Entrepreneurship in action

The field of Entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing degrees at major universities around the world and Otago is proud to be one of the leaders in this area. Recently the University's Centre for Entrepreneurship demonstrated some innovation of its own, developing new programmes to meet emerging needs for postgraduate education.

This year the centre has introduced a new qualification, the Postgraduate Certificate in Technology and Entrepreneurship. The course provides an introduction to technology-based businesses, the processes involved in commercialising science and technology, innovation management and the ways in which knowledge can be applied to drive innovation. It can be completed full-time over six months or part-time over up to two years, and is an ideal complement for undergraduate courses in Science, Applied Science and Commerce, and for PhD graduates in Sciences or Health Sciences.

The new course complements the Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce, a one-year full-time course taught in seven intensive, six-week modules. With a more general focus on entrepreneurship and covering topics such as feasibility analysis, finance and marketing, this course is designed for those wanting to learn the skills necessary to undertake or participate in an entrepreneurial venture.

Both programmes have evolved from the success of the Master of Entrepreneurship degree, first offered in 2008 and available for the first time this year also in Queenstown. This three-semester, full-time course fosters the attitudes and motivations needed to become a successful entrepreneur and the skills they need successfully build innovative start-up companies. Students are taught in seven intensive, six-week modules, and then have to produce a business incubation report which integrates the knowledge and skills learnt in the taught modules and provides a bridge between their studies and the practicalities of the business world.