This module equips students with advanced skills in creative and critical thinking applied to entrepreneurship and innovation.

It highlights the strategic importance of these capabilities in addressing complex business challenges, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth in competitive markets. Students explore how creativity, critical analysis, and entrepreneurial decision-making work together to generate innovative ideas, develop effective strategies, and create business value.

Delivered through a work-based learning approach, the module immerses students in a real business environment. Learners visit a local organisation, gain first-hand exposure to its operations, and engage directly with senior management to understand strategic and operational decision-making. Working in teams, students then develop an innovative idea, process, or product tailored to the organisation’s needs.

The module concludes with a formal pitch to the company’s senior leadership, enabling students to apply theory to real-world challenges while building practical, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills for dynamic business environments.

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Learners will learn how to:

• Critically evaluate and synthesize complex information using abstract ideas and advanced reasoning to interpret and derive meaningful insights.
• Identify and analyze interpersonal and external barriers that may impact critical and creative thinking, developing strategies to overcome these challenges and enhance personal and professional decision-making capabilities.
• Apply advanced creative and critical thinking techniques to address complex organizational problems, providing evidence-based solutions while evaluating their impact on stakeholders.
• Evaluate and implement cognitive assessment tools, such as critical thinking tests, to measure and enhance individual and team performance in professional settings.
• Employ the critical thinking process to inform strategic decision-making in managerial roles, assessing the short- and long-term impacts of these decisions on organizational success.
• Demonstrate advanced brainstorming skills to generate innovative and practical ideas, applying critical analysis to refine and implement solutions effectively.
• Strategically position an organization or oneself within competitive markets, identifying opportunities to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.
• Build and leverage robust professional networks to secure resources, foster collaboration, and assemble high-performing teams that drive entrepreneurial success.
• Communicate persuasively and effectively with stakeholders to promote innovative projects and ventures, establishing trust and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Demonstrate advanced negotiation skills to secure favorable outcomes in business dealings, enhancing the acquisition of resources and strategic partnerships.

Mode of Assessment

A mixed-method assessment approach will be utilised for this programme. This will include the use of a reflective journal (40 %) and a presentation (60 %).

Target Audience

The Award in Entrepreneurship and Critical Thinking is intended for those who are aged 21+ and is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and professionals seeking to develop creative and critical thinking skills to drive innovation, make strategic decisions, and lead entrepreneurial initiatives in dynamic business environments.

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