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MAN 630: Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Contents
University of Mannheim alumni founders, such as Lea-Sophie Cramer (Amorelie), David Handlos and Florian Barth (Stocard), Alexander Rittweger (Payback) and Rupprecht Rittweger (e-shelter), are examples of successful entrepreneurs who have pursued new business opportunities in a way which is innovative, path-breaking and contributing to growth and employment generation.
But who is a typical entrepreneur? How well does the typical startup perform? Is there such a thing as the typical entrepreneur or the typical startup? Why do people start businesses? Is every young business a startup? What characteristics do entrepreneurs have? How do entrepreneurs finance their start-up? What is the role of networks for launching and running new businesses? These are some of the questions that we will discuss in MAN 630 Introduction to Entrepreneurship. We will discuss in lecture settings and have 3 to 4 additional case study sessions in which student teams will present their solutions and advice to startup challenges. Theories presented will be combined with real-life cases. Additionally, guest speakers (i.e., entrepreneurs and/or academics) may come to class to shed light on specific topics of interest or how they have overcome challenges.
Beware of the following upsides and downsides: The course is tons of fun and highly rewarding but challenging and demanding in terms of its self-study elements and the case study team efforts. If your expectation is a class with lectures to randomly attend, this might not be your first choice.
What you can expect from us is a fun and rewarding atmosphere in class paired with optional Founder Talks and Startup Lounges (evening events) throughout the semester to get in touch with lots of role models, business models and a fair chance to develop your networks. Overall, you can expect a perfect introduction to central theories in entrepreneurship and the Startup Ecosystem at and around the University of Mannheim and beyond.
Side note on choosing MAN 630 vs. alternatives:
You should choose MAN 630 if you...

  • are interested in combining insights from lectures with readings at home and with insights gained from speakers in Startup Lounges, Founder Talks and in class to maximize your learning
  • are interested in startups and entrepreneurship in general and want to gain a top-level view on both entrepreneurship in theory and practice.
  • like the practical world but do not want to lose sight of the underlying academic foundations.
  • love aiming for the big picture and love discussing topics of interest from a variety of angles.
  • do not like courses based on keywords and phrases to learn but on concepts to put into perspective and forming your own sophisticated line of argumentation.
You should, however, not choose MAN 630 if you...
  • expect this to be a multiple-choice-style course of memorizing material and then jotting buzzwords down on the exam. Our interactive style of teaching and a wealth of readings will get you frustrated – focus is set on understanding concepts rather than memorizing them.
  • expect teaching staff to tell you what to learn and what to forget – this is up to you (see point above).
  • want to develop or advance your own startup project in class. Apply for MCEI course MAN 631.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will have gained fundamental perspectives in theoretical and practical entrepreneurial mechanisms. They will gain experience with case studies.

Necessary prerequisites

Recommended prerequisites

Forms of teaching and learningContact hoursIndependent study time
Lecture2 SWS10 SWS
Exercise class1 SWS4 SWS
ECTS credits6
Graded yes
Workload180h
LanguageEnglish
Form of assessmentWritten exam (60 min, 50%), presentations (40%), peer evaluation (10%)
Restricted admissionno
Further informationhttps://www.mcei.de/teaching
Examiner
Performing lecturer
Prof. Dr. Michael Woywode
Prof. Dr. Michael Woywode, Nora Zybura, Dr. Bettina Müller
Frequency of offeringFall semester
Duration of module 1 semester
Range of applicationM.Sc. MMM, M.Sc. Bus. Edu., M.Sc. Econ., M.Sc. Bus. Inf., LL.M., MAKUWI
Preliminary course work
Program-specific Competency GoalsCG 1, CG 2, CG 4
LiteraturePlease find required and recommended readings for every session in the MAN 630 course syllabus: https://www.mcei.de/teaching/graduate/man-630-introduction-to-entrepreneurship
Course outlinePlease find further information on course outline and content on the MAN 630 course website: https://www.mcei.de/teaching/graduate/man-630-introduction-to-entrepreneurship