There is a growth in the number of entrepreneurs starting businesses with social and environmental purposes at their heart. This exciting MA will enable you to develop a critical understanding of and practical insights into modes of social enterprise.

This Master's programme, with an exit route at Postgraduate Diploma level, is ideal if you wish to either: 

• develop a sustainable model for a new or existing social enterprise (for example, a business relating to a 'product' or 'process' arising from your practice, to community, or to a form of 'expertise', 'consultancy' or 'knowledge')
• understand how to create the infrastructure and environment for new social enterprises to flourish in a variety of contexts (for example, city, rural, regional or national)

The programme is designed to encourage you to continue to innovate, and to provide the requisite business/entrepreneurial skills and attributes to create a strong social – and, where appropriate, financial – return on your social, creative and cultural practices and/or knowledge.

You will study in the interdisciplinary environment of Goldsmiths, and will also benefit from being in London, a city where creative and cultural industries play a key part in the economy, and where organisations such as UnLtd and Innovation Unit – which support social enterprise and innovation – are based.

Many students on the programme come from overseas, and make a valuable contribution to the learning environment by providing an international perspective on social and entrepreneurial issues from their respective countries. In addition, staff members have considerable experience of working and researching internationally in areas that are directly relevant to the programme.

What you study

The programme will introduce you to key concepts in the historical development of social enterprise and innovation and to its changing role in society and the economy. Seminars and talks will be given by social entrepreneurs, as well as leading professionals. You will learn innovative approaches to developing an enterprise, and gain confidence in revenue generation and financial modelling. A significant amount of the learning is delivered through group projects and activities. This is designed to develop students' individual communication skills and teamwork.

The Master's programme will contain four taught courses and a further dissertation/portfolio component.

1. Theories of Creative and Social Enterprise: Work, Problem-solving and Precariousness
2. Social Enterprise: Policy and Frameworks
3. Entrepreneurial Modelling
4. Social Return on Investment: Principles and Practice
5. Dissertation or Project/Portfolio plus reflective analysis

Skills

The skills you'll develop throughout the MA include: entrepreneurial knowledge and skills; a critical understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of social entrepreneurship; the ability to critically examine the conditions required for innovation and entrepreneurship to make a strong impact on societal problems; the ability to apply entrepreneurial approaches to projects; effective business and communication skills.

Careers

It is intended that students completing this programme will seek employment primarily in two areas. Firstly: self-employed in their own social enterprise or a member of a team of an SME developing from an existing or new practice. Secondly: within government or NGO organisations concerned with developing the infrastructure and environment for new social enterprises to flourish.

Register your interest

If you register your interest in this programme we will keep you informed about open days and send you relevant further information. If you subsequently decide to apply for this programme you will be able to use the same login details to apply.