Social Entrepreneurship (MGMT90165)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025
About this subject
Overview
| Fees | Look up fees |
|---|
Social entrepreneurs are individuals who establish an enterprise with the goal of solving complex social or environmental problems, including poverty, access to health, homelessness, climate change and food waste. They have been credited with success in disrupting the traditional forms and purpose of business and charity by creating innovative social enterprises that meld the best features of business and the non-profit sector. This subject seeks to equip students with a critical understanding of the social enterprise form and support them in developing a startup social enterprise with the purpose of solving a social and/or environmental problem. Designed and delivered with input from leaders in the social enterprise sector, the subject features lectures and workshops on social enterprise design, business modelling, pitching, social finance and measurement, as well as addressing the difficulties and dark side of social enterprise. In the subject students will develop an idea for a startup social enterprise and develop a business plan which they will pitch to a Shark Tank panel of experts. Prizes will be awarded to the best ideas to help develop these solutions into successful social enterprises.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Identify and analyse the variety of social and environmental problems to which social entrepreneurs may attend
- Critically evaluate the complex relationship between achieving social/environmental goals and profitability, including an understanding of how social entrepreneurs can successfully balance these goals
- Generate social entrepreneurial ideas through formalised processes of lateral thinking and problem-solving
- Apply the above learnings within a formalised business plan, taking into account project planning and management, funding and finance, and measurement of social/environmental and financial performance
Generic skills
On successful completion of this subject, students should have improved the following generic skills:
- Critical thinking about societal and environmental problems;
- Oral and written communication;
- Innovative problem solving and collaborative learning; and
- Synthesis of data and other information.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
This subject assumes an entrepreneurial mindset.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Seminar preparation and participation
| Throughout the semester | 10% |
Individual essay
| Week 5 | 30% |
Individual idea elevator pitch
| Week 7 | 10% |
Group panel presentation (groups of 3-4)
| Week 12 | 20% |
Individual peer evaluation of team contribution
| End of semester | 10% |
Group written business plan (groups of 3-4)
| During the examination period | 20% |
Additional details
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
Not available in 2025
Time commitment details
Estimated total time commitment of 170 hours per semester
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 70.
Students are required to self-enrol in to the subject by July 1 and submit a half page statement to the subject coordinator that either describes a social problem they would like to address or an idea for a social enterprise (an enterprise designed to address a social problem). Student degree major and GPA will also be considered.
The Subject Coordinator will assess applications using the following criteria:
- Demonstrates knowledge about social issues and social entrepreneurship
- Demonstrates interest in starting a social enterprise
- Demonstrates academic skill and capacity to learn through subject marks
- Provides diversity to the class through background experience and major
Initial self-enrolment will be provisional, places will not be guaranteed until the selection process has been run. Unsuccessful students will be withdrawn and advised of alternative electives.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Marketing Communications Course Master of Management - Links to additional information
Students are required to self-enrol in to the subject by July 1 and submit a half page (max) statement to the subject coordinator that either describes a social problem they would like to address or an idea for a social enterprise (an enterprise designed to address a social problem). Student degree major and GPA will also be considered.
The criteria used to select students will be:
- Demonstrates knowledge about social issues and social entrepreneurship
- Demonstrates interest in starting a social enterprise
- Demonstrates academic skill and capacity to learn through subject marks
- Provides diversity to the class through background experience and major
Initial self-enrolment will be provisional, places will not be guaranteed until the selection process has been run. Successful students will be advised of the outcome one week prior to Semester start. Unsuccessful students will be withdrawn and advised of alternative electives.
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025