cornwall and the Southwest UK wanting to put into action a business idea they have had for a while, either as a startup or a freelancer. Sometimes people already have a business but want it to grow and become more profitable.
• International students wanting to gain an in-dept understanding of entrepreneurship through learning by doing, rather than from textbooks. 

The course is highly practical and revolves around developing your business ideas, identifying customers and providing you with all the skills you need to be successful.

Sustainability is a golden thread running through the course to ensure every business has sustainable principles at its core.

The latest course fees can be found on the Fees, Costs & Funding section of this page.

The course is eligible for the UK Government Master’s tuition fee loan. You may also qualify for our scholarships and bursaries, many of which can apply to this course.

If you already work for a business, you could also use the course to develop and launch a new product for them. The business could then sponsor you for the year on the course.

Freelancing or starting a business is something anyone can do, with any degree background. We welcome applications from all kinds of applicants – including those with a non-standard educational background.

No. The course is designed to be ‘startup-friendly’ so most weeks you are only required to attend on two days per week. On other days you can concentrate on building your business, and earning money.

Yes. You will be taught by people with extensive business experience, in addition to guest talks from business owners and industry specialists.

No. All assessments are based on things you’ll need to start and grow a business, such as pitching (presenting), financial forecasts and a business plan.

The course scores very highly on module reviews and the hands-on approach is highly regarded. Some recent student feedback includes:

“This course is fantastic, we don’t sit around talking theories, instead we go out and DO the work in real time. You will be pushed, tested and challenged out of your comfort zone. Everything learnt can be applied to your business straight away. Great course but even better people behind it - a huge thank you to the course team.” Kate Richards

“The practical aspect of the course is very beneficial, it really pushes you individually and as a business to get results. All modules have a great balance between theory and practice.” Chloe Lingard

Yes! The course team, along with colleagues in our venture studio, Launchpad, recently won a prestigious ‘Entrepreneurship Catalyst’ award from Enterprise Educators UK for ‘exceptional entrepreneurship education’.