Professional Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Business Administration and Entrepreneurship / Entrepreneurship and Innovation — Novera University
1. Program Overview:
An accredited professional and applied program extending over 3 months (80 hours of approved study load), aimed at empowering and qualifying entrepreneurs, owners of innovative ideas, and startup leaders to build, launch, and scale successful and sustainable business ventures. The program covers the complete entrepreneurial journey, beginning with building an entrepreneurial mindset, Design Thinking techniques and opportunity discovery, Business Model Canvas design, market research and idea validation through building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), funding strategies and Venture Capital (VC), Growth Hacking and rapid marketing, legal frameworks for company formation and intellectual property protection, through to mastering investment presentations (Pitch Deck) and negotiation with investors.
2. Key Objectives:
- Idea generation and business model design: identifying market problems, applying Design Thinking methodology, and developing a unique value proposition and Business Model Canvas (BMC).
- Practical market validation: testing hypotheses, surveying customers, and building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to reduce entrepreneurial risk.
- Mastering financing and rapid-growth strategies: understanding bootstrapping, crowdfunding, and Venture Capital (VC) options, and using low-cost rapid-growth tactics (Growth Hacking).
- Legal establishment and professional investment pitching: understanding incorporation procedures and intellectual property protection, and designing and delivering persuasive investment presentations (Pitch Deck) to convince judging panels and investors.
3. Target Audience:
- Entrepreneurs and owners of existing startups or startups under establishment.
- Owners of innovative ideas and individuals seeking to transform their projects into scalable businesses.
- Innovation and business development managers in companies and institutions.
- Graduates and students of Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, and Economics.
4. Study Plan and Courses (8 Courses — 24 Interactive Lectures):
|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Number of Lectures |
Total Hours
|
|
ENT101 |
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneurial Mindset |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT102 |
Opportunity Discovery and Innovative Idea Generation |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT103 |
Business Models and Customer Value Design (Business Model Canvas) |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT104 |
Market Research and Business Idea Validation |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT105 |
Entrepreneurial Finance (Bootstrapping, Venture Capital, Crowdfunding) |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT106 |
Marketing and Growth for Startups (Growth Hacking) |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT107 |
Legal and Incorporation Aspects of Startups |
3 |
6 hours |
|
ENT108 |
Pitching Projects to Investors and Growth Management |
3 |
6 hours |
|
Total |
8 Courses |
24 Lectures |
48 Training Hours |
5. Organizational Structure and Assessment System:
- Duration and sessions: 3 months (evening period), at a rate of two lectures per week, two hours per lecture = 48 interactive training hours.
- Language of study and delivery method: Arabic and English | fully remote interactive training (Online).
- Distribution of credit hours (80 hours):
· 48 hours: live interactive lectures.
· 20 hours: required readings and open resources.
· 8 hours: chapter questions and self-assessment.
· 4 hours: final review and graduation project.
- Attendance and assessment requirements: attendance of no less than 75% of the lectures, and completion of periodic assignments and applied activities.
- Certificate and graduation project: the graduate is awarded a Professional Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Innovation after preparing an integrated Business Plan for a startup, presenting it using the Pitching approach, and passing the online examination.
