Master's Studies
Master Courses
In this illustration you will get an overview of the master course contents. Further information can be found in the module manual.
The seminar Entrepreneurship and Management I teaches practical orientated fundamental knowledge referring to the founding process of a company as well as to startup management. In doing so central elements of the bachelor’s program are refreshed, which are important for the further course of study. The class trains the students’ abilities regarding entrepreneurial activities or rather the development of new business fundamentals. Also, experiments are undertaken, which are based on current practical methods. The results are presented and discussed in milestone meetings. The learned abilities aim at the individual entrepreneurial activity and simultaneously at startup consultancy as well as at startup coaching.
In this seminar, participants develop basic research skills that are essential in qualitative studies and learn how to conduct a systematic literature review. This seminar deals with popular topics in contemporary entrepreneurship research. We teach fundamental research knowledge and skills, including the philosophy of science, basic qualitative interview techniques, research ethics, and academic English writing. Furthermore, students will conduct a research project in a group in which they perform a systematic literature analysis on a selected research topic.
Entrepreneurship & Management II” directly builds on the class “Entrepreneurship & Management I”. While the latter course focuses the micro-level of founders, coaches and mentors, “Entrepreneurship & Management II” switches to the macro-perspective of startup ecosystems. By participating in the course, the students will get in touch with the unique perspectives of actors in the ecosystem as well as the dynamic interplay of them on a regional basis. In this setting, the required resources to accelerate and to support venturing become evident – stand-alone as well as interrelated as a regional capital structure. Methodologically, the course encompasses workshops on core issues: the event scenery, the financial sub-system, the startup infrastructure as well as the management of the entire ecosystem. The course merges teaching and research elements and thus involves students in project-based teamwork with feedback from both teachers, other students and industry experts, the latter participating via guest lectures. Participating in the course requires sound knowledge on the course “Entrepreneurship & Management I”.
An entrepreneurial ecosystem is agglomeration of independent actors and resources in a particular geographical region which creates favorable conditions for entrepreneurs. However, what are the basic features of entrepreneurial ecosystems? Which features are relevant to nurturing ventures and how do they impact entrepreneurs? The module tackles these and similar questions from multiple perspectives (e.g., entrepreneurs, innovative companies, venture support institutions, venture capitalists, regional development agencies).
In this seminar, participants familiarize themselves with various theories and concepts that can be applied to investigate entrepreneurship and develop a conceptual paper with a set of propositions. More specifically, students learn how to conduct literature reviews to understand the research object, as well as theories and concepts, and how to develop causal assumptions. This research aims at fostering the basic research skills on the master-level to develop frame the paper, to apply theories and concepts, and to explore new causal relationships. This seminar deals with various aspects of entrepreneurship, such as transnational entrepreneurship, accelerators, business incubators, entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
First, this module develops research proposals based on the exposé developed in the previous seminar. In order to develop appropriate theses, an advanced understanding of the relevant theories and concepts must be established. Secondly, participants learn about research methodology and data analysis methods. Then, student groups will conduct test interviews and field observations to identify possible strengths and weaknesses of the chosen methodology. Thirdly, student groups will conduct further empirical studies, learning how to analyse qualitative data using appropriate coding techniques and QDA software. Finally, students will learn how to present qualitative data and write a full-length scientific article.