Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Examine enterprise creation and innovation through advanced enquiry.
About the course
Examine enterprise creation and innovation through advanced enquiry. You will test venture assumptions, assess enterprise-development approaches and investigate how innovation operates in Southern African economic and social settings.
What you'll learn
Critique theories explaining entrepreneurial activity.
Evaluate a venture proposition against evidence and uncertainty.
Compare corporate, technology and social enterprise approaches.
Select a defensible method for an entrepreneurship study.
Produce research-informed recommendations for venture or ecosystem development.
Requirements
Entry requires a relevant degree with suitable advanced study or a postgraduate diploma, subject to BMIT assessment of research preparation and supervision. English Language is required.
African Kalanga is a compulsory graduation subject in every year of this programme. BMIT confirms the approved entry route, any recognition of prior learning and access to required practical facilities before enrolment.
Course Content
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Levels show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
3 learning levels 18 subjects
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Level 1: Foundations
Africa Indigenous Language: African Kalanga 101Compulsory graduation subject · Year 1
Develop African Kalanga through foundations for economic and management sciences. Practise with authentic tasks, feedback and reflection across the programme year.
Learning outcomes
- Use African Kalanga accurately for Year 1 study and practice.
- Explain language choices to the intended audience.
- Revise your work using speaker and facilitator feedback.
Main topics
- Pronunciation
- Everyday vocabulary
- Listening
- Reading and respectful introductions
Practical task
Record a short introduction and explain its meaning to a peer.
Assessment
Submit the practical work, a brief reflection and evidence of language review. Assessment checks meaning, audience fit and improvement after feedback.
Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation 101Compulsory core module · Level 1
Identify a real need, study the people affected and develop a responsible idea for a product, service or process. Apply critical analysis and relevant research to a specialist setting. Apply this learning to Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation through an authentic brief and feedback from an appropriate audience.
Learning outcomes
- Investigate a defined opportunity and explain the evidence behind it.
- Develop and refine a creative response that fits the people and setting.
- Evaluate feasibility, ethical implications and the quality of the result.
Main topics
- Opportunity recognition
- Creative problem framing
- Community and user research
- Ethics and inclusion
- Idea generation and selection
Practical task
Investigate a need related to Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Interview or observe intended users with consent, compare possible responses and present one justified concept.
Assessment
Submit an opportunity brief, research notes, a concept sketch and a reflection on feedback. Support your decisions with current research and a critical account of limitations. Assessment considers the quality of the evidence, the response to feedback, feasibility and your individual explanation.
African History and Pan Africanism 101Compulsory core module · Level 1
Study African history through oral, written and archaeological evidence. Examine the diversity of African societies, knowledge and exchange, then trace the emergence of Pan African ideas about identity, solidarity and self-determination.
Learning outcomes
- Place selected African societies and events within a supported historical timeline.
- Compare historical sources and identify perspective, evidence and uncertainty.
- Explain the foundations of Pan Africanism and the contributions of Africans and the diaspora.
Main topics
- Historical inquiry, chronology, oral traditions and source evaluation
- African civilisations, states, trade, livelihoods and knowledge systems
- Southern African history, including Mapungubgwe and Great Zimbabwe
- Slavery, the African diaspora and changing ideas about identity
- Origins of Pan Africanism, solidarity, self-determination and cultural expression
Practical task
Create an annotated timeline or digital learning poster on a selected African society or historical development. Compare at least two credible sources and explain one connection with your field of study.
Assessment
Submit the timeline or poster, an annotated source list and a short explanation of the evidence. Assessment considers chronology, historical accuracy, source judgement and the clarity of your interpretation.
Learning resources
Entrepreneurship Theory and Research
Critically examine how entrepreneurship is explained and studied. You will compare opportunity, resource and institutional perspectives and assess evidence from different venture settings. The module develops a defensible research position while recognising diversity in enterprise motives, ownership arrangements and regional business conditions.
Learning outcomes
- Compare entrepreneurship theories
- Critique venture research evidence
- Develop a theoretical research argument
Main topics
- Opportunity perspectives
- Resource perspectives
- Institutions
- Entrepreneurial cognition
- Venture diversity
- Research debates
Practical task
Write a critical literature paper and a programme-related venture research question.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Innovation Strategy and Venture Growth
Evaluate innovation as an organisational and economic process. You will compare technology, market and social innovation pathways, assess growth barriers and design a suitable support system. Cases connect entrepreneurial decisions with networks, intellectual assets, financing and the evidence required before committing substantial resources.
