Dnr: LNU-2023/2549
Programme syllabus
School of Business and Economics
Innovation genom ekonomi, teknik och design - inriktning
företagsekonomi, masterprogram, 120 högskolepoäng
Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design -
Specialisation Business, Master Programme, 120 credits
Level
Second Level
Date of Ratification
Approved by School of Business and Economics 2019-09-11
Revised 2023-09-13
The programme syllabus is valid from autumn semester 2024
Prerequisites
General entry requirements for second-cycle studies and specific entry requirements:
• A minimum of 90 credits within the main field of study Business Administration
(including a degree project of at least 15 credits) or the equivalent
• English 6 or the equivalent
Description of Programme
The purpose of the programme is to enable students with a degree in economics,
technology or design to together develop their ability to initiate, lead and promote
innovation processes focusing on sustainable solutions to a diversity of problems. The
student gains advanced knowledge within their own main field of study, at the same
time as there is collaboration and exchange with the other subjects. In the programme,
the student also develops their knowledge of research and investigation methods used in
the relevant subjects.
The overall pedagogical approach taken in the programme is to perform innovation
processes through interdisciplinary collaborative projects. Students from different
faculties and with different academic backgrounds work together with the aim of
learning to identify problems from different perspectives and develop solutions
requiring different kinds of knowledge and skills.
In the programme, the students gain knowledge and skills regarding the innovation
concept, innovation processes, project work and project management, product
development, and business and system development, in collaboration with businesses
and organisations. As a result, the students get a key role in the creation of future
societies, and come into direct contact with professional work within their subject field.
Three faculties participate in the programme: the Faculty of Technology, the School of
Business and Economics, and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Objectives
General degree objectives in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance
Knowledge and understanding
For a Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) the student shall
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including
both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised
knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research
and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.
Competence and skills
For a Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) the student shall
• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and
analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even
with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously
and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake
advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the
formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally
to report clearly and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and
arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development
work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.
Judgement and approach
For a Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) the student shall
• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed
by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate
awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in
society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and
take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.
Programme specific objectives
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all of the main fields of study in
the programme, and the synergy, thereof
• lead and participate in interdisciplinary projects.
This is in accordance with the intended learning outcomes set for a masters’ degree in
the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance and the School of Business and Economics’
mission.
Content
Programme overview
The programme is located at the School of Business and Economics and offered in
collaboration with the Faculty of Technology and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
The programme comprises 90 credits of compulsory courses, and 30 credits of courses
of the student’s own choice, within the main field of study.
There are three programme coordinators for the programme – one from each faculty.
The programme coordinators have the overall responsibility for the coordination and
coherence of the programme, for continuous quality development, and for the
development of courses and the programme as a whole. They have a continuous
dialogue with the teachers on the programme, and they coordinate collaboration with
businesses and organisations nationally as well as internationally.
The programme starts out from the realisation that resources are limited, and that we
need to find ways to meet people’s needs without risking future generations. The
complexity within human societies puts high demands on our ability to understand what
needs people have in different parts of the world. At the same time, sustainable
development requires a critical approach to how people, businesses and organisations
intend to meet these needs. An interdisciplinary innovation process opens up for
different perspectives in the process, and results in a holistic view of problems as well
as solutions, from a local as well as a global point of view. Through this programme,
the students will be able to participate in the innovation process together with different
clients, and together identify problems and find sustainable solutions. As a result, the
students develop their interdisciplinary insight and understanding – something that is
further enhanced by the programme’s reflective course components. The students’ own
future knowledge and research development is also stimulated.
First term:
The first term comprises two courses: Local Innovation and Innovation Methods and
Tools.
The course Local Innovation is project based and provides knowledge and
understanding of innovation and the innovation process in theory and practice. The
students conduct innovation projects through an interdisciplinary process, in which each
competence plays an active role. The course is divided into modules, and the students
learn to work and collaborate in all parts of the innovation process, from the different
subjects’ perspectives. In addition to this, the course also deals with professional skill
and the importance of teamwork in the realisation of innovation processes.
The course Innovation Methods and Tools gives an overview of scientific and artistic
methods, and complements the project course in that the student gets to reflect upon and
evaluate the methods that are used to create knowledge or solutions, how these methods
are used, and how obtained information is analysed.
Second term:
The second term includes two courses: Global Innovation and Innovation Processes
and Research Methods.
The course Global Innovation discusses academic aspects of, as well as professional
practice within the three main fields of study. The course is project based and focuses
on identifying and formulating complex problems from a system perspective, realising
an innovation process in collaboration with businesses or organisations, and
formulating strategies for implementation of ideas through interdisciplinary work. The
course also discusses professional skill in depth.
