Being an Entrepreneur (Fall Semester 2025)

General Information

Credits Acknowledged

Course Description

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

This course takes a fresh and comprehensive look at the entrepreneurial career path as a whole. More specifically, it covers not only new venture creation but also selected important topics along the career of an entrepreneur.
It introduces main theoretical concepts and themes in entrepreneurship and illustrates the key tasks and challenges that an entrepreneur faces in his/her career. In doing so, it combines academic rigor with practical relevance.

Key questions addressed:

• Why should one become an entrepreneur, and why not?
• What is the purpose of becoming an entrepreneur? Become rich, solve a social, political, or environmental problem, and/or act sustainably?
• How can one actually become an entrepreneur?
• Should one create a new venture on his/her own, or with others? And with whom?
• What are possible financing options?
• How to survive entrepreneurial crises?
• When and how might one exit a firm?
• And many more…

Topics covered (among others):

• Foundations of entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial entry (creating a business, taking over a business, franchising)
• Founder social identities
• Business models and business plans
• Entrepreneurial finance
• Entrepreneurial teams
• Portfolio entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial crises
• Family business entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial exit

Main learning outcomes:

• Gain in-depth academic and practical insights into the "entrepreneurial career”
• Be able to apply knowledge in practice
• Develop/enhance own entrepreneurial skills and capabilities
• Be able to reflect if being/becoming an entrepreneur is a feasible/desirable career option

Performance Evaluation and Teaching Approach

Individual performance

• Participation in class (20%)
• Final written exam* (60%)

*Remember to register for one of the exams via KSL.

Team performance

• Group assignment (group presentation) (20%)

To receive ECTS, all performance evaluation parts have to be completed. Regular attendance of the classes is required.

The conceptual foundations of each class will be provided through video podcasts beforehand.
The classes themselves (in-person teaching with physical attendance) will include additional content, case studies, exercises, and open discussions. Also guest inputs and student presentations will be part of the course.

Formalities

Target Group

Master students

Language

English (course and exam)

Registration

Students are required to register for this course. Registration is open from Monday, August 11, 2025 to Friday, September 12, 2025 in KSL. Manual registrations after the deadline are not possible. The number of participants is limited (max. 42).

Preconditions

Students should be proficient in English and should have a strong genuine interest in the topic of entrepreneurship.

Tentative Course Overview