Business Management with Entrepreneurship – BSc (Hons)

BSc Business Management with Entrepreneurship will teach you how to think like an entrepreneur. The course will provide you with a perfect blend of theory and practice, covering topics such as:

• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Fundraising and finance
• Innovation and ideation
• Responsible leadership
• Social change
• Strategic planning
• Sustainable futures

You will engage in ideation, innovation, and creation. You will build resilience and confidence. Whether you plan to create your own business or be entrepreneurial within an existing company, you will learn how to be a responsible leader who can navigate through any situation.

This course develops your academic, practical, and professional skills. Interactive lectures will deliver key knowledge, while practical workshops and live-action simulations allow you to apply these concepts in real-world scenarios. There is a mix of independent study to develop your critical thinking and group work to build teamwork and communication skills. You will learn to evaluate and analyse information to produce reports and reflective essays. You will develop your confidence in articulating ideas and delivering professional content through pitches and presentations.

You will learn about the wider environmental, political, and economic challenges that are both impacted by and impact on the way we do business. On this research-led degree you will be immersed in exploring and tackling major global challenges, with emphasis on sustainability and social justice.

Core modules:

• • Introduction to Financial Accounting for Managers
    This is a one term course and is normally taken by students in the ManagementSchool who need a shorter duration introduction to Accounting and Finance. It cannot be taken in conjunction with AC.F 100 and, in practice, is generally restricted to students on Management School Part I courses with a modular structure. This first-term course is particularly orientated towards managers as intelligent users of externally published financial information rather than as preparers.The objectives of this course are to introduce students with no previous knowledge of accounting and finance to:
    – the use and interpretation of financial statements,- some concepts underlying financial reporting by companies, and- an appreciation of financial accounting by companies, so that they can work effectively as future non-accounting managers with their accounting colleagues in cross-functional management teams.The course considers the perspectives of various users and opportunities for creative accounting. It places the concepts and use of financial statements within the current commercial context, so that students can appreciate the role of financial accounting. An introduction to the mechanics of accounting entries gives a foundation for students who wish to study AcF 212.

• • Economics for Business
    The course covers: Demand, supply and market equilibrium; Elasticity; Government intervention in markets; Utility, indifference curves and budget constraints; Cost and production; Perfect competition; Monopoly; Market failure and externalities; Measuring a nation’s well-being; Saving, investment and the financial system; The monetary system; Keynesian economics; Aggregate demand and aggregate supply; Open economy macroeconomics.

• • Introduction to Management
    The course introduces a variety of management theories and practices. Its basic aims are:- To provide participants with an essential understanding of the basic theories relevant to the management of work organisation.- To enable students to identify and understand the limitations inherent within the various theories to which they are introduced.

• • Employability & Careers
    This module will introduce and familiarize students with the different aspects of career planning and development. This module will cover a wide range of topics to help students identify their interests and strengths and align them with potential career paths.Some key components will include:1. Self-assessment: This is the foundation of any career planning exercise. Students will be introduced to various online tools and assessments that can help them gain insights into their interests, values, strengths and skills. The results of these assessments can help students identify potential career paths that align with their strengths and interests.2. Explore different career options: Students will learn about different career paths, industries and organizations through lectures, career fairs, and employer-led presentations. They can also research various job descriptions and requirements online to learn about the skills and qualifications they need to acquire for their desired career path.3. Building professional skills: Developing essential professional skills like networking (effective use of elevator pitch), CV writing, and job application forms can be important in achieving success in any chosen career path. This module will provide students the opportunity to learn how to write a CV, cover letter, and application form through workshops and other resources made available online.4. Gain Work Experience: Students will begin to gain real world experience through part-time jobs, job shadowing, project work, and volunteering in their first year. These activities provide opportunities for students to apply their skills and knowledge to a workplace setting, while also developing a professional network for their future career.

