Study plan - Master in Innovation and Management, Social Science Track

The Master's program in Innovation and Leadership, Social Sciences direction, equips graduates to lead and assist leaders in solving tomorrow's challenges.

Vision and goals:

The program's vision is to educate competent candidates who can integrate and combine advanced understanding of innovation processes with in-depth knowledge of ethics, social responsibility, sustainable business practices, organizational theory, and management. The master's program provides students with a bachelor's degree in economics and administration or organizational theory and management with a tailored education for the challenges of tomorrow.

The education gives you a solid foundation for a career in technology and project management in both the private and public sectors. You also gain a strong basis for working with new technology, new products, and new work processes, acquiring both specialized expertise and broad knowledge that makes you an attractive candidate for employment in various types of businesses.

The master's program addresses the vision by offering a curriculum with a focus on responsible innovation and leadership, covering topics such as technology and business development, organizational theory, innovation, and social responsibility. During the master's education, you gain extensive practical experience in both new and established businesses. In the 2nd semester, you can have an internship in South Africa, the USA, or in the Bergen region.

Admission

The Master's program in Innovation and Leadership is tailored for individuals interested in combining their background in economics and administration or organizational theory and management with advanced studies in innovation and leadership, focusing on entrepreneurial thinking. Candidates who have completed a bachelor's degree in economics and administration or organizational theory and management are considered for admission. Applicants must have a minimum of 80 credits in the fields of organizational theory and management to be admitted to the program. The average grade from the bachelor's degree must be at least C.

Applicants are ranked according to the grade point average (GPA). Applicants who cannot be assessed based on GPA will be ranked based on individual evaluation.

Admission to the master's program is subject to the regulations of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Learning outcomes

The main focus of the master's program is innovation and leadership. The master's education provides you with highly sought-after expertise in innovation, entrepreneurship, management, and organization. With a master's degree in innovation and leadership, you will be well-suited to assist both public and private enterprises in navigating the future. A candidate who has completed the qualification should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge:

• The candidate has acquired advanced knowledge in management and organizational theory with a special focus on innovation management.
• The candidate has gained thorough knowledge of the process of bringing new products and/or services to the market and to the public sector.
• The candidate is able to combine and apply understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship with management in both private and public sectors.
• The candidate has developed a profound understanding of the process of assessing the commercial potential of new products, services, and markets.
• The candidate has acquired in-depth knowledge regarding identifying opportunities and challenges related to the organization and financing of new initiatives, such as new business ventures.
• The candidate has gained comprehensive knowledge of business ethics, sustainability, and social responsibility related to innovation processes and management of both private and public enterprises.

Skills:

• The candidate has acquired advanced analytical skills, with a focus on innovation and leadership.
• The candidate has developed the ability to assess the commercial viability of new ideas.
• The candidate is capable of using various methods and tools tailored to this purpose.
• The candidate has developed the ability to transform research-based ideas into feasible business plans/ideas.
• The candidate is able to analyze and propose improvements for both public and private organizations, with a focus on management and innovation strategies.

General competence:

Candidates should be able to handle and analyze a wide range of managerial challenges in both private and public enterprises. In this context, candidates should be able to include reflections related to ethics and social responsibility. Candidates should also be able to perform extensive, independent, analytical work and communicate their findings effectively.

Practice

During the master's education, you will gain extensive practical experience in both new and established businesses. In the second semester, you can choose among three alternatives:

1. Students can have a 3-month internship in a company in the Bergen region.
2. Students can opt for an exchange semester at the University of California, Berkeley, with practical experience 2-3 days a week in either San Francisco or Berkeley.
3. Students can choose an exchange semester at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School in South Africa. Students will work in a local company approximately 4 days a week and attend classes 1 day a week.

Teaching

The master's program emphasizes group work, case solutions, and project work. Students will work with examples from businesses and engage in job shadowing and practical experiences.

Students will apply their knowledge to develop their own research projects or participate in research projects with guidance from experts. The master's program will provide students with research experience to work independently and contribute to research projects. Students will acquire knowledge and skills to carry out and plan projects with deadlines. The program will equip students with the tools to analyze, evaluate, and understand information, theories, ideas, challenges, and solutions in their respective fields, both orally and in writing.

Like most other higher education programs, much of the instruction in the master's program will include lectures, case assignments, seminars, and group work. In addition to traditional teaching methods, the program emphasizes experiential learning through internships in businesses, either internationally or in the Bergen region.

Assessment

Students will be assessed based on written and oral exams, as well as other forms of written reports such as individual assignments, team-based project reports, and case assignments. Both individual and group assessment methods are used.

In the last semester of the master's program, students are required to write a master's thesis worth 30 credits. The thesis is to be written in groups of two. It should be an independent scientific work, demonstrating the students' ability for critical thinking, understanding of context, knowledge of literature, research design, and analytical skills. These skills must be applied within the program's academic areas. Key theory areas in the master's thesis must be related to central theory areas in the study program. The thesis should present relevant theory, methodology, empirical analyses, findings, and discuss findings in relation to prior research.

Internationalization

In the second semester, students in the master's program can choose between two internationalization options:

1. Students can opt for an exchange semester at the University of California, Berkeley, with practical experience 2-3 days a week in either San Francisco or Berkeley.
2. Students can choose an exchange semester at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School in South Africa. Students will work in a local company approximately 4 days a week and attend classes 1 day a week.

Organization

The courses will be given in Norwegian or in English

Place: Bergen