Co-operative and Social Enterprise

Course details

If you are interested in pursuing or developing a professional or voluntary career in the co-operative or social enterprise field, the MSc in Co-operative and Social Enterprise is designed with you in mind.  It is a part-time course taken over one or two calendar years.

The main aims are:                   

• to equip you for management careers and/or voluntary service at senior level in a wide range of co-operative and social enterprises
• to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to participate meaningfully and effectively at leadership level in the decision-making, management and entrepreneurial processes of co-operative and social enterprises
• to develop your capacity to respond creatively to the needs and problems of the wider community and society, if you are either a voluntary or a salaried practitioner in a co-operative and social enterprise
• to provide you with access to postgraduate and personal development opportunities whilst allowing you to combine family responsibilities and employment.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion, it is expected that you will be able to:

• think critically about social and economic problems and have the confidence to propose organisational solutions
• articulate the role of co-operatives and social enterprises in the creation of an alternative economic system to a wide range of audiences, including the public, private and third sectors, as well as to society in general
• participate meaningfully and effectively at leadership level in the decision-making, management and entrepreneurial processes of co-operatives and social enterprises
• apply the specific marketing, governance and management skills necessary in co-operatives and social enterprises
• appraise critically the multiplicity of activities, strategies, skills and approaches in the co-operative and social enterprise field 
• choose optimal courses of action for specific situations in co-operative and social enterprises
• discuss and debate professional opinion on the functioning and roles of co-operatives and social enterprises
• research and report analytically on different types of cooperative and social enterprise.

Course Practicalities

The MSc is a taught master’s course, with a research-based minor dissertation. Each module/course is delivered using a combination of text-based modules, academic text books, academic readings, web-based discussion and on-line lectures.

Assessment

You will be assessed by way of continuous assessment, e.g. essays, group work, virtual contributions, etc. This means that there are no end-of-year written examinations for this course.