Although students on MSc and MBA courses have previously worked alongside Imperial College’s world-renowned scientific minds and facilities in side projects, the MSc Innovation & Entrepreneurship is the first course at Imperial to allow students to specialise in managing innovation.
The 12-month course will take recent graduates from non-management backgrounds and train them to help businesses put new ideas into practise.
Dr Mongiello, course director, explains that students will learn to “manage and foster innovation in various contexts, spanning highly innovative firms and new ventures, to more conservative firms that aspire to be more innovative and firms consulting for innovation.”
He also believes that Imperial College Business School has something special to offer. “We blend the world’s top research in innovation with practical applications; this is nothing our competitors can match given that our research centre for innovation and entrepreneurship is ranked among the top facilities worldwide.”
“We have a busy calendar of events that involve our corporate partners, ensuring a continuous contact between students and potential employers.”
All very impressive. But some graduates might wonder why they should fork out £19,950 when they could instead put their efforts into getting (possibly paid) work experience. Dr Mongiello insists that this isn’t the right route.
“Blending theory and practice makes innovation develop faster and more consistently,” he replies. “Theory alone or practice alone cannot be equally effective.”
He adds that even students from non-technical backgrounds will benefit, “because they will learn the theory and tools as well acquire the skills and abilities to be responsible, inspiring and innovative managers.”
Imperial College Business School has some exciting ideas for the final months of the course. From April to September, students will compete in business plan competitions. They’ll also have the chance to play consultants, thinking up and explaining solutions to real problems of companies invited to visit the college.
“As opposed to simply getting work experience, in this programme students have the opportunity to put in practice knowledge and skills that take current corporate practice a step further.”
Dr Marco Mongiello
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