Core modules:

• Entrepreneurial Mindset
  Lectures (1 hour per week)The lectures will include an introdution to and exploration of theory, interviews with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence about their mindset/learning, and assignment preparation, skills, and support. Intended lecture outline:
  Week 1: Module Introduction & Introduction to Entrepreneurial Mindset
  Week 2: Introduction to Entrepreneurial Learning & Development
  Week 3: Interviews: Learning Source and Research Method
  Week 4: Entrepreneurial Mindset & Experiential Learning (including error mastery and learning from failure)
  Week 5: EiR Interview 1
  Week 6: Entrepreneurial Mindset Development in Entrepreneurial Education
  Week 7: EiR Interview 2
  Week 8: Entrepreneurial Mindset Differences (including gender, neurodiversity, poverty and immigrant entrepreneurship)
  Week 9: EiR Interview 3
  Week 10: Research Reports: Assignment Guidance & SupportWorkshops (1 hour per week)
  The workshops will support students by facilitating reflection of their mindset, providing opportunities to develop aspects of the entrepreneurial mindset, connecting theory and practice through debates/discussions/case studies, and building research collection and qualitative analysis skills.
• Business Start-up
  Week 1. Introduction: Learning from business start-up. Entrepreneurial learning outcomes from new venture creation excercise. Integration with group and individual assessments. Week 2. Individual: Beyond the ‘heroic’ entrepreneur. The relevance of the psychological and behavioural approaches to understanding the entrepreneur in relation to business start-up. Reflection on personal enterprise abilities. Group formation.Week 3. Visions: Creating new ventures. Distinct approaches to an entrepreneurial vison: the emergent vision, business plans and the entrepreneurial opportunity business model. Dimensions and drivers that underpin the exploitation of an entrepreneurial opportunity.Week 4. Opportunities: Nurturing creativity and innovation. Different ways in which opportunities are recognised, evaluated and developed into viable business propositions. Significance of innovation and the complex relationship with creativity and entrepreneurship. Week 5. People: Leading teams and networks. Contribution of leadership, teams and networks to business start-up. Process of developing entrepreneurial networks during the new venture process.Week 6. Presentations: Pitching a new business idea to demonstrate an advance understanding on the new venture process and opportunity business models.Week 7. Markets: Understanding customers and competitors. Challenges faced by entrepreneurs in new markets and how these relate to mainstream marketing approaches. Entrepreneurial marketing practices in the context of business start-up.Week 8. Digital marketing: Understanding social media for enterprise. Integrated entrepreneurial marketing practices including digital and social media marketing in business start-up. Week 9. Operations: Implementing technologies, processes and controls. Importance of information systems to improve internal processes, customer relationship management and extending the enterprise to gain competitive advantage. & Accounts: interpreting financial performance. Financial forecasting and key performance indicators.Week 10. Finances: raising capital for new ventures. Type and sources of funding for business start-up. Banks, business angels, venture capitalist, crowdfunding, factoring, trade investment, flotation and exit.
• Personal Leadership Development
  This module will consist of lectures, workshops, and individual and group self-assessments. A major aim of the module is to help students develop their personal and professional leadership style. The lectures will inform students about different leadership approaches. Individual and group activities will allow students to assess their skills and leadership styles and the workshops will give students a chance to work on developing their leadership skills and abilities.The module will have 10 lectures or their content in alternative format, such as short, topic-specific videos when a flipped classroom of blended delivery method is used, and 10 workshops. Unmarked formative activities (such as personality and leadership style inventories that provide feedback), non-marked group presentations, and reflective exercises will give students developmental feedback throughout the term. The 2 marked assignments will consist of (1) a student group presentation (video or in-person) on an assigned reading, and (2) an end-of-term essay on a leadership topic.
