Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Qualifications
Overview
Strategy and Entrepreneurship is the highest level of managerial activity, usually performed by a company's chief executive officer, and executive team.
Strategy is the capstone function of business management. It deals with making decisions to create advantage and above-normal profits, and provides overall direction to an enterprise. Entrepreneurship pertains to how to recognise and assess attractive opportunities using innovation, leveraging risk, and engaging in effective competitive action. Entrepreneurship refers to all aspects of setting up, running, and growing new business ventures.
Together, these disciplines help managers develop and grow businesses of any size (including new ventures).
A major in Strategy and Entrepreneurship is a useful companion to a technical degree as it adds a managerial way of thinking to technical competence.
Minor in Entrepreneurship
UC also offers a minor in Entrepreneurship, which allows Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, and Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership students to complement their major subject with study in a different discipline. This can increase breadth of knowledge at an undergraduate level, and potentially employability.
- Entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing majors internationally in universities with over 2,000 programmes globally. UC has an internationally recognised group of scholars in Strategy and Entrepreneurship who are active researchers and award-winning teachers. In addition, the Strategy and Entrepreneurship academics have an impact on government and industry, for example studying how Ōtautahi Christchurch's rebuild was most effectively accomplished by one coordinating super-organisation; and whether business accelerators create jobs in Aotearoa New Zealand or build community entrepreneurial capabilities.
- Students at UC will be exposed to business at all levels from individually owned and run small businesses, to family business, to social enterprise, to high-tech focused startups, and large corporations using innovation to gain advantage.
- A wide portfolio of classes in Strategy and Entrepreneurship allow students to develop their ability to recognise opportunities as well as core business skills of planning, project management, and teamwork. Students gain real-world experience and make connections with businesses and the community through business case competitions.
- UC is also home to Te Pokapū Rakahinonga | UC Centre for Entrepreneurship – where budding entrepreneurs can join a community of like-minded students and staff, access useful resources, learn how to set up a new business venture, gain experience, or take on an internship.
- Aotearoa New Zealand is ranked as the #1 country for starting a business (World Bank Group Doing Business 2020 Report), and Ōtautahi Christchurch is home to a number of computing technology and innovation industries, with many start-up companies searching for skilled graduates from UC.
There are no formal requirements for those wishing to study Strategy and Entrepreneurship.
Good communication skills, both written and interpersonal, are important. Those who have studied English-rich subjects eg, English, history, geography to an advanced level at school will benefit from the skills they have learned.
Sound analytical and numeracy skills are also important. An interest in business, and why firms succeed or fail, is advantageous.
UC offers a major in Strategy and Entrepreneurship within the Bachelor of Commerce.
You can also study a minor in Entrepreneurship within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, and Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership.
Strategy and Entrepreneurship major
To complete a major in Strategy and Entrepreneurship within the Bachelor of Commerce, you will need to take the following courses throughout the degree:
100-level
200-level
Plus at least two courses chosen from:
- MGMT 206 Organisational Behaviour
- MGMT 230 Business, Society and the Environment
- MGMT 270 Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management
- MKTG 201 Marketing Management
300-level
Plus at least two courses chosen from:
- MGMT 324 International Entrepreneurship
- MGMT 342 Entrepreneurship and New Ventures
- MGMT 343 Social Entrepreneurship
For the complete three-year Bachelor of Commerce Strategy and Entrepreneurship major degree plan, go to the Te Kura Umanga | UC Business School website.
Entrepreneurship minor
For the Entrepreneurship minor in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Sport Coaching, or Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership, you will need to take these courses throughout your chosen degree:
100-level
- ACCT 102 Accounting and Financial Information
- MGMT 100 Fundamentals of Management
- MKTG 100 Principles of Marketing
200-level
300-level
Whether you want to specialise in strategy, take over a family business, create a social enterprise to solve an unmet human need, work in government policy, become a venture investor, manage a large corporation, or even start your own business one day – UC Commerce programmes reflect the latest research and business applications to give you a flying start in whatever career you choose.
UC’s real-world focus on internships, competitions, entrepreneurship, and community involvement gives you a taste of the excitement and opportunity of working at the top end of business innovation and leadership.
Graduates start their careers in a wide range of trainee management, operations, marketing or market research roles and advance into positions as business consultants, strategic business analysts, and senior managers in the commercial, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Strategy and Entrepreneurship.
Contact us
Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Phone +64 3 369 3888
Email studybusiness@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Reception Level 2, Meremere Building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Rāngai Umanga me te Ture | College of Business and Law
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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