The course is connected to the following study programs

  • Bachelor's Programme in Marketing and Management
  • Bachelor's Programme in Business Administration

Teaching language

English

Course contents

The goal of this course is to acquaint students with fundamentals of entrepreneurship and crowdfunding while focusing on:

  • Practicalities of entrepreneurship and startup management, with a specific focus on market validation and business plan development skills.
  • Fundamentals of crowdfunding and digital fundraising, with a specific focus on campaign planning and development.

This course is an intense one-week course that balances introduction to key themes in entrepreneurial management and startup business plan formulation, while engaging students in a comprehensive fundamental of crowdfunding with specific focus on understanding crowdfunding models, markets, as well as development of skills for campaign planning and development. All theoretical themes are then applied to an entrepreneurial and crowdfunding campaign that students develop throughout the course, under tight supervision and guidance. After the one-week intensive course, the students will have digital supervision and present their plans digitally.

Throughout the course, student groups will work with crowdfunding cases originating from their own generated business ideas. The course is motivated by several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

  • First, "Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure", through the introduction of students to the merits and role played by small and medium-sized enterprises in the development of a thriving economy, and by equipping them with tools and experiences towards developing entrepreneurial mind-sets.
  • Second and third, "Goal 1 and 5 No Poverty and Gender equality" respectively by presenting entrepreneurship as a potential opportunity for people to reduce poverty for themselves and others, as well as promoting gender equality through female business ownership and development.

The goal of this course is to jump-start students’ entrepreneurship by acquainting them with fundamentals of crowdfunding in addition to the fundamental of entrepreneurship, hence providing a complete "practical and theoretical starter kit" for participants who upon successful completion, would be ready to start the business or adopt new approaches for existing businesses.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course the students should be able to demonstrate:

  • an ability to recognize business opportunities, identifying market gaps, generate and critically evaluate business ideas
  • an ability to formulate business plans for new ventures, while addressing issues of concept development, market analysis, and financial planning
  • familiarity with crowdfunding principles, types, and models, and discuss the differences between them
  • familiarity with key actors in crowdfunding markets, including platforms, types, functionalities, and business models
  • skills in crowdfunding campaign planning (campaign budget and financial planning) and process development
  • skills in crowdfunding campaign marketing and promotions planning
  • understanding of success and failure factors in crowdfunding practice
  • understanding of ethical dilemmas in entrepreneurship and crowdfunding practice and possible mechanisms for mitigating them

Examination requirements

Each group of students will by course end submit:

  • Crowdfunding campaign materials including: Campaign Texts, Images, and Video(s).
  • Group presentation including: Business plan (minimum 10 slides) and crowdfunding campaign (minimum 5 slides)- the final presentation in PowerPoint format.

In order to be able to submit materials for grading, every student must receive a "course approval".Course approval will be granted to students based on their participation in group work, their class attendance and participation, as well as active engagement in deliverables (and group presentations). All students must be present in group presentations.

Additional information is available in Canvas.

Teaching methods

Lectures are held in English. Exercises, student presentations, and exam will be written and delivered in English as well.

Teaching will be given in-class frontal lectures during an intense one-week start-up programme, followed by digital supervision and presentations. During the course, students will work in groups in planning and developing a crowdfunding campaign. Between lectures and after the one-week programme, groups are expected to work independently and present their progress according to the course plan.

Additional information is available in Canvas.

Evaluation

The person responsible for the course, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.

Assessment methods and criteria

Course grading is based on two components:

  • 50% - Group delivery of Crowdfunding campaign materials
  • 50% - Written group report

Maximum five members in each group. The group as a whole is graded. Letter grades.

Reduction of Credits

This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:

Course Reduction of Credits
ORG313 – Gründer Lab and Entrepreneurship Laboratory 2.5
ORG457 – Crowdfunding Lab 2.5
Last updated from FS (Common Student System) July 1, 2024 3:39:59 AM