• Social Innovation Challenge
  This module comprises a blend of lectures, workshops, and both individual (summative) and group (formative) assessments. The primary aim is to develop students’ understanding of social innovation principles and theories, and to equip them with the tools necessary to establish meaning and relevance in this field.The lectures will introduce and explain foundational theories and concepts of social innovation, providing the essential theoretical framework that underpins the module. Workshops are designed to be interactive sessions where students can engage in discussions, debates, and deeper exploration of the lecture material. These sessions will also include team-based activities for the group assessments, offering a collaborative space for students to apply their knowledge and skills practically.The module’s assessment structure includes an individual summative assessment, which is a 2000-word essay that serves as the main evaluative component, allowing students to demonstrate their comprehensive understanding of the module’s content. Additionally, there are formative group assessments involving collaborative tasks and presentations. While these do not contribute to the final grade, they are essential for developing teamwork skills and applying theoretical concepts in practical scenarios.The module will span 10 weekly sessions, each comprising a combination of lectures and workshops. Additionally, there may be review or “sweeper” sessions to consolidate learning and address any gaps. Throughout the module, unmarked formative activities such as short quizzes and polls will be employed. These activities are designed to provide students with continuous feedback on their comprehension and progress.
• Skills for Entrepreneurship
  1. Entrepreneurs, ideas and opportunities
  2. Entrepreneurs in context – social and economic drivers and constraints
  3. Prototyping and testing ideas
  4. Networks and resource (re)combinations – thinking about capital
  5. Understanding value creation
  7. From marketing to selling
  8. Understanding revenue streams
  9. The importance of listening to customers
  10. Building repeat business
• Innovation: Product, Service, and Business Model
  The syllabus covers a range of topics related to innovation such as first movers and disruptive innovation, design thinking, open innovation, tools for business model innovation, and innovation in practice. This will provide students with an insight into product, service and business model innovation.
• Employability and Careers II
  This module will introduce and familiarize students with the different aspects of career planning and development. This module will cover a wide range of topics to help students identify their interests and strengths and align them with potential career paths.Some key components will include:1. Self-assessment: This is the foundation of any career planning exercise. Students will be introduced to various online tools and assessments that can help them gain insights into their interests, values, strengths and skills. The results of these assessments can help students identify potential career paths that align with their strengths and interests.2. Explore different career options: Students will learn about different career paths, industries and organizations through lectures, career fairs, and employer-led presentations. They can also research various job descriptions and requirements online to learn about the skills and qualifications they need to acquire for their desired career path.3. Building professional skills: Developing essential professional skills like networking (effective use of elevator pitch), CV writing, and job application forms can be important in achieving success in any chosen career path. This module will provide students the opportunity to learn how to write a CV, cover letter, and application form through workshops and other resources made available online.4. Gain Work Experience: Students will begin to gain real world experience through part-time jobs, job shadowing, project work, and volunteering in their first year. These activities provide opportunities for students to apply their skills and knowledge to a workplace setting, while also developing a professional network for their future career.

