MBS in International Entrepreneurship Management

This thread needs more Mossin...

Hi Sabre,

I'm currently doing this course, so I'll fill you in on what we've done since September. I cannot comment much on next semester as I dont know what we will do doing exactly, I'll know more in January.

This semester we had 5 modules, and class takes place on Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays, thats for both full and part-time students. There are only 15 hours a week, i.e. 3 hours per module [2 for lectures and 1 for tutorials]

I'll now break down each module for you.

Marketing and Market Research Methods
This class was given by the new course director, and she made a good stab at it.
It can be tediously boring, and fairly common sense, but that may also be because I did Marketing as my Major for my undergraduate degree.
It covers aspects such as primary/secondary research methods, and benefits of them etc...
Then basically covers the 7P's of marketing - Product, Price, Promotion etc...in detail. The book used is an introduction to marketing book, and is available in the library and is quite useful.
The course work for this module was interesting.

For 15% we had to do a sales pitch in groups of 2. A ten minute presentation trying to sell a product to SPAR stores in Ireland. You will be given a product [ranging from fire logs to natural fruit juice] and then the rest is up to you.
For 45%, we had to work with a company who came in to do a presentation to us. The class divided into groups of 5, and had to choose from a list of options to work with his company on. We did a sales and promotional plan for the next 12 months on their new product. It was an awful project in my opinion, because the business was a bit of a joke, and the 2,500 word count for 45% was unrealistic of how much work we put in.
The final 40% came in the form of an end of semester exam, answering 2 from 3 essays questions.

Innovation and Intrapreneurship
This module was 100% coursework, and as a result I didnt bother to do any of the extra readings or even look at a book. I'm not sure if anyone in the class did tbh.
For the first 30%, each person had to devise 2 new to the world products, and do a 2 minute sales pitch on one of them, while submitting a written document on each as well. This was tough, as the deadline was in week 3 of the semester, and not much time to think of an idea.
The next 50% involved asking 5 employees in an SME of your choice a load of questions. The lecturer gave us the questionnaire at the beginning of the semester, and therefore it was straighforward. With the responses, we each had to write a 5,000 word report comparing and analysing the results. It had to be graphical and analytical. The report writing was ok, but trying to get the responses proved difficult.
The final 20% was a personal development log, explaining how our understanding of innovation and intrapreneurship developed during the semester. This was pure nonsense, but its better than sitting an exam!
It also has the best lecturer imo. She was fantastic, and you'd listen to her all day.

Financing Small Businesses
This was not an introduction to accounting as I thought it would be, but it still covered a lot of the basics. The lecturer made a boring subject easy enough to listen to.
25% of the module was a case study, trying to source additional sources of funding, and this was done in groups of 5. Its a straightforward case study, and practical which was good.
The 75% was an exam at the end, answering 3 from 4 questions. Most of them are computational, with some theory as well, but majority needed a calculator.

Human Resources
This module was also 100% coursework.
I thought this was awfully boring at the start, and the lecturer did nothing to change my opinion for a long time. She was just too boring, and all we were covering was legislation such as unfair dismissals act etc..They were all examined in a 30% mid-term exam.
Then we had to do a selection interview then late in the semester. In this interview we were the interviewer! We had barely 2 weeks preparation, and we were filmed doing it, and it was a fantastic experience. Definitely one of the best aspects of course.
The last part of the module was a 3,000 - 5,000 word project, and was essentially a mini-thesis, as it required a literature review, and interviewing 3 owner/managers of SME's.
I think that next year, the project is going to be replaced by a second interview, which I think will be more beneficial.

Establishing New Ventures
This was 100% coursework also, and was in essence a module on doing a business plan. Now, thats what we were told, and while we spent the next 13 weeks coming up with a product and developing a business plan, in the end it was an academic report, and not a usable model. The time scale is just too small to properly develop it, and with all the other work it ends up consuming your life.
The business plan can be done alone, or in groups up to 3 members.
5% given for a sales pitch in week 3 on the new idea.
10% given for a 4 page product concept statement - basically expanding on the sales pitch.
50% given for submitting the business plan [ours was 91 pages long]
25% given for a learning journal - what we each learned throughout the semester
10% given for a Dragons' Den exhibition and presentation. We presented in front of a panel of 8 people, and then had a 2 hour exhibition of our business plans in week 13 of the semester. This was fun, and a great experience, but it was just so late in the semester that we were all so tired we just wanted it to be over.

Thats the jist of the course to date.
When we return we will be doing 5 more modules and a thesis up to 35,000 words.
The modules include a family business module, a business consulting module, and an economics module. Thats all I know right now on next semester..

Sabre0001 wrote: »

Food for thought guys, thanks very much! Will definately be keeping an eye out for more tips come Semester 2 when ye know what ye are doing.

Did Marketing and Entrepreneurship myself in college and did enjoy it overall (so much coursework though!).

It's a tough time - currently do have a job which is always nice...but do want the time to do the BP (and possibly branch out). But the job is the safety net at the end of the day. Unfortunately, by the sounds of it I wouldn't have any surplus time by doing the Masters either Must keep an eye on this, do some more research and think it over...and over...

With you having done marketing and entrepreneurship already, you will definitely have covered quite a lot of the first semester material as I have said above.
There are a few people in the class who are balancing a part-time job and the college workload, and it helps that college is only on Wednesday - Friday, so you have 4 days a week "free" so to speak - although this is rarely the case.
I myself work in Thomond Park whenever there is an event there, and I managed it ok.

