Certificate of Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Our Certificate of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is an intensive course taught by some of Australia’s leading venture capital investors, start-up founders, and innovators working in both academia and industry. The course aims to equip students with the skills needed to change the world through innovative products. All students will work on a real product, and are encouraged to take it to market.
Next INTAKE: January 2023
Pre-Requisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. Any student completing an undergraduate degree is able to apply.
Price
This course is $2,500, minus any scholarships the student obtains. This includes all events and extra-curricular activities (e.g., professional development dinners, company excursions, and so on). Please note that Dalyell Scholars can use their scholarships to cover this course.
Dates
We are running this course between July 5 and July 30 this year.
Questions
All questions relating to admissions or course content should be directed to Minami Takahashi, the Education Manager: education.manager@standrewscollege.edu.au
Modules
Course Modules
Module 1: Innovation Seminars
Three Sessions
Students will begin this course by reading about and discussing a range of topics related to “innovation”. Some of the key sessions include Technology and Ethical Dilemmas, Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence, Regulating Technology, and Crypto, Blockchain and NFTs for Beginners.
Module 2: Start-Up Frameworks and Principles
Five Sessions
Students will then learn about some of the frameworks and principles used to build successful start-ups. Topics covered will include design thinking, market research, the ideology of competition, the “last mover advantage”, team culture, and so on. One of the set readings is Peter Thiel’s well-known “Zero to One: How to Build the Future”.
Module 3: Start-Up Case Studies
Five Sessions
Module 3 covers start-up case studies. We will hear from start-up founders who have taken risks and worked passionately to create some of Australia’s most iconic start-ups (as well as some failed companies you’ve never heard of!).
Module 4: MVP Project & Pitch
Three Sessions (Two Mentoring Sessions and the Pitch)
Students will apply what they have learned to build their own minimum viable product concept. They will be mentored by a team of start-up experts, and pitch their minimum viable product (MVP) concept to a panel of VC leaders. The winner will be awarded seed funding to develop their ideas further.
Module 5: Elective Unit
Five Sessions
Students will have the chance to choose one elective unit, which may or may not be related to innovation and entrepreneurship. The purpose of this elective is to learn something new about the world and improve critical thinking skills.
Module 6: Extra-Curricular Activities
Five Sessions
Finally, students will enjoy a range of extra-curricular opportunities, from workplace visits to social activities.
To obtain a copy of the Course Outline, please submit an enquiry through the Questions Portal at the bottom of this page
Faculty
Our Faculty
Our teaching faculty comprises academics and industry leaders who are passionate about educating the next generation of problem solvers and innovators. They work for a diverse range of organisations, including The University of Oxford, The University of Sydney, McKinsey & Company, AirTree Ventures, and Ernst & Young.
OBJECTIVES
Key Course Objectives
Innovative Mindset
We teach students to recognise opportunities to innovate, and help challenge the “status quo bias” that can lead to organisations becoming irrelevant (or to miss opportunities).
Critical Thinking
As innovators build businesses, they need to evaluate opportunities with a critical eye, not just trust conventional wisdom. The capacity to consider all points of view and evaluate the relative strength of arguments will be taught in a structured way.
Team Management and Leadership
One of the most important aspects of a start-up is the founder’s ability to harness the talents of a small team. We work on some of the approaches to team management and leadership that lead to success.
Communication
Throughout an innovator’s journey, they have to learn to be persuasive and communicate effectively. For example, they may need to persuade a fund to support their venture, and will later need to persuade potential customers to become early adopters. We will explore the fundamentals of communication in the context of innovation.