Postgraduate study

Entrepreneurship and Innovation MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Entrepreneurship and innovation play vital roles in knowledge creation and exploitation to generate value and drive sustainable economic, social, technological and organisational development.

Processes and behaviours central to entrepreneurship and innovation are equally important to new and early stage ventures, and within existing organisations.

Why Edinburgh

Our MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation is an exciting programme that leverages the research and teaching strengths within the Business School’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, and draws upon the rich entrepreneurial system within the University and wider Edinburgh area.

About the programme

The programme is designed to complement research-led and theoretically-informed education, with a clear focus on the development of practical skills and opportunities for the application of knowledge to real-life organisational situations and issues.

It combines theoretical rigour with a unique focus on experiential and practical learning through direct engagement with organisations through project-based courses.

This exciting masters programme enables you to develop the knowledge and skills to identify and screen opportunities, and implement them within new and established organisations.

Who this programme is for

The programme is targeted at students with both business and non-business backgrounds to create a vibrant and dynamic environment that will enrich learning through leveraging interdisciplinary knowledge within the cohort.

Learning will primarily be through:

  • lectures
  • set reading
  • class discussions
  • exercises
  • group-work assignments
  • problem-solving in tutorials
  • case studies
  • consulting projects

Assessment methods include examinations, assignments, presentations or continuous assessment.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScEntrepreneurship and Innovation1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2023/24

If you take this programme you will learn:

  • key concepts underpinning entrepreneurship and its application in the recognition and exploitation of product/service/process opportunities
  • key concepts underpinning innovation and the issues associated with developing and sustaining innovation within organisations
  • how to design creative strategies for pursuing, exploiting and further developing new opportunities
  • issues associated with securing and managing financial resources in new and established organisations

This programme prepares you for a range of careers, including:

  • as venture founders
  • as managers of innovation within existing organisations
  • in policy and business development roles in agencies supporting innovation

2023/24 and 2024/25 entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 11 July 2024.

Entrance to our MSc programmes is strongly competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements.

Academic requirements

You will need a UK first-class or 2:1 honours degree in any discipline, or an equivalent overseas qualification.

Supporting your application

  • Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.

  • Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

Students from China

This degree is Band A.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

Application fee

This programme requires a non-refundable application fee.

  • £60

Deposit

You will need to pay this deposit within 28 days of receiving your offer of admission (either unconditional or conditional).

  • £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

Additional programme costs

See the programme website for more information on additional costs, as well as application fees and deposit payment.

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScEntrepreneurship and Innovation1 YearFull-timeTuition fees

Featured funding

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status.

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • University of Edinburgh Business School
  • 29 Buccleuch Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9JS
Programme start date Application deadline
9 September 2024 31 August 2024

Due to high demand, the School operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through the competitive process described on the School website.

Full details on the admissions process and the selection deadlines are available on the Business School website:

Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:

Round Application deadline Decisions by
1 18 October 2023 7 December 2023
2 13 December 2023 22 February 2024
3 14 February 2024 25 April 2024
4 24 April 2024 6 June 2024
5 12 June 2024 25 July 2024

(Revised 19 September 2023 to add in the staged admissions deadlines for the 2024/25 academic year)

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • University of Edinburgh Business School
  • 29 Buccleuch Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9JS