PROGRAMME SYLLABUS
Strategic Entrepreneurship (Two Years), 120 credits
Strategic Entrepreneurship (Two Years), 120 högskolepoäng
Programme Code: JAS29
Confirmed by: Council for Undergraduate and Masters Education 2020-05-28
Revised by: Council for Undergraduate and Masters Education 2021-05-03
Version: 3
Programmestart: Autumn 2022
Education Cycle: Second-cycle level

Title of qualification

Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Business Administration

Programme overview

Programme aims
The Strategic Entrepreneurship programme focuses on improving entrepreneurial effectiveness, both for creating and launching new start-ups and for identifying and developing new opportunities in existing organizations. This includes challenges for venture creation as well as how companies can revive their entrepreneurial spirit to achieve strategic renewal. By building on state-of-the-art research results as well as on conducting practical projects and gaining start-up experience, this programme addresses how organizations at any stage of maturity can be innovative and benefit from entrepreneurial thinking. The education is meant to prepare the students for starting their own businesses as well as for international careers in business positions that require strategic decision-making.

Objectives

General aims
Second cycle education shall essentially build on the knowledge students acquire in first cycle education or corresponding knowledge. Second cycle education shall involve a deepening of knowledge, skills and abilities relative to first cycle education and, in addition to what applies to first cycle education, shall;Programme specific learning goals

Knowledge and Understanding
Graduates of the programme will have a general knowledge and understanding of business administration principles and a specialised and considerably deep knowledge in the field of strategic entrepreneurship
Corresponding objectives:
Graduates of the programme will be able toSkills and Abilities
Graduates of the programme will have acquired the skills to integrate knowledge critically and systematically and to analyse complex issues encountered for a career that includes strategic decision-making and entrepreneurship activities, and be effective communicators of activities associated with these skills.
Corresponding objectives:
Graduates of the programme will be able toJudgement and Approach
Graduates of the programme will understand the scientific, social, ethical, and personal responsibility aspects of practical work and research in business administration, including the role, use, and development of knowledge and the ethical aspects and possibilities of scientific endeavour.
Corresponding objectives:
Graduates of the programme will be able to

Mission driven goals
Graduates of the programme will be equipped to contribute to the advancement of business practice in a global environment, with particular emphasis on aspects of Ownership, and/or Entrepreneurship and/or Renewal.
Corresponding objectives:
Graduates of the programme will be able to:The above is in accordance with the intended learning outcomes set for a two-year Master's degree in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance and JIBS mission.

Contents

The master´s programme Strategic Entrepreneurship (Two Year) provides a deepening education in the field of business administration for those already holding a bachelor degree and having a substantial amount of business administration in their undergraduate studies.

This programme aims at helping the students improve their entrepreneurial effectiveness, both for creating and launching new start-ups and for identifying and developing opportunities in existing organizations to help them unleash their growth potential. Some companies are in direct need of reviving their entrepreneurial spirit to achieve strategic renewal. By building on state-of- the-art research results as well as on practical projects and start-up experiences, this programme addresses how organizations can be innovative and benefit from it.

The curriculum design of these master programmes draws on JIBS’ core research areas; entrepreneurship, renewal and ownership. The programme combines learning about strategic entrepreneurship through academic, theoretical contents, applicable to practice, with learning for entrepreneurship. The curriculum also includes training in entrepreneurship. Associated attitudes and practices are grounded already in the introductory course of the programme.

The programme sequence is presented in the tables. The first course, Entrepreneuring: Person and Process , aims at informing the students about the features of and need for an entrepreneurial mind-set and at helping them to develop and practice such a worldview. As a point of departure it delivers an introduction to different theoretical perspectives on and facets of entrepreneurship as well as to the concept of “entrepreneuring” (that is entrepreneurship as a process). Thus the core of this course is to provide a foundation for the programme as well as learning for and in entrepreneurship (for example, through identifying and developing venture ideas for a new start-up as well as for an established organization).

In parallel with Entrepreneuring: Person and Process, that communicates the ideological pillars of the programme, the students take the course Entrepreneurial Growth, which provides an introduction to learning about entrepreneurship and managing an entrepreneurial firm. In this course, academic work is in focus, through lectures, literature discussions, as well as writing of academic texts. Case studies and guest lectures construct a bridge to the world outside the academy.