Learning outcomes
- Compare innovation pathways
- Assess venture growth constraints
- Design an innovation strategy
Main topics
- Innovation theory
- Innovation ecosystems
- Technology ventures
- Intellectual assets
- Growth barriers
- Scale strategies
Practical task
Prepare an innovation and scale proposal with experiments, resources and decision milestones.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Entrepreneurial Finance
Plan how a new or growing venture obtains and manages money. You will estimate start-up needs, forecast cash and compare funding proposals. Cases address owner contribution, debt, equity and informal finance while requiring a realistic assessment of repayment capacity and control implications.
Learning outcomes
- Estimate a venture's funding need
- Compare funding offers
- Prepare a credible finance proposal
Main topics
- Start-up costs
- Cash forecasting
- Funding sources
- Investor proposals
- Valuation foundations
- Financial controls
Practical task
Build a venture financial model and present a supported funding request.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Enterprise Ecosystems and Development Policy
Examine how institutions, finance, networks and public programmes influence enterprise development. You will assess support interventions and their distributional effects, then identify evidence for improvement. Cases consider informal firms, women and youth entrepreneurs, cooperatives and the practical limits of programme performance claims.
Learning outcomes
- Map an enterprise ecosystem
- Evaluate a support intervention
- Recommend an evidence-based policy change
Main topics
- Enterprise ecosystems
- Institutions
- Support programmes
- Access to finance
- Inclusion
- Policy evaluation
Practical task
Prepare an enterprise support policy appraisal for a defined regional setting.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Level 2: Core subjects
Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation 201Compulsory core module · Level 2
Turn a promising idea into a testable proposal using evidence, creative methods and basic resource planning. Apply critical analysis and relevant research to a specialist setting. Apply this learning to Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation through an authentic brief and feedback from an appropriate audience.
Learning outcomes
- Investigate a defined opportunity and explain the evidence behind it.
- Develop and refine a creative response that fits the people and setting.
- Evaluate feasibility, ethical implications and the quality of the result.
Main topics
- Co-design and prototyping
- Value proposition
- Feasibility and costs
- Risk and responsible practice
- Testing and iteration
Practical task
Develop a small prototype or service model for a Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation problem. Test it with relevant users, record feedback and revise the proposal.
Assessment
Submit a prototype, a feasibility note, user feedback and a record of revisions. Support your decisions with current research and a critical account of limitations. Assessment considers the quality of the evidence, the response to feedback, feasibility and your individual explanation.
African History and Pan Africanism 201Compulsory core module · Level 2
Examine colonial change, resistance and liberation across Africa, with attention to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Compare Pan African movements, organisations and debates, including contributions from women, workers and diaspora communities.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse the effects of colonial rule on land, labour, institutions and social relations.
- Compare liberation movements and Pan African arguments using contextual evidence.
- Explain how different groups shaped independence, solidarity and debates about freedom.
Main topics
- Colonial rule, land, labour, education and forms of resistance
- Nationalism, liberation and the end of colonial rule and apartheid
- Pan African congresses, organisations and contrasting interpretations
- Women, labour movements and diaspora participation
- The Organisation of African Unity and debates about unity, sovereignty and development
Practical task
Develop a comparative case study of a liberation issue or Pan African debate relevant to Southern Africa. Use a historical document alongside a scholarly account and explain differences in purpose and interpretation.
Assessment
Submit the case study, a source comparison and a reflection on your conclusions. Assessment considers context, evidence, recognition of different perspectives and the quality of your argument.
Learning resources
Social Enterprise and Cooperative Development
Design enterprise responses to social needs while examining how revenue and governance support the mission. You will compare social enterprises and cooperatives, assess participation and develop measures of social results. Cases require clear thinking about beneficiaries, customers, accountability and financial sustainability.
Learning outcomes
- Compare social enterprise structures
- Develop a viable mission-led model
- Select credible social measures
Main topics
- Social enterprise models
- Cooperative principles
- Participation
- Revenue models
- Impact measures
- Accountability
Practical task
Prepare a social enterprise or cooperative proposal with operating and impact measures.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Corporate Entrepreneurship
Develop entrepreneurial initiatives within an established organisation. You will examine opportunity sponsorship, internal resources and the organisational conditions supporting experimentation. Cases require you to compare a new initiative with existing strategy and to define evidence for continuation, revision or closure.
Learning outcomes
- Assess an internal venture opportunity
- Design an organisational experiment
- Evaluate a renewal proposal
Main topics
- Internal opportunities
- Innovation culture
- Venture sponsorship
- Resource mobilisation
- Experimentation
- Strategic renewal
Practical task
Prepare an internal venture proposal with milestones and decision criteria.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Small Business Growth and Resilience
Plan the next stage of an enterprise after initial establishment. You will diagnose growth constraints, examine systems and staffing needs and compare expansion options. Cases consider owner capability, customer concentration and operating disruption, with an emphasis on manageable growth and continuing financial control.
