Postgraduate Course: Informatics Entrepreneurship 1 (INFR11045)
Course Outline
| School | School of Informatics | 
College | College of Science and Engineering | 
 
| Course type | Standard | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
Credits | 10 | 
 
| Home subject area | Informatics | 
Other subject area | None | 
   
| Course website | 
http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/ie1 | 
Taught in Gaelic? | No | 
 
| Course description | This course teaches some of the generic and transferable skills required to become an entrepreneur in informatics and raises the student's awareness of the legal, business, managerial, creative, analytical and interpersonal skills relevant to setting up and running an innovative ICT application company. The focus is on companies directly exploiting informatics technologies. Informatics Entrepreneurship 1 is the precursor to Informatics Entrepreneurship 2, which will further develop entrepreneurial skills and understanding, including business planning and presentation. | 
 
 
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
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Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  For Informatics PG students only, or by special permission of the School. 
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| Additional Costs |  None | 
 
 
Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | None | 
 
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes | 
 
 
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |   
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes 
1 - Build interpersonal skills in networking and negotiations; 
2 - Cooperate in team environments and acquire leadership skills; 
3 - Explore strengths and weaknesses of startup management teams, and identify areas for improvements; 
4 - Discover an opportunity in the ICT marketplace and conceive an innovative solution; 
5 - Research a business startup opportunity and marketplace; 
6 - Employ a theoretical framework in analyzing a new business venture opportunity; 
7 - Prepare a thorough written opportunity assessment to precede the writing of a business plan; 
8 - Propose a plan for acquisition of further resources to launch a venture; 
9 - Dissect and discuss case studies of ICT startups, including operational issues, environments, competition and strategies;and 
10 - Understand the issues of intellectual property and the legal processes of securing IP including patents, trademarks and copyrights. | 
 
 
Assessment Information 
Written Examination	0 
Assessed Assignments	100 
Oral Presentations	0 
 
Assessed Coursework 
Students write 2 case studies (30% each) and an opportunity assessment (40%). The course sessions cover issues and techniques in the analysis and development of businesses, which are applied to the study of cases of real business successes and failures. These case studies, delivered by guest speakers and via a recognised new venture textbook from Stanford University, build insight and skills for the development of an opportunity assessment within a theoretical framework. This report will be assessed on the basis of the quality of its documentation, research and analysis. Informatics Entrepreneurship 2 will give students the opportunity to move their ideas forward in terms of business plan development. 
 
If delivered in semester 1, this course will have an option for semester 1 only visiting undergraduate students, providing assessment prior to the end of the calendar year. |  
 
Special Arrangements 
| None |   
 
Additional Information 
| Academic description | 
Not entered | 
 
| Syllabus | 
Topics addressed will include: 
 
* Introduction to the Course: Entrepreneurship in Scotland 
* Entrepreneurship and You 
* Creativity, Discovery and Confidence 
* Intellectual Property 
* Opportunity Assessment 
* Negotiation 
* Introduction to Marketing and the Global Marketplace 
* Building a Network  
 
For the full course syllabus, see the Course web page at http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/ie1/. 
 
The course will meet each Wednesday from 11.00 to 13.00 during the term. 
 
Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections:  e-commerce, Systems Analysis & Design | 
 
| Transferable skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Reading list | 
Official course reading lists are here: http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/ie1/readinglist.html | 
 
| Study Abroad | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Pattern | 
Lectures	16 
Tutorials	0 
Timetabled Laboratories	0 
Non-timetabled assessed assignments	60 
Private Study/Other	24 
Total	100 | 
 
| Keywords | Not entered | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Michael Rovatsos 
Tel: (0131 6)51 3263 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Miss Kate Weston 
Tel: (0131 6)50 2701 
Email:  | 
   
 
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