Building on these two initial courses, the second term starts with the course Entrepreneuring: Creating a New Venture, which focuses on learning for and, partly, in entrepreneurship. Students here take part in a new venture creation process - or, for those students who already have established a venture, new venture development process. This process is supported on the practice side by the local Science Park, external experts (e.g. in intellectual property and tax issues) as well as entrepreneurs reporting on their own experiences. On the academic side, a senior faculty member provides academic input to support the students in reflecting upon this process. In parallel runs the course Advanced Research Methods in Entrepreneurship. This course focuses on both qualitative and quantitative research methods to prepare students for their master thesis projects as well as more generally for the task of collecting and evaluating information.

In the third study period, the course Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategic Renewal picks up on the focus on practice-oriented activity introduced in the Entrepreneuring: Person and Process course. It introduces the topic of entrepreneurship in established organizations, both in terms of state-of-the-art research findings and of a course project conducted for a company in need of business renewal and of reviving its entrepreneurial spirit. For many start-ups as well as established organizations it is a challenge to secure enough financial resources for developing and growing the company. How this can be achieved is covered in the course Entrepreneurial Finance, which runs in the fourth study period.

Applied International Marketing, is a course in which students work in multi-cultural teams to prepare internationalization plans for regional small and medium-sized companies, in a course supported by the main Swedish export associations and support agencies. This course is followed by the course Family Entrepreneurship, which draws on the world-class research conducted at JIBS’ Centre of Family Enterprise and Ownership (CeFEO). It analyses the process of start-up, entrepreneurial development and renewal of family firms, the predominant type of companies in most countries worldwide.

The third semester consist of 30 elective credits and give the opportunity for students to build a custom-made profile in composition of course package and choice of university. The recommendation is to select master level courses within the specialisation but some complimentary topics might be relevant given students’ personal preferences and career-plans. Students should choose courses within the fields of business administration, economics, statistics, economic geography, commercial law, informatics and language. For international exchange, students choose the courses at a partner university in coordination with JIBS faculty, and accreditation of the courses is also conducted by JIBS faculty. An option to international exchange is to stay at JIBS during the third semester with the same limitation on types of courses as there are for students studying abroad. The elective semester at JIBS can include an academic internship of 7.5 or 15 credits as part of the course package. The programme specific Internship in Entrepreneurship (7.5 or 15 ECTS credits) is conducted in an existing entrepreneurial organization or the student’s own venture. These internship activities provide further relevant practical insights and are complemented throughout with guided academic reflections relating the activities to relevant readings in order to advance the students in becoming reflective practitioners.

The fourth and last, semester consists of a 30-credit thesis course. The thesis in business administration should cover a topic of strategic entrepreneurship.

All courses are taught in English. Due to the fact that Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) has an exchange programme including a wide range of partner universities, and the fact that this master´s programme and other programmes at JIBS are open to students from around the world, the courses have a diverse international participation of students. The international atmosphere is reinforced with international subject matter in this programme, in particular its consideration of how to optimally take advantage of opportunities being made available through globalization.

The education is meant to prepare the students for work in business positions that require contributions for strategic decision-making and to prepare the students for starting their own businesses. The education is also meant to prepare students for research in the areas of entrepreneurship and strategic renewal, possibly within doctoral studies.

Courses

Mandatory courses

Course Name Credits Main field of study Specialised in Course Code
Advanced Research Methods in Entrepreneurship 7.5 Business Administration A1N JARR26
Applied International Marketing 7.5 Business Administration A1N JAMR28
Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategic Renewal 7.5 Business Administration A1N JCER27
Entrepreneurial Finance 7.5 Business Administration A1N ENNR23
Entrepreneurial Growth 7.5 Business Administration A1N ENOR23
Entrepreneuring: Creating a New Venture 7.5 Business Administration A1F JEPS21
Entrepreneuring; Person and Process 7.5 Business Administration A1N ENRR23
Family Entrepreneurship 7.5 Business Administration A1N JFER21
Master Thesis in Business Administration (Two Years) 30 Business Administration A2E JMBV27

