Strategic Entrepreneurship is a programme that helps you improve your entrepreneurial effectiveness, both in creating and launching new start-ups, and in identifying and developing opportunities within existing organisations.

Entrepreneurial activities play a crucial role in our society and the programme prepares students with the skills that are needed in existing companies as well as developing skills to enable new businesses to emerge and succeed. The education is designed according to state-of-the-art research results but also offers practical projects and start-up experiences.

The language of instruction is English and you meet with students from all parts of the world. The programme provides you with an entrepreneurial mind-set as well as intercultural communication and team-working skills. 

Content

You can apply either to a one-year or two-year version of the programme.
During the first year, all courses are compulsory to provide a base for insights into entrepreneurial processes, change and business renewal.  During the second semester, though, you decide on the topic four your 15-credit thesis. If you study the two-year version of the programme, your third semester consists of elective courses. This enables you to customize and deepen your knowledge base in a particular area. You can study your third semester abroad — further adding to the international dimension of your education and knowledge.  

The skills needed by future entrepreneurs include analytical thinking, business-related knowledge and oral and written communication skills. However, skills such as creative thinking (i.e. finding new ways of solving problems), planning and research (i.e. knowing where to find information and how to use it), organising work and change processes are also very important. All of these skills are exercised in the Strategic Entrepreneurship programme through a range of different assignments.

You have the opportunity to get acquainted with the Swedish business landscape, thereby experiencing the interplay of the local business dimension with the global one through guest lectures by participants in the Swedish business world, projects with Swedish organisations, and opportunities provided to develop your own venture ideas. The mandatory course Introduction to Business Creation has been nominated for the USASBE Global Entrepreneurship Education Award 2011.

This programme is supported by faculty with exceptional experience in the field of entrepreneurship. Since the founding of JIBS in 1994, entrepreneurship has been one of the most important areas of research at the school. Based on publications of entrepreneurship research 1995-2006, JIBS is ranked ninth worldwide and third within Europe   (pdf, 170 kB). JIBS has also received many prestigious awards over the years in this area.  

All faculty involved in teaching the Strategic Entrepreneurship programme are active researchers, so they naturally incorporate state-of-the-art published research into their courses. Notably, in 2008, core faculty member Professor Johannisson received the prestigious Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research (see www.e-award.org), recognising his internationally leading role in developing the academic field of entrepreneurship. Other faculty members involved in teaching the programme have also received awards for their research and publications.

Further studies

The programme provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue doctoral studies in business administration, in associated areas, or in multidisciplinary areas that include business administration.

Career Prospects

The Strategic Entrepreneurship programme will provide you with specialised master level competencies in business administration with a focus on venture creation and venture management as well as business renewal. Depending on your background, there are a wide range of  career opportunities awaiting you after graduation, including: business owner-manager/entrepreneur, business developer, project leader, change manager, business developer.