Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship

1. Introduction 
Thank you for your interest in the European-American University Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship programme. The programme is designed to be completed within thirty-six months by a student devoting ten to twelve hours a week, working by distance learning.

The programme is outlined below, but individual details may be varied on the initiative of the Mentor and/or student, always subject to ratification by the University. In principle, the aim is to provide a fully bespoke, individualized learning experience that takes into account the particular strengths, interests and previous learning of the student, and thus offers a flexible but rigorous route to the degree.

The programme has an unique modular structure:

Part I
The Background to Business
Study of principal theories and practical techniques in business. Legal frameworks of business. Management. Basic accounting. Advertising and marketing. Human resources. Entrepreneurship theory – Schumpeter.

Part II
The Entrepreneur in Action  
This part rests upon two elements.

The first is case studies of successful entrepreneurs and their approaches. With Mentor discretion, such entrepreneurs as Donald Trump, Page and Brin, Bill Gates and Richard Branson will be studied with the aid of their own writings and analysis by others.

The second rests on a case study of the student him or herself in business. To be eligible to take this Part, the student must either start a business, or be employed in a family, small or medium-sized business on a management track. For a period of not less than six months, the student will assemble a reflective portfolio that assimilates his or her experience in business and sets this in the context of learning the skills and applying the techniques necessary for business success. It should be noted that unsuccessful experiences will still provide opportunities for learning. Key skills to be developed include business planning and strategy, change management, managing others, applying business theory and evaluating success or failure, with the student expected to be pro-active and displaying the attributes of an entrepreneur. The student will submit a portfolio at the end of the assessment period for examination by the University. If the result is not successful, the student may opt to extend the assessment period and add to the portfolio.

Part III
A Dissertation Topic
The student will usually focus on a topic in management, dealing with theory and its application to the practical environment. It is also possible to use the dissertation to focus on a particular aspect of entrepreneurism, or on a particular entrepreneur.

2. Aims and objectives 
The programme is aimed at the businessperson who aspires to be a successful entrepreneur. After initial grounding in the concepts of business and the theory of the entrepreneur, the focus of the programme is mostly on the student him or herself as he or she starts a business or promotes dynamic change within a business in which he or she has management responsibility. The aim is to develop the learning process and skills that characterize successful entrepreneurs through a strongly practical programme that offers the chance to reflect and grow as a businessperson.

3. Methods of delivery 
The delivery of the teaching for the course is by distance learning. Students will be assigned a Mentor who will be a practitioner in the field and/or an established academic. They will work out the exact details of what is to be studied and how this will be assessed in co-operation with the Mentor with this learning contract then ratified by the University. In most cases, students will communicate with their Mentor via electronic communications (e-mail, fax) although some Mentors prefer to work via postal mail, and many will also offer telephone support.

4. Course materials
The chosen methods of learning are designed to offer the student the maximum of flexibility and scope in tackling the programme

The individualized nature of the programme means that traditional course materials in the form of structured course notes are rarely appropriate or practical, although it is hoped that where possible, Mentors will make their notes on particular topics available to the student. Students are, of course, responsible for creating their own course notes based on their reading and related work.

Most work within the programme will consist of directed readings from key texts selected by the Mentor. The student will be responsible for obtaining books, which are not included in the tuition fees, although both the Mentor and the University will endeavour to assist in the event of any difficulty in obtaining books. The Mentor will set regular assignments based on the directed reading, most of which will be in the form of an essay or paper. Mentors will also provide guidance on background reading for each topic.

5. Entry requirements 
The usual minimum requirements for entry to the course are as follows:

  • Completion of secondary education (high school)

and

  • at least three years of professional experience in a business environment

except

  • where the candidate intends to start their own business during the course of Part II (see above)

Candidates will normally have attained the age of twenty-two years. All candidates will be expected to show a proficiency in the English language.

It is a key principle of the University that each application should be considered on its own merits, and admission to the course and all interpretations as to the eligibility for such admission remain at the discretion of the University.