General provisions

The course is given in Master's Programme in Business and Management - specialisation Entrepreneurship.

Entry requirements

Strategy and Contemporary Issues, 15 credits. A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is 90 credits in business studies. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. As all teaching takes place in English, very good language skills in English are a necessity to be able to partake in the course.

For incoming exchange students an introductory course at Master's level from previous studies is required. Exceptions can be made from the requirement of 90 credits in business studies, provided that special reasons are considered to exist.

Learning outcomes

This course prepares participants for successful launching of a new venture and addresses the challenges involved in building and managing an entrepreneurial firm.

Having completed the course, participants will have deepened their understanding of the challenges and activities involved in launching and building an entrepreneurial firm. From a practical point of view, participants will be able to:

• formulate the mission and vision of the entrepreneurial firm
• build a founding team
• identify core capabilities and activities
• analyse the environment of the firm
• formulate business strategies
• design a marketing plan
• assess financial statements
• formulate a business plan.

Content

The course includes topics related to the launching of an entrepreneurial firm. Individual issues include the entrepreneurial firm, mission and vision, capabilities and core activities, industry analysis, financial analysis and statements, strategies and marketing plans, and business plans.

Instruction

Teaching takes the form of lectures, seminars, workshops, and mentoring of project work. Project work is conducted individually or in groups. All teaching and mentoring activities end after conclusion of the course. The course is taught in English.

Assessment

The student will get one single grade, equivalent to 7.5 credits.

Examination takes the form of written assignments and the assessment of classroom participation. The final grade of the course is determined after taking into account the different parts of the examination. To pass the course, all graded tasks have to receive a minimum pass grade. Grading criteria are presented in the course guide provided at the start of the course. The following grades will be used: pass with distinction (VG), pass (G), and fail (U).

Written assignments handed in late will not be graded, except in special circumstances. In addition, any remaining assignments and supplements must be completed and handed in by the deadline specified in the course guide, otherwise the entire course (all assignments included) must be redone the next time the course is given.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions to the specified examination method and allow a student to be examined in another way. For example, special reasons may be given for special educational support from the university coordinator.

Uppsala University does not accept cheating or plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, who may issue a formal warning to the student or suspend the student from studies for a certain period.

NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.

Other regulations

This course overlaps Launching the Firm 2FE733, Foundations of Entrepreneurship, 2FE890 and with Entrepreneurship, 2FE623 / 8FE623.