Elective courses

Course Name Credits Main field of study Specialised in Course Code
Advanced Leadership 1 7.5 Business Administration A1N MGSR23
Consumer Behavior 1 7.5 Business Administration A1N JCBR27
Global Strategy 1 7.5 Business Administration A1N JGSR21
Market Communication in a Digital World 1 7.5 Business Administration A1N MLSR23

Elective credits

1) For all 2-year master programmes, in the autumn of the 2nd year students have options for courses either at JIBS or through exchange. The elective courses noted during this period are default courses at JIBS if the students do not participate in exchange, academic internship or actively select other courses. The default courses at the optional semester are subject to change.

Programme overview

Year 1
Semester 1 Semester 2
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4
Entrepreneurial Growth, 7.5 credits Advanced Research Methods in Entrepreneurship, 7.5 credits Applied International Marketing, 7.5 credits Entrepreneurial Finance, 7.5 credits
Entrepreneuring; Person and Process, 7.5 credits Entrepreneuring: Creating a New Venture, 7.5 credits Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategic Renewal, 7.5 credits Family Entrepreneurship, 7.5 credits

Year 2
Semester 3 Semester 4
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4
Optional credits, 30,00 credits Master Thesis in Business Administration (Two Years), 30 credits
Advanced Leadership 1, 7.5 credits Global Strategy 1, 7.5 credits  
Consumer Behavior 1, 7.5 credits Market Communication in a Digital World 1, 7.5 credits  


Teaching and examination

To pass a course, the student needs to fulfill all the course requirements. Examination will be executed by written exam, oral exam or term papers. Different methods of examination can be used within a single course. The student will be offered examination opportunities in accordance with document: Regulations and Guidelines for first, second and third cycle education at Jönköping University. Mandatory workshops and assignments can figure within the frame of the course.
All courses offered by JIBS will be graded according to the following six levels: A-E constitutes a pass and FX or F is equal to a fail. The grades Pass or Fail can also be used for selected examinations.

Prerequisites

The applicant must hold the minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (i.e the equivalent of 180 ECTS credits at an accredited university) with at least 90 ECTS credits in one (or a combination) of the following areas: business administration, economics, industrial engineering and management, or equivalent. At least 60 ECTS credits must be in business administration. Proof of English proficiency is required.

Continuation Requirements

To be eligible for study abroad, the student should, at the time of the study abroad application, have completed at least 15 ECTS of the programme course credits scheduled prior to the study abroad.
The following requirements need to be met for students to proceed to the second academic year within the programme:
Within the programme the student must not fall behind more than 30 credits.

Qualification Requirements

To obtain the Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Business Administration, the student must complete the course requirements of at least 120 credits at the higher education level that were not used for the bachelor degree, with at least 90 credits overall in second-cycle courses and at least 60 of those second-cycle credits in business administration including 30 credit course Master Thesis in Business Administration (Two Years).

To obtain the Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Business Administration, with a focus on Strategic Entrepreneurship, the student must complete: (1) the requirements for the Master of Science (120 credits) with a major in Business administration, (2) all mandatory programme courses as listed in the above contents section, or their equivalent, and (3) a Master thesis in Business Administration (30 credits) that covers a topic with relevance for Strategic Entrepreneurship.

Quality Development

Our cooperation with JSA, the student organization, is crucial. This work is conducted on two levels, programmes and courses.

Programme level
On the programme level student representatives for the programme are elected. The student representatives and the programme directors meet regularly to discuss courses and the progress of the programme. The representatives stay in contact with course coordinators to share the overall impression and student experiences from courses, in addition, the Programme Director leads quality assurance work together with a programme group (faculty) and an advisory board (corporate representatives).

Course level
On the course level, student evaluators and course coordinator meet shortly after the course has started. The purpose is to ensure that the course is working well and if necessary make minor changes. After each course is finished all students perform course evaluations in the learning management system, and programme developers evaluate the course on the aggregate level and communicate with programme director and course coordinator.

Other Information

Preparatory/foundation courses cannot be included/counted for the JIBS degree.
Additional information, regarding the programme, will be presented on JIBS homepage before each application period.