The number of skills needed to be up to the job of starting a business can be quite dizzying: from the latest in technology to human resources, marketing strategy, supply chain and logistics management, not to mention accounting and finance, you need to have a finger in every pie.

Even if you are going to recruit talent and get involved in only a few of these disciplines yourself, you should be able to have critical discussions with experts about all areas of business using the correct domain language. This is a key focus of our Master's degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ensuring you gain a broad overview of many different disciplines as well as the business terminology you’ll need to thrive.

Attracting new customers remains one of the biggest challenges for start-ups today, and having constructive customer feedback and an infallible business plan will go a long way towards helping you hit your targets.

Entrepreneurship often runs in the veins, with many students who want to start their own business and study a Master’s programme coming from a family business background. If that family business connection exists, a good entrepreneur should build on those firm foundations and understand their best chance of success lies in growing a new business out from the family business, rather than starting from scratch. MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship encourages and supports students in following this path, if appropriate, by investigating the transformation of their family business.

The year-long final project featured in programme, which is worth 50 percent of your final mark, involves developing a business idea with an eye to launching it at the end of the course. Students come up with their own idea and a member of staff will mentor them through the process.

The University of Warwick also offers bespoke start-up advice to students and runs a small business support service that can help link students with many businesses in the region so they can get work experience in design, marketing, finance or human resources, while resolving day-to-day issues. There are also opportunities at Warwick for students to test their products on small businesses in the region so they are able to refine their business propositions, compile customer satisfaction data and build a financial track record before they graduate.