This programme offers an innovative teaching and learning experience which includes:

• client based assignment protocols: This will involve students taking briefs from clients and then developing strategies that meet clients expansion needs, market development and other suitable activities that deliver to the module outcomes
• internships: These activities would be designed to meet the employability skills audit requirements that each student will develop through their various modules, ensuring where possible that internships meet the career development plans
• work based learning: The work-based learning structures will endeavour to be a mix of the previous two activities, where students will work in suitable environment and develop their skills
• joint venturing:  The classroom environment will be designed around a mix of business ideas generated by HEET, the students, clients and other partners; the joint venture methodology will allow students to learn from partners, create opportunities and develop their employability skills
• business development: Complementing the other activities and key will be the business development activities which would be include new project development, business start-ups, etc.
• social enterprise: The Driving Entrepreneurship model has social enterprise activities as a key methodological approach and students will be encouraged to address social challenges within their own communities in conjunction with RDBS partners
• Private venturing: the programme will support and encourage students to conceptualise, explore and develop ideas to create new businesses.

The programme is structured to embrace numerous unique aspects from client based assignment protocols, where students will work on real activities which will allow them to build portfolios which will enhance their employability, feeding into the MOBIvation Intrapreneurship Nexus coupled to the creation of real businesses and business opportunities. Students will be able to engage in business competitions, E-factor and other activities as part of module assessment activities. The programme will open extensive opportunities for students to feed their work in other modules into the various activities associated with this programme.  

The programme aims to mobilise an eclectic pedadgoic approach that intergrates classroom based activities, workshops, seminars with  client based work, intrapreneurship, networking, work based learning, web based activities, guest speakers, simulations, internships, visits to partners and international activities.

Each module is assessed according to the standard RDBS process with focus on group work, business start-up plans, client based assignment protocols (work-based) and presentations. 

Given the dynamic nature of the topic, core referencing will be consistently updated through the various classroom and other activities.

The programme is based on comprehensive project based work which will feed seamlessly into the world of work and enterprise development. Projects assessment structures will aim to offer a diverse methodological framework that will allow students from different backgrounds and life experiences to realise their innate potential and create viable pathways to employability and/or enterprise creation.

The programme offers wide standard UEL support personal tutor support, residential/student finance advice/careers advice/study skills development/IT/learning resources.   Further, the programme has some unqiue factors such as access to the MOBIvation Intrapreneurship Nexus, client support structures, work-based learning and other world-of-work activities. Students will also enjoy support in terms of securing funding for business ideas and start-ups, business competitions and other business based activities to support their professional development and create wider opportunities. 

• Engage in effective business start-up ideas brainstorming
• Generate business start-up  ideas on the back of effect research activities
• Identify those ideas that should be pursued and those that should be discarded
• Identify the resources required for effective enterprise development
• Recognise all the legal and formal requirements relevant to a new venture
• Understand how markets operate and impact on a business start-up
• Structure and pitch a coherent business plan or idea
• Able to identify the benefits of different funding strategies
• Develop student professional behaviour
• Expand understanding of  the requirements of the workplace
• Build their networks for professional purposes
• Identify and nurture networking opportunities
• Launch business start-ups, joint ventures and/or projects

All learning outcomes are covered in the programme route is covered in the Major route offered.

Knowledge

• Analyse the process and practice of ideas generation
• Recognise the role of research in developing ideas and solutions
• Evaluate the nature of careers, career management  and graduate selection processes
• Analyse the process and practice of effective planning  
• Recognise the importance of effective planning
• Evaluate the nature of enterprise development and effective management
• Analyse and identify opportunities in the  global enterprise framework  
• Recognise the role of effective networking Evaluate the need and application of business development activities to diverse client contexts

Thinking skills

• Analyse and develop their own ideas
• Analyse and develop business start-ups, joint ventures or new projects Analyse and develop their abilities in business development across all aspects of business operations

Subject-Based Practical skills

• Critically Research opportunities for ideas development
• Analyse and Resolve  options for market testing and/or prototyping
• Critically Research business development opportunities for diverse clients Analyse and apply effective process for business development

Skills for life and work (general skills)

• Participate confidently in diverse networks to develop ideas and opportunities
• Create a coherent and effective plan for business start-up, joint ventures or social enterprise project
• Critically  assess the complexities of business start-up development and management
• Analyse and Resolve  issues associated with ethics, sustainability and operational management Participate confidently in diverse networks to develop business opportunities
• Create a coherent and effective plan for business start-up, joint ventures or social enterprise project
• Participate confidently in diverse networks to develop ideas and opportunitiesCreate a coherent and effective plan for business start-up, joint ventures or social enterprise project

The expected duration of this programme is 3 years when attended in full-time mode or 5 years in part-time mode.  It is possible to move from a full-time mode of study to a part-time mode of study and vice-versa, to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments.  Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact on the overall duration of their study period.

The teaching year begins in September and ends in June but some programmes also allow students to join at the start of Semester B, in February. 

A typical student, in full-time attendance mode of study, will register for 120 credits in an academic year. A student in a part-time mode of study may register for up to 80 credits in any academic year.

This programme is part of a modular degree scheme. A student registered in a full-time attendance mode will take six 20 credit modules (or fewer, if any are 40 credit modules) per year.  An honours degree student will complete modules totalling 120 credits at level one, modules totalling 120 credits at level 2 and modules totalling 120 credits at level 3.

