MLEST4200 Research Methods and Theory of Science Course description

This course explicitly builds on the two compulsory courses offered in the first semester: ‘Entrepreneurship 1’ and ‘Søking etter verdiskapende ideer’. Both courses must be passed.

Undervisningen veksler mellom forelesninger, seminarer og workshops samt selvstudium. Dialog og refleksjon knyttet til teori og praksis står sentralt. Studentene oppfordres til å etablere kollokviegrupper. Alle aspekter i emnet behandles ikke nødvendigvis i undervisningen, men skal dekkes av studenten selv gjennom lesning av pensumlitteratur, drøfting i kollokviegrupper og praktisk, utforskende arbeid.

The course is organized as a series of intensive seminars consisting of a combination of lectures, workshops and group discussions underpinned by analysis of their own entrepreneurial ventures/projects. The students are expected to actively participate in discussions and other class activities, where learning by doing is strongly emphasized. The students are introduced to theories, concepts and tools which they can utilize in their own newly started venture or project.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• Coursework 1: Teaching sessions in the course are compulsory. The mininum attendance requirement is 70 per cent. Teaching sessions in this course are compulsory to acquire the necessary competencies to meet the objectives of the course; about, for and through entrepreneurship. These competencies cannot be acquired solely from reading the syllabus and/or taking the exam
• Coursework 2: Two-pages written essay. The two-pages written essay are done in groups of 2-5 students. The page must be delivered to Patentstyret. The essay must include the team and team building process (page 1) and the product/service suggested by the group and the target market (page 2).
• Coursework 3: Register a Studentbedrift in groups of 2-5 students by a given deadline.
• Coursework 4: Presentation of the business plan. The presentation are done in groups of 2-5 students. The presentation must be a total of 40 minutes and will be in two parts: 20 minutes for the presentation of the business plan with the use of presentation slides (e.g. PowerPoint). 20 minutes for questions and answers. All the students in the group must be part of the presentation.

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If one or more coursework requirements has not been approved, the student will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version by the given deadline.

The exam in the course consists of two parts:

1) Individual essay (40 per cent of final grade):

The individual essay consists of a written essay discussing student's reflection regarding the group's strategic management issues with a scope of four to six pages. Each student is free to decide which topic to focus on, among the range of subjects studied during this course. The essay should include:

• individual reflections regarding the dynamics of collaboration and relationships in the group related to the development process to discuss and define management issue
• individual reflections regarding the student's role in the group
• individual reflections about the chosen strategic management definitions for the firm

Font and font size: Arial or Calibri, 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.

2) Term paper (60 per cent of final grade):

The term paper is written in groups and must have a scope of 10-14 pages. The term paper assignment entails submission of a complete business plan for the project identified in the previous course, ‘Søking etter verdiskapende ideer’. The term papers are group assignments involving the groups that have collectively worked on developing the value creation project throughout the semester. Font and font size: Arial or Calibri, 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.

Both exams must be passed in order to pass the course.

If a student has to resit the exam, the student can retake each part separately. It is not necessary to take both parts.

Students awarded a fail grade are given one opportunity to submit an improved version of the term paper and the portfolio for assessment.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A - F

The individual essay and term paper are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.

At least 25 per cent of the exam papers are assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded for the papers assessed by two examiners form the basis for determining the level for all the exam papers.

MEST4320 - Prosjekt i praksis.