spring 2016
BED-3905 Master`s Thesis in Business Creation and Entrepreneurship - 30 ECTS

Type of course

The course is reserved for students who are admitted to the Master of Science in Business Creation and Entrepreneurship and can not be taken as singular course.

Course content

During the spring semester, the students are developing their projects. They will write about their development in form of a master thesis.

The master thesis consists of four parts.

  • Introduction: This should position the case in an academic setting, present the research question and make clear priorities that students have done during the development of the project. A short methodology section should also be presented.
     
  • Innovation study: The innovation should discuss the function and utility of the technology/ product/ process etc. Further, it should discuss development, testing and time to market. IP issues should be discussed here. It should also include an understanding of innovation type and what relevance this has for the market.
     
  • Market study: The Market study should present the different option the innovator have when choosing markets. It should consist of a broad overview of the market, then provide information to prioritize certain markets. Industry analaysis in a selected market is welcome and a discussion of user vs. customer. The idea with the market study is to provide extensive knowledge for the idea owner to make informed choices.
     
  • Business plan: The business plan should be between 6- 12 pages and consist of the main choices the students have done in their work in addition to a financial part. The financial part should give a realistic picture of the profitability of the project.


Objectives of the course

Students who have successfully completed the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge and comprehension: •

Knowledge about the importance and specific challenges of academic entrepreneurship •

Knowledge about the impact of technological innovations on business performance and commercialization

•Knowledge of how to understand the market challenges of associated with introducing technological innovations

• Knowledge of how to summarize key financial, technological and market figures in a business plan

 

Skills:

The course should prepare the student to: •

Situate a research problem within the academic entrepreneurship literature •

Analyze technological innovations •

Analyze the market potential for technological innovations •

Develop a business plan for commercializing a technological innovation

 

Competence: •

Ability to develop a commercialization strategy for a new university spinoff •

Ability to evaluate the commercial potential of research based ideas •

Ability to translate the technological and market need into a decision making document for investors


Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

The spring semester is open for students own work. However, each of the groups have access to a supervisor. Further, they work with the idea owner and with Connect.

Connect provides a lecture about the business plan and the business model. Further, they arrange pre springboard and springboard which are arenas where students manages to test their ideas.


Assessment

Evaluation is based on the Master thesis itself (80 %) and a comprehensive oral exam (20%).

 

Candidates should normally have passed all other subjects before the delivery of final thesis.

Examination Commission consists of at least one external examiner and an internal examiner.

The final grade is determined by the scale A - E with F as fail.

 

Deadline for submission of Master's thesis is June 1st (spring term) by 3 pm in Munin.

November 15 (autumn term) by 3pm in Munin.

There are two ordinary submission deadlines during the academic year. You may submit your thesis before the deadline, but it will not be assessed until after the deadline.

Apply for postponed submission of Master's thesis

Deadlines: May 1 (spring semester) and November 1 (autumn semester)

If an application stating the grounds is submitted by May 1/Nov. 1, a three-month postponement of the submission deadline may be granted. For students who do not have a medical certificate or compelling grounds, the submission deadline will be postponed for one semester at a time. In case of absence due to illness of 1-3 weeks, the submission deadline is postponed for an equivalent period of time.


Recommended reading/syllabus

Readings will be recommended by the supervisiors.

Error rendering component

  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 30
  • Course code: BED-3905
  • Tidligere år og semester for dette emnet