It is possible to bring together modules from one field with modules from another to produce a combined programme. Subjects are offered in a variety of combinations:

Single            120 credits at levels one, two and three

Major              80 credits at levels one, two and three

Joint               60 credits at levels one, two and three

Minor              40 credits at levels one, two and three.

Modules are defined as:

• Core - Must be taken
• Option - Select from a range of identified module within the field
• University Wide Option - Select from a wide range of university wide options

In order to gain anhonoursdegree you will need to obtain 360 credits including:

• A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level three or higher

In order to gain anordinary degreeyou will need to obtain a minimum of 300 credits including:

• A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
• A minimum of  60 credits at level three or higher 

In order to gain aDiploma of Higher Educationyou will need to obtain at least 240 credits including a minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher and 120 credits at level two or higher

In order to gain aCertificate of Higher Educationyou will need to obtain 120 credits at level one or higher 

In order to gain an Associate Certificate you will need to obtain a minimum if 20 credits at level one or higher

In order to gain a Foundation Degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 240 credits including:

• A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher

(A Foundation degree is linked to a named Honours degree onto which a student may progress after successful completion of the Foundation degree)

• The programme is structured in a manner that aims to maximise the interface between the classroom, workshops, seminars and the world of work. Through the MOBIvation Intraprenrus Nexus the teaching and learning environment will be seamlessly linked to wider business opportunities enhancing the relevance of classroom activities in terms of the economy, student employability and business start-up activities. The pedagogic environment will be robust and coherent in terms of develop professional competencies within the student cohort to promote their employability and their experience of enterprise development and business start-ups.  The teaching and learning process will be focussed on creating concrete outcomes that promote the relationship between the students, RDBS, MOBIvation Intraprenuers Nexus and the wider national and international economy.  Class room delivery activities will be complemented by a number of other structures which will promote all aspects of employability and entrepreneurship. These will include:
• client based assignment protocols: This will involve students taking briefs from clients and then developing strategies that meet clients expansion needs, market development and other suitable activities that deliver to the module outcomes
• internships: These activities would be designed to meet the employability skills audit requirements that each student will develop through their various modules, ensuring where possible that internships meet the career development plans
• work based learning: The work-based learning structures will endeavour to be a mix of the previous two activities, where students will work in suitable environment and develop their skills
• joint venturing:  The classroom environment will be designed around a mix of business ideas generated by HEET, the students, clients and other partners; the joint venture methodology will allow students to learn from partners, create opportunities and develop their employability skills
• business development: Complementing the other activities and key will be the business development activities which would be include new project development, business start-ups, etc.
• social enterprise: The Driving Entrepreneurship model has social enterprise activities as a key methodological approach and students will be encouraged to address social challenges within their own communities in conjunction with RDBS partners
• MOBIvation Intrapreneurship Nexus – this nexus works with the RDBS employability manager to promote the interface between the classroom, workshops and the world of work. This nexus allows students to build their professional networks and create opportunities for student intrapreneurship
• Private venturing: the programme will support and encourage students to conceptualise, explore and develop ideas to create new businesses

 All students will be encouraged to develop their ideas from level 1, and will be offered numerous teaching and learning mixes to ensure that they are able to develop their employability skills and recognise their suitability to pursue enterprise opportunities or to participate as part of an entrepreneurial student group.

The assessment structures for the programme are built around a mix of group presentations, business plans and individual essays.  These will complement the classroom activities and ensure that students create robust and tranferable skills that can promote their professional development.

Before this programme started, the following was checked:

• there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
• adequate resources would be in place;
• the overall aims and objectives were appropriate;
• the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements;
• the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements;
• the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms.

This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions.

The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating:

• external examiner reports (considering quality and standards);
• statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate);
• student feedback.

Drawing on this and other information, programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation.  The process is monitored by the Quality and Standards Committee.

Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists.  The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions.  The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed.

This programme has a programme committee comprising all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (e.g. library/technician staff).  The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality.  The programme committee plays a critical role in the quality assurance procedures.

The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner.  External examiners have two primary responsibilities:

• To ensure the standard of the programme;
• To ensure that justice is done to individual students.

External examiners fulfil these responsibilities in a variety of ways including:

• Approving exam papers/assignments;
• Attending assessment boards;
• Reviewing samples of student work and moderating marks;
• Ensuring that regulations are followed;
• Providing feedback through an annual report that enables us to make improvements for the future.

The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme:

• Module evaluations
• Student representation on programme committees (meeting 6 times  year)
• Student/Staff consultative committee (meeting 3 times a year)
• Classroom feedback sessions
• Seminar feedback
• Workshop evaluation and feedback

Students are notified of the action taken through:

• circulating the minutes of the programme committee
• a MOBIvation Intraprenuers Nexus newsletter published three times a year
• providing details on the programme notice board

The following methods are used for gaining the views of other interested parties:

• Annual student satisfaction questionnaire
• Questionnaires to business partners
• Industrial liaison committee
• MOBIvation Intraprenuers Nexus meetings
• Placements Officer

The programme has been designed to meet the recommendations of the Wilson Review (Published February 2012) and the Quality Assurance Agency’s consultation document on ‘Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education’