Learning outcomes
- Diagnose a growth constraint
- Compare expansion options
- Develop a business continuity response
Main topics
- Growth diagnosis
- Systems development
- Staffing
- Market expansion
- Partnerships
- Continuity
Practical task
Produce a staged growth plan with cash, staffing and continuity requirements.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Management Analytics
Develop analytical evidence for complex management decisions. You will frame questions, assess data quality and compare modelling approaches before interpreting outputs. The module emphasises reproducible reasoning, appropriate visualisation and the limits of prediction when decisions involve changing behaviour, incomplete information and uncertain operating conditions.
Learning outcomes
- Frame an analytical decision
- Compare model results
- Communicate uncertainty to managers
Main topics
- Decision framing
- Data quality
- Predictive models
- Scenario analysis
- Visualisation
- Model limitations
Practical task
Produce an analytical management report and a reproducible decision-support model.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Advanced Strategic Management
Critically evaluate strategy under uncertainty and competing stakeholder demands. You will compare theoretical explanations of organisational advantage and test their use in complex cases. The module combines strategic judgement with evidence about implementation, governance and the social consequences of major organisational choices.
Learning outcomes
- Critique a strategic argument
- Evaluate a complex corporate choice
- Defend a strategy under uncertainty
Main topics
- Strategic theory
- Dynamic capabilities
- Corporate scope
- Competitive responses
- Strategic uncertainty
- Strategy evaluation
Practical task
Present a board-level strategy recommendation supported by competing scenarios.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Level 3: Specialist subjects and application
Africa Indigenous Language: African Kalanga 201Compulsory graduation subject · Year 2
Develop African Kalanga through applied communication for economic and management sciences. Practise with authentic tasks, feedback and reflection across the programme year.
Learning outcomes
- Use African Kalanga accurately for Year 2 study and practice.
- Explain language choices to the intended audience.
- Revise your work using speaker and facilitator feedback.
Main topics
- Workplace vocabulary
- Questions
- Instructions
- Short messages and feedback
Practical task
Prepare and test a bilingual message for a realistic community or workplace situation.
Assessment
Submit the practical work, a brief reflection and evidence of language review. Assessment checks meaning, audience fit and improvement after feedback.
Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation 301Compulsory core module · Level 3
Plan and evaluate the practical introduction of an innovation in a relevant organisation or community. Apply critical analysis and relevant research to a specialist setting. Apply this learning to Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation through an authentic brief and feedback from an appropriate audience.
Learning outcomes
- Investigate a defined opportunity and explain the evidence behind it.
- Develop and refine a creative response that fits the people and setting.
- Evaluate feasibility, ethical implications and the quality of the result.
Main topics
- Implementation planning
- Stakeholder engagement
- Resources and finance
- Monitoring and impact
- Learning from a pilot
Practical task
Prepare and defend a pilot plan for an innovation relevant to Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Set measures of success, identify risks and explain how results will guide improvement.
Assessment
Submit a pilot plan, budget assumptions, evaluation measures and an individual rationale. Support your decisions with current research and a critical account of limitations. Assessment considers the quality of the evidence, the response to feedback, feasibility and your individual explanation.
Advanced Research Design and Analysis
Develop a research design capable of addressing a complex organisational or social question. You will critically synthesise literature, justify methodological choices and assess evidence quality. The module develops the reasoning and analytical preparation required for an independently argued postgraduate research report.
Learning outcomes
- Critique a research design
- Justify an analytical approach
- Develop a defensible research proposal
Main topics
- Critical literature synthesis
- Research philosophy
- Design justification
- Advanced sampling
- Analytical methods
- Research integrity
Practical task
Submit a postgraduate proposal with a critical literature review and pilot analysis.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Dissertation or Substantial Research Report
Conduct an extended investigation into a focused programme-related problem. You will develop an argument through critical reading, appropriate evidence and sustained analysis. The completed report explains the contribution, limitations and practical or scholarly implications, supported by a transparent record of ethical research decisions.
Learning outcomes
- Conduct an approved investigation
- Develop an evidence-based argument
- Defend and revise research conclusions
Main topics
- Proposal refinement
- Ethical approval
- Evidence collection
- Sustained analysis
- Argument development
- Defence and revision
Practical task
Complete an independently assessed dissertation or substantial research report and oral defence.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Practical Learning
Authentic e-learning at BMIT
BMIT uses Authentic E-Learning to connect your studies with practical problems in your field. You use digital resources to investigate a realistic brief, make decisions and produce work for a defined purpose and audience. Your qualification's activities below put this approach into practice.
