Masters in Business Development & Innovation 2010-2011

Eoin chose the MSc Business Development & Innovation at University of Ulster as it had been identified in research carried out by the Accelerating Campus Entrepreneurship Initiative (entitled "Entrepreneurship Education in Ireland") as an example of best practice in entrepreneurship education in Ireland.

Overall winner of the postgraduate award category in the 2011 University of Ulster Centre for Higher Education Practice Student Competition with his entry “Putting graduate education at the heart of an ecosystem”.

His thoughts on how a Business Masters best sits in an eco-system also featured in an article in Ulster Business magazine.He was profiled by the University in promotional material here

During his time at University of Ulster he served as SU Class Representative and was elected to the SU Campus Site Executive and the UU SU General Council as Graduate Students Representative. He was sat as SU Observer on the Board of the Ulster Business School meetings 2010-2011.

He also completed primary research for a number of Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher research projects

Papers Eoin compiled to date during his Masters are listed below:

• Strategy Module - Supervisor: Dr. Adele Dunn

Module outline - The purpose of this module was to provide an in-depth understanding of the processes of strategy development and how they create and sustain competitive advantage.

Assignment: "Internationalisation versus Globalisation - A review of the report of the High Level Group on International Education"

Provided to: Association for International Education in Ireland, the Higher Education Authority, Dublin City University, Education Ireland.

• Business Process Innovation Module - Supervisor: Professor Rodney McAdam

Module outline – An examination of the role of business process improvement techniques (such as Lean, Six Sigma, Business Process Improvement) in the development of innovation and knowledge management in firms to build sustainable competitive advantage.

Assignment: “Business Process Improvement: How BPI and Knowledge management took Novara Technology from survival to success.”

• Creativity & Innovation Module – Supervisor: Dr Mike Brennan

Module outline - The aim of the module was to introduce key concepts in the field of Creativity and Innovation; and to develop an understanding of how these can be managed from a strategic perspective.

Assignment: "The e-Learning sector in Northern Ireland – profile, innovation and opportunities"

Provided to: Momentum NI, Digital Circle

• Entrepreneurship Module – Supervisor: Professor Pauric McGowan

Module outline - This module sought to build the students awareness of entrepreneurship and to provide them with a framework for engaging with and assessing the viability of an innovative project or new venture or the development of an existing one.

Assignment: It is not possible to provide this assignment publicly due to the confidentiality agreement signed by the team with the client company(a Web 2.0 startup providing apps for smart phones).

• Business Development Forum – Supervisor: Professor Dr Adele Dunn

Module outline - This module aimed to provide participants with an in-depth appreciation of contemporary themes within business development and to illustrate how theory can be adapted for different situations in practice.

Assignment: It is not possible to provide this assignment publicly due to the confidentiality agreement signed by the team with the client company(a Web 2.0 startup providing apps for smart phones).

• Global Marketing Module - Supervisor: Carol Reid

Module outline – This module examines the impact of economic, cultural, political, legal and other environmental influences on global marketing. Within this context how to identify and analyse worldwide marketing opportunities, devise market entry strategies and examine product, pricing, distribution and promotion strategies.

Assignments: “A PESTEL Analysis of Vietnam”

"Vietnam and International Education: A market entry strategy for Irish Institutions":

Provided to: Education Ireland, DCU International Office, Higher Education Authority.

• Research In Context Module - Supervisor: Professor Audrey Gilmore

Module outline – This module prepares the student for their dissertation. The dissertation serves to bring together relevant aspects of the course in the exploration of a marketing, entrepreneurship, and/or business development issue or problem.

Assignment: For this assignment I chose to examine a specific problem experienced in Northern Ireland where fear of failure and low perceived capability are leading to low participation rates in entrepreneurial activity in a key age cohort.

“Helping “The Troubles” generation in Northern Ireland think and behave more entrepreneurially

• Marketing Management module – Supervisor: Dr Danielle McCartan-Quinn

Module outline - This module is concerned both with business philosophy and business function. The marketing process is concerned with innovation, change and a complex environment and the management of this process requires an analytical and universal approach.

Assignment: “Towards a précising definition of marketing”