INDEPENDENT BUSINESS PROJECT - 2025/6

Module Overview

For students who desire to pursue an original business idea, this module offers the opportunity to develop an independent business project where they can apply learning from the classroom and benefit from access to the resources of SETSquared Surrey, part of one of the top-ranked university business accelerators in the world; these resources includes mentoring and access to networking events to help develop the new business opportunity beyond a conceptual stage.

The module builds on learning from other modules in the MSc programme including module MANM298 New Business Venturing and MANM104 Entrepreneurship & Digital Economy. To be accepted into the module, students must also demonstrate sufficient validation of their new business opportunity for criteria set in conjunction with SETSquared Surrey

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

MURZACHEVA Ekaterina (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

MANM298 New Business Venturing MANM104 Entrepreneurship & Digital Economy Approval by SetSquared Surrey

Module content

• Entrepreneurship theory


• Business modelling


• Lean Start-up methodology


• Business planning

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

The Pitch Presentation to an outside panel is an individual assignment to assess business readiness for the new business opportunity including key concepts such as business model, strategy for scaling and funding. If required, the pitch presentation to assess business readiness will be made to an internal panel at Surrey Business School.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to ensure that students demonstrate their understanding of the relevant theory of Entrepreneurship, practical and cognitive skills and the application to a given business context which will require key skills related to market research such as market research, business modelling and business planning.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of the following:

• Pitch Presentation project (addresses learning outcomes 2,3, and 4)


• Research Report coursework, (addresses learning outcomes 1, 2, and 5)

Assessment includes a Research Report to demonstrate how a student has applied theory for their research journey and will include a Pitch Presentation where a student presents a pitch deck to a panel assembled by SETSquared Surrey to assess business readiness. Based on the pitch presentation, students may also have an opportunity to join the SETSquared business incubator following completion of the MSc programme. The Research Report is an individual assignment to demonstrates how the student has applied theory through primary and secondary research for their business project. The Pitch Presentation to an outside panel is an individual assignment to assess business readiness for the new business opportunity including key concepts such as business model, strategy for scaling and funding.

Formative assessment

Students will receive individual and group feedback during the module from the lecturer as well as external business mentor.

Feedback 

Verbal feedback will be offered in tutorials and in regular mentoring meetings to assess progress and to advise on the plan of action. Feedback from the Research Report can also be used to improve preparations for the Piitch Presentation.

Module aims

• Apply the theory and topics discussed in the classroom related to Digital Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
• Evaluate critically the opportunities and challenges for a business idea in a practical business context.
• Relate further to how these new technologies may impact society and the economy through interaction with stakeholders in the business community.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the relevant theory, management practices and challenges pertinent to developing a new business opportunity and then to apply it in an original business project.

The teaching and learning methods include the delivery of formal tutorials to reenforce theoretical concepts related to Entrepreneurship and New Business Venturing and then to apply the learning in an independent business project with mentorship from an external business advisor.

At the beginning of the module, students are required to develop a plan of action to develop their new business opportunity which will be supported by the tutorials and relate to further independent study.

In conjunction, students are expected to undertake the essential reading as recommended by the lecturer in each teaching week.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM539

Other information

Employability: students develop key digital and business skills which they apply in a business context.

Sustainability: students develop understanding and awareness to formulate innovative solutions to deal with key agendas related to specific sustainability and ethically related areas such as socially responsible marketing actions and strategies.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: students performance and progress is facilitated and assessed by both formative and summative assessments to which they are expected to respond. Students also develop self- efficacy by working independently which will further supports students' employability skills.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.