How you will learn
The approach draws on nine elements of authentic learning:
- Realistic contexts: Work with situations relevant to your profession or community.
- Purposeful tasks: Investigate a substantial problem with more than one possible solution.
- Expert examples: Examine demonstrations and examples of professional reasoning.
- Different perspectives: Compare sources and consider the needs of different people.
- Collaboration: Share ideas and review work with peers, while showing your own contribution.
- Reflection: Record what worked, what changed and what needs improvement.
- Explanation: Present your reasoning and support your decisions with evidence.
- Guidance: Use tutor feedback and structured support as you develop independence.
- Authentic assessment: Demonstrate learning through the task and its practical outcome.
From a brief to a practical outcome
Start by identifying the problem, intended audience and assessment criteria. Investigate relevant evidence, plan your response and develop an initial solution. Use discussion and feedback to test your ideas, then revise your work and explain your choices.
Digital tools support research, collaboration, simulation and the presentation of evidence. Your output depends on the module. Examples include a business proposal, technical design, tested program, investigation report or community resource. Keep drafts, calculations, test results and reflections to show how your work developed.
The module brief sets the required tasks, individual and group responsibilities, submission format and assessment criteria. The practical activities and supervision requirements for this qualification are set out below.
Research informing this approach
- Herrington, J. Authentic Learning: nine elements of authentic learning.
- Lombardi, M. M. (2007). Authentic learning for the 21st century: An overview. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.
- Parker, J., Maor, D. and Herrington, J. (2013). Authentic online learning: Aligning learner needs, pedagogy and technology. Issues in Educational Research, 23(2), 227–241.
Use guided online cases, realistic briefs and feedback to develop practical work. Any workplace or community activity requires suitable supervision and permission.
What you will practise
- Entrepreneurial Finance: Build a venture financial model and present a supported funding request.
- Small Business Growth and Resilience: Produce a staged growth plan with cash, staffing and continuity requirements.
- Dissertation or Substantial Research Report: Complete an independently assessed dissertation or substantial research report and oral defence.
Applied project
Undertake a proposed venture or enterprise-development enquiry. Customer or founder evidence requires consent. Demonstrate what the evidence supports, where assumptions remain and how conclusions inform practical decisions.
Evidence and feedback
- Critical literature and venture-case analyses.
- A research proposal with ethical and methodological justification.
- A supervised research report and oral defence.
Assessment considers the practical work you submit, the evidence behind your decisions and how you respond to feedback.
African History and Pan Africanism practical learning
- African History and Pan Africanism 101: Create an annotated timeline or digital learning poster on a selected African society or historical development. Compare at least two credible sources and explain one connection with your field of study.
- African History and Pan Africanism 201: Develop a comparative case study of a liberation issue or Pan African debate relevant to Southern Africa. Use a historical document alongside a scholarly account and explain differences in purpose and interpretation.
Career Prospects
These examples show work across this qualification pathway, from support roles to specialist and management posts. Your entry point depends on your study, experience and employer requirements. Regulated roles require separate recognition or registration.
Top Career Paths and Job Titles
- Enterprise support assistant: Researches customers, records costs and helps test a small idea.
- Venture coordinator: Organises pilots, budgets and feedback for a new product or service.
- Innovation manager: Evaluates opportunities and guides responsible implementation.
- Small business adviser: Helps founders test customers, costs and delivery assumptions.
- Enterprise development director: Guides venture support, partnerships and responsible growth programmes.
Growth and Leadership Trajectory
- Starting practice: After meeting entry and any registration requirements, begin with the work represented by Enterprise support assistant. Build supervised experience and keep a record of reliable work.
- Specialist progression: Relevant study and evidence from more complex projects support a move towards Venture coordinator or Innovation manager.
- Leadership: With substantial experience, a role such as Enterprise development director adds responsibility for people, quality, budgets or service decisions.
Further Education to Boost Prospects
- Doctoral study: A PhD or other suitable doctorate in entrepreneurship and innovation is a possible later route. BMIT does not currently list a doctoral programme.
Professional Certifications and Registrations
- Role-specific requirements: No single statutory credential covers every role in entrepreneurship and innovation. Employers may require a relevant short course, supervised experience or role-specific licence. Check the requirements for the job and country before applying.
Potential Government and Industrial Employers
- Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management: Start or manage a small venture related to this field. Regulated work still requires the relevant professional registration or licence.
- Private and commercial organisations: Start-ups and incubators.
- Specialist employers: Small-business advisory firms.
- Research and community organisations: Social enterprises.
- Government departments and public bodies: Public enterprise-development agencies.