The course Innovation Processes and Research Methods links scientific and artistic
methods with research. The course also discusses the process involved in working with
projects in depth.
Third term
During the third term, students specialise by taking optional courses within the main
field of study. This can also include studies abroad.
Fourth term
In the fourth term the student conducts a degree project, in which they may collaborate
across disciplines.
Courses in the programme
Year 1
Local innovation, 22.5 credits, level A1N (mandatory)*
Innovation Methods and Tools, 7.5 credits, level A1F (mandatory)*
Global Innovation, 22.5 credits, level A1F (mandatory)*
Innovation Processes and Research Methods, 7.5 credits, level A1F (mandatory)*
Year 2
Optional courses in the main field of study Business Administration, 30 credits,*
Degree Project in Business Administration (Master), 15 credits, level A1E (elective)*, #
Business Administration with specialization in Innovation, Degree Project (Master), 30
credits, level A2E (mandatory)*
The courses in the programme can in agreement with the program coordinator, be
exchanged for corresponding courses within the programme’s focus. In this case, the
programme coordinator verifies that the programme’s degree and programme goals are
still met.
*Within the programme’s main field of study, Business Administration
# See more under Other information
A Master’s programme of 120 credits must, in accordance with the Higher Education
Ordinance, contain at least 60 credits of specialised study in the main field, of which a
degree project of at least 30 credits. Courses previously given within the same
programme code, EAIN2, can also be included in the programme degree and thus
replace courses with equivalent content. For supplemental information, see the local
Degree Ordinance.
Societal relevance
In the programme, the student conducts a project in collaboration with businesses and
organisations. The student is also given further opportunities to contribute to society in
different ways.
Internationalisation
Exchange studies within the programme’s main field of study may take place in the
third term of the programme. Exchange studies are planned in consultation with the
programme coordinator. The student is invited to choose from the full range of
agreements that Linnaeus University has with foreign institutions of higher education.
The fourth term’s independent project can also be conducted partly abroad.
Sustainable social development
In the programme, questions of sustainable development, gender and diversity are
continuously brought up and [Link] concept of sustainability is defined as one
including environmental, financial, social, ethical and cultural aspects as well as aspects
to do with the safety and wellbeing of mankind. At the core of the programme is the
development of theoretical knowledge for the analysis of innovations, and on upon the
student’s core disciplines in relation to societal needs and how societies have defined
and dealt with said needs. Development work within the programme shall focus on
people’s involvement, knowledge and understanding. The students practise their ability
to critically review possibilities and limitations, in order to promote the development of
an equal and sustainable society. This work shall be supported by the methods used in
the program.
Through collaboration with both national and international businesses and
organisations, knowledge and understanding is promoted from a local as well as a
global perspective. The international perspective is furthermore strengthened when
students from many different countries participate in the programme.
Quality Development
Continuous evaluation and improvement of the Programme takes place, among other
things, through the University’s course evaluations, where the results are handled by the
programme coordinator and programme council and feedback is then provided to
students and archived. Programme students actively participate in the follow-up and
development of the programme through the programme council and through student
representatives in the faculty-wide Education Committee. All programmes of the
School of Business and Economics also undergo a quality analysis based on the
standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and
quality evaluations are conducted for all main subjects through the national quality
assurance system with the help of UKÄ (Swedish Higher Education Authority). The
School of Business and Economics’ faculty-wide quality plan requires, among other
things, that a recurrent programme analysis is conducted and that course evaluations are
monitored. As part of the university-wide survey, the Linnaeus Barometer, students are
asked about their experiences of their education in terms of different quality aspects.
Degree Certificate
After completed studies on the programme and when completed studies correspond to
the requirements listed in the degree order in the Higher Education Ordinance and in
the local degree order at Linnaeus University, students can apply for a degree.
Students who have completed the programme Innovation through Business,
Engineering and Design - Specialisation Business, can obtain the following degree:
Master of Science in Business and Economics (120 credits) with specialisation in
Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design
Main field of study: Business Administration
The degree certificate is bilingual (English/Swedish). Along with the degree certificate,
students will also receive a diploma supplement (English).
Other Information
The programme contains mandatory elements such as study visits, laboratory work, and
fieldwork. Such elements may result in certain expenses; these are paid for by the
students themselves. Digital equipment is also required.
In order to be admitted to the courses on the programme the specific requirements
stated in each course syllabus must be fulfilled by the start of the course.
Should deviations be found between the Swedish and English version of this
programme syllabus, the Swedish one is superior.
# The programme also provides the opportunity to obtain a Master degree in Business
and Economics (60 credits). For further information, please read the local degree
ordinance.
