Entrepreneurship

3 ECTS credits
86 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4016998EER for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Possible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool

Department

Business Technology and Operations

Educational team

Thomas Crispeels (course titular)
Emiel De Buyser

Activities and contact hours

24 contact hours Lecture
62 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

In this course, students will learn how to start up a project or company, develop their business case and write a business plan.

The course is organized along four main steps in the entrepreneurial process:

Analysis of the business environment and ecosystem
Generation and development of a business idea, suited to the entrepreneur’s core assets and ambitions, and customer discovery to a problem-solution and product-market fit
Evaluation of key assumptions and verification of hypotheses
Writing and pitching of the plan, including the financial plan

Throughout these four stages, student groups generate and develop their own business idea, gather information, convince others to cooperate and adapt their business idea according to the ongoing analysis.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Additional material and slides on Canvas, Canvas

Additional info

The textbook will be used as a practical guideline/toolbox to develop a business plan in groups.

Teaching Methods

This description of the teaching methods is indicative, in order to assess the expected study load.

HOC: collective contact moments during which the lecturer engages with learning materials and coaches the students in their assignment: 24 hours
SELF: group work and preparation of the business plan and its presentation during the exam: 62 hours

Learning Outcomes

General competences

This course contributes to the competences of graduates on how to develop new ideas and write a business plan. We approach the business plan development from a process perspective, and hence students gain basic competences in the different stages of the entrepreneurial process.

At the end of the course, students are able to:

Analyze the business environment, identify relevant trends and generate business ideas;
Formulate key assumptions related to their value proposition and business model;
Draft financial plans based on planned activities and assumptions;
Gather market information in order to develop a solid business and financial plan;
Communicate and collaborate effectively with other group members.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 40% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Business Plan with a relative weight of 60 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Pitch with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.
Peer Evaluation with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Business Plan: developed and presented in groups

60% based on the final deliverable (business plan, incl. financial plan)
20% based on the final presentation (pitch)
20% peer evaluation

In the second examination session, students can work individually or in smaller group on the improvement of their business plan exercise.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context