Optional modules

• Social Media Marketing
• The Changing Role of Management
• Management Accounting for Business Decisions
• Microeconomic Analysis
• Project Management Tools & Techniques

Core modules:

• Principles of Strategic Management
  Strategic Management is about making distinctive choices concerning the direction and scope of the organisation over the long term, in order to enhance its ability to create value and improve its prospects for organisational survival and growth. In a complex and turbulent environment, with rapid economic, regulatory and technological changes, strategizing – the art of processing complex information thoughtfully and creatively and the ability to convince others of your analysis and recommendations – is a critical skill to acquire. These skills affect not only the short- term financial health, but also the long-term survival of a firm – and have implications for a broad range of organisational stakeholders. The goal of this module is to provide you with an understanding of strategy that will enable you to discuss real-life business activities within a framework of contemporary strategic management thinking. This module is designed to encourage you to develop a personal and distinctive understanding and appreciation of strategizing for different industries and in uncertain environments, through lectures, case analyses and class discussions.
• Entrepreneurial Finance and Business Planning
  This module will give students understanding of the nature and characteristics of financial planning and management in the broad context of entrepreneurship and small business. The module is focused on understanding the process of new venture financing and the finance needs of growth and responses to other managerial contexts. There will be an emphasis on cash flow and working capital management, and on investment strategies. The module covers typical funding sources, challenges and strategies. The module will cover debt and equity finance, bootstrapping and crowdfunding, plus other sources of funding. The module will also introduce a variety of approaches to business planning and the production of business plans, from pre-startup through growth stages of a venture. Practitioner perspectives will be introduced throughout the module. Students will also encounter business plan appraisal, including approaches used by different types of funder and the influence of heuristics, biases and other factors in play in investor decision making. Workshops will be aligned with the weekly lectures. The module will include both theoretical and practitioner perspectives.
• Entrepreneurial Challenge
  Defining and delivering a research project / business plan proof of concept/ company project.Translating research projects / business plan proof of concept/ consultancy reports for a wider public audience utilising magazine article writing skills.
• Family Business
  Family busineses are the most common business form around the world. They make up over three quarters of all business in most countries and contribute significantly to employment and GDP. Family firms can be small but many of the iconic companies of the world are either family controlled or have their roots as family businesses. Well-known examples include Wal-Mart, HARIBO or more locally Warburton’s and Booths. Studying family firms is important because most people who work in the corporate sector will either work in or work with family businesses, as managers, customers or suppliers. This course provides students with an opportunity to understand the concepts, theories, behaviours and dynamics of family firms and apply them in suggestions solutions to challenges related to family business continuity. The course is structured to enable students to confront theory with practice.The seminars will be problem based and will involve the discussion of a range of literature and web based materials. Students will be expected to develop skills in critiquing theoretical and empirical research and interact with family business owners/successors. Guest speakers will provide an insight into how the theories apply in their own family businesses. The involvement of case studies will provide opportunities for students to contrast theory with practice to develop a consultancy report.

Optional modules

• Rethinking Leadership
• Business and Management in the 21st Century: central questions and evaluations
• Digital Business and Organisational Transformation
• Project Management: Negotiation and Decision Support
• Environmental Economics and Climate Change
• Sustainability, Values and Ethics

Teaching is delivered via a combination of small group lectures and group-based tutorials. Assessment is via individual or group coursework, research projects and examinations. You will be expected to undertake independent study throughout to supplement what is being taught/learned and to broaden your personal knowledge.

German language skills are not required for admission into the programme. You will learn in English, and converse with classmates and academics in English.

All BSc (Hons) Business Management with Entrepreneurship students will receive their undergraduate degree from Lancaster University’s Bailrigg campus in the UK.

• Fees: 

Our tuition fee is set for a 12-month time frame encompassing one academic year.

There are two types of fees at Lancaster University Leipzig:

1.  EU/UK fee status: applicable to citizens of EU/UK and EEA member countries
2.  International fee status: applicable to citizens of the rest of the world

The tuition fee that you will pay depends on your citizenship or your immigration status. International citizens with legal residence in the EU/UK or a EEA member country will be assessed for EU/UK fee status on a case by case basis. The admissions department will provide you with more guidance regarding the fee status review during the application assessment stage. 

• Funding: 

Eligible students may benefit from various funding options available at Lancaster University Leipzig. Explore what options you may be qualified for.

You will graduate from BSc Business Management with Entrepreneurship with the qualities, skills and insights required to start your career in business, whatever path you choose to take.

Lancaster University graduates in the UK have been successful in many areas of business management, entrepreneurship, and consultancy. Recent graduates have started their own businesses or gained employment at major companies including:

• Deloitte
• IBM
• Enterprise

Some graduates have had brilliant careers in smaller businesses, such as their own family businesses, public sector institutions, non-profit organisations, government agencies, and the civil service.

This course has also proved to be a powerful springboard to postgraduate education and further academic study at Lancaster and other prestigious universities worldwide.

For information on Careers Centre at LU Leipzig go to Careers Centre – Lancaster University Leipzig.