GRA 3136 New Venture Creation

GRA 3136 New Venture Creation

Course code: 
GRA 3136
Department: 
Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Thomas Hoholm
Course name in Norwegian: 
New Venture Creation
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Business - Elective course
Semester: 
2019 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

This course is about entrepreneurship in practice. Students will gain real-life experience with New Venture Creation by working with a real startup company to develop their business plan. The students will use state of the art entrepreneurship tools, to learn how to develop and validate a business idea (value proposition), and build a viable business model around it. Lectures consist of a mix of group work to coach the project work, research based lectures, and case studies. Core themes of entrepreneurship will be discussed, such as lean startup processes, business modelling, entrepreneurial marketing and strategy, intellectual property, and venture capital. Innovation and technology hubs in the Oslo region will be mobilized to connect students and startups.

The course is also used as preparation for “gründerskolen” (the Norwegian School of Entrepreneurship, summer program).

Learning outcomes - Knowledge
  • The course will form a basis for advanced studies in the field
  • Students will be introduced to state-of-the-art knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship, including lean startups, business modelling, and scaling
  • Students will get an overview and framework of start-ups, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial organization, and governance issues in small firms
Learning outcomes - Skills
  • The students will learn basic methods for how to start a business, develop and test value propositions and business models, and to make a business plan
  • The students will be trained in how to present business ideas to investors and decision makers
  • The students will meet and learn about various roles in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, such as venture capitalists, innovation hubs and incubators.
Learning Outcome - Reflection

Through discussions of actual business ideas, their societal impact, as well as financial, intellectual, organizational and policy related challenges, the students will strengthen their capacity for critical reflection on entrepreneurship and society.

Course content
  • The lean startup method for starting new ventures
  • Business modelling - from value propositions to firm level strategy of startups
  • Entrepreneurial strategy, marketing and management
  • How to structure a business plan
  • Incorporation - choosing a legal structure
  • Entrepreneurship and motivation - people in the organization
  • Building business plan budgets and economic forecasts
  • Intellectual property issues
  • Venture capital
Learning process and requirements to students

The course is structured around the process of developing and validating business ideas and business models, related to actual startups. Course tutors will help facilitating the matching of students and startup companies early in the course, and engage in coaching the development work throughout the semester. Step by step, the core elements and assumptions of a business plan will be developed and – as far as possible – tested. The final delivery (exam) consists of a full business plan, pitched to an expert panel, and handed in as a term paper. The key challenges of the business plan will need to be backed by reference to relevant entrepreneurship research. Students are expected to participate actively, both in class discussions and in engaging with startup companies and their environments. Curriculum should be considered as an

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Presentation
Weight: 
30
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Comment: 
Oral group presentation ("pitch") of the business plan.
Exam code: 
GRA31366
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
The term paper/business plan has to be written in a group of maximum 3 students (in special circumstances individually). Template and requirements will be provided by the start of the semester.
Exam code: 
GRA31366
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Sum workload: 
0

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.