I would recommend that you email the course director with any additional questions about the course as she is really helpful. The director changed from Naomi Birdthistle to Briga Hynes during last semester and you can email her Briga.Hynes@ul.ie

For next semester, we have been emailed out the course outlines for 3 out of the 5 modules we will be studying, and I will outline them briefly now:

Internationalising Entrepreneurial Ventures
The module will comprise of two elements – an in-class case study exam and a final end of Semester exam each worth 50%.
I'll give more information on the case study as it becomes available.

Family Business: Generational Challenges and Growth
100% COURSEWORK =
Thought Paper 15% (individual) week 2
Article Review 15% (individual) week 5
Journal article review 15% (individual) week 8
Family business analysis 55% (group or individual) week 12

Again more details as the semester progresses.

Managing International Business Growth

60% project assignment based upon the business plan from semester 1.
Same groups apply from that module to this one.
This looks to be a very time consuming, and extremely detailed project, and is due in Week 11, and each group has to present to a panel of 3 judges in week 12 also. There is also apparently a monetary reward for the top two of €600 and €400 respectively.

There is also a 40% final exam to complete the module.

These are initial course outlines, and I'll give you more details in due course.
PM me with specific questions about anything.

I would highly recommend that you email the course director though, as she will help persuade you or answer any doubts that you might have.

Bellies wrote: »

Private mail for you there Sabre0001. Graduated from this course in '08!
might be some useful points for you!

Hey Bellies, any chance of forwarding that info to me as well?

When you graduated was it from the 2 year course?

Semester 2 has seen some repetition of material covered in semester 1 which really annoys me. The rehashed module title "Internationalising Entrepreneurial Ventures" is basically just international marketing. And considering that we covered pretty much all aspects of marketing last semester I'm not impressed with this module.

Business Consulting is a great module, but it requires lots and lots of effort. We are working in groups of 5/6 and are working with a real client based in Dublin, and have to do research for them. We then present this data in a report and present the information in front of the client in Week 12. This module is taking over my life right now.

Family business is a tediously boring module, in which we have to write 3 15% accounts on what a family business is - with each one being just different enough to the previous project to make you have to start from scratch. The final 55% is a group project based on a family business. We are doing it on Heineken and its somewhat interesting as a result. The course notes are given out at the beginning, and we have to suffer through a 3 hour lecture each wednesday afternoon.

Managing International Business Growth is based upon the business plan from semester one. It essentially expands upon the operations plan, and makes the business plan more feasible. Not a bad thing if you have done a good plan in semester one. You can work in different groups, or as I am doing staying with the same lads.

Small business economics is quite interesting. The lecturer really engages with the material, and later today I'm going to interview an owner/manager as part of the 50% assignment due. The module starts with basic microeconomics, so those who ahve done it before have an advantage, but that material is only useful for the project, and is not examinable. The final exam is based entirely on policy stuff - we are just starting that now.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I have to submit my thesis proposal this week also [thats week 7]. This is on top of the 5 modules that this masters does. And another thing, the thesis is 25,000 - 35,000 words. This is 3-4 times bigger than the Marketing Consumption masters, and the Msc in International Global Business Mgt [which only do 4 modules a semester also]

I'm happy enough with the course overall, it covers a vast array of material, and offers a great understanding of what is requried of owner/managers starting up an SME. The thesis point is something that is bugging quite a lot of students, but tbh I really dont mind.
I would recommend the course to those interested in entrepreneurship and/or marketing.

All family businesses count - trust me, there is a fairly epic debate about what is / isnt a family business. It happens in week 1, and is about the only interesting aspect of the module imo.

My thesis is going to be on the usage of ICT in SME's.

My revised proposal is due on Wednesday, and as of this minute my working title is : "To explore the usage of ICT in small firms with a particular emphasis on website management" - I will be focusing on micro firms in a particular industry as I'm interested to know how many firms with less than 10 employees have developed websites and what they use them for. This focuses attention on the 2 key questions – ICT and then website management as a result.

Btw, this masters only needs a 2:2 degree afaik, but if you have any interest at all, you will be considered. If you are interested I would recommend that you speak to the course director as soon as possible. I was outside her office last week when she was interviewing someone for the course.

The class size is pretty small, and its almost first come first serve as well.

Mossin wrote: »

All family businesses count - trust me, there is a fairly epic debate about what is / isnt a family business. It happens in week 1, and is about the only interesting aspect of the module imo.

My thesis is going to be on the usage of ICT in SME's.

My revised proposal is due on Wednesday, and as of this minute my working title is : "To explore the usage of ICT in small firms with a particular emphasis on website management" - I will be focusing on micro firms in a particular industry as I'm interested to know how many firms with less than 10 employees have developed websites and what they use them for. This focuses attention on the 2 key questions – ICT and then website management as a result.

Btw, this masters only needs a 2:2 degree afaik, but if you have any interest at all, you will be considered. If you are interested I would recommend that you speak to the course director as soon as possible. I was outside her office last week when she was interviewing someone for the course.

The class size is pretty small, and its almost first come first serve as well.

cheers ye im only a 3rd year so have loads of time and assuming i get a first ill be applying to masters abroad as a priority but this one jsut about suits my needs if i dont get my first choices