Overview
Create your own tech start-up while earning a Smurfit Master's in a structured and supported environment with world class mentors and lecturers guiding you on the way.
This part-time Masters is ideally suited to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) graduates who have a minimum of three years work experience who want to play a leading role in creating new knowledge-based businesses.. The unique design combines the academic rigour and theoretical grounding of a traditional Masters with extensive practical experience involving the creation of actual new ventures or new lines of business inside a firm.
What will I learn?
Innovation and entrepreneurship are the engines of economic growth and are now seen as critical competencies for firms operating in competitive markets. Participants will learn the theory and practice of innovation and entrepreneurship enabling them to lead in this important and growing area.
Competencies in creating and leading teams that can design and develop successful new lines of business inside current firms and new stand-alone ventures
Knowledge and application of the repeatable processes that can be employed to identify, develop and validate new business ideas
A comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurial logic, business model design, and a design thinking approach to new product and service creation in knowledge-based businesses
Those who complete the course will develop:
An ability to analyze and evaluate consumer needs, and design and lead new business development teams and processes to deliver knowledge-based solutions into the marketplace.
An analytical perspective on the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in serving the needs of society and in the creation and sustainability of modern businesses.
Practical skills in identifying and creating new business opportunities that are appropriate for a firm or founding team, and the markets they wish to serve.
Course features
This unique course combines core modules designed specifically for this programme, option modules from other MSc courses, and extensive practical application involving the creation of actual new ventures or new lines of business inside a firm. The course is delivered and supported by highly experienced international academic faculty members and leading practitioners within the innovation and entrepreneurship eco-system.
Participants benefit from the combined expertise of three leading Irish institutions: Smurfit Schools strength in core business and innovation management, National College of Art and Designs industrial design expertise, and input from experts at NovaUCD, our leading incubator of technology firms.
The two-year, part-time format involves twice-weekly evening classes and is structured to facilitate study, practice and professional life.
Delivered part-time over 2 years with twice-weekly evening classes, this programme involves an academic componentwith 7 taught modules and a major paperand a practical component involving a 20-month practicum where students create actual new ventures or new lines of business inside existing firms.
Practicum
In the 20-month practicum participants will work in teams drawn from within and outside the programme to create an actual new venture or new line of business inside a firm. Three elements of support and interaction facilitate the practicum work: 1) Ongoing input and mentorship from our Entrepreneur-in-Residence; 2) Interaction with researchers in Science Foundation Ireland Centres and UCD STEM faculties, who are working on cutting edge technologies in their field; 3) Formal review and input at the end of each term from experts at NovaUCD our leading incubator of knowledge based businesses.
Major Paper
The major paper, delivered in the last semester, assesses innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities in the participants chosen field, including recommendations for exploitation of those opportunities, and incorporates learning from the participants own new venture project.
Skills Seminars
Additional skills seminars will cover team work, sales and negotiation skills for the new ventures.