A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

Panayiotis Ketikidis et al.
Society (BCS, 2012), the Association of MBAs (AMBA, 2012), the British Accreditation Council (BAC,
2012), the Chartered Managers Institute (CMI, 2012), the Assosiation to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business (AACSB, 2012) and others (Ketikidis et al., 2012, Kefalas & Ketikidis, 2012).
3.2 MSc in BMT – programme overview
The MSc in BMT programme integrates multidisciplinary knowledge of business management,
innovation and information technology across a central theme: entrepreneurship. The primary goal is
to develop a set of entrepreneurial skills which among many include creative thinking, opportunity
recognition, problem solving, communication, leadership, risk taking and decision making. This wide
range of competences is needed in today’s business environments which are characterized by fierce
and global competition and constant change (Ketikidis & Zigiaris, 2007). Targeted to graduates from a
wide range of disciplines, the MSc in BMT provides an innovative and rigorous curriculum and
prepares students for management roles in any type of organisation. The formal aims of the
programme are to:
� instill and develop the habits of mind characteristic of entrepreneurial thinking
� develop knowledge and skills to tackle management challenges and seize business opportunities
� enable students to identify and assess the competitive advantages enabled by information
technology
� develop an understanding of business contexts within which innovation and creativity are
managed
� expose students to the major trends of globalization and technology integration
The programme was designed and is being delivered by the Computer Science Department (CSD) in
conjunction with the Business Administration and Economics Department (BAED), and thus, creating
a truly inter-disciplinary environment in which entrepreneurial skills can be fostered.
3.3 Programme structure and curriculum
The MSc in BMT programme is delivered in executive mode (teaching is done one weekend per
month) in two different locations (Sofia – Bulgaria and Tirana – Albania) for a period of two years.
Graduates of this programme can pursue management careers in a wide variety of industry sectors
such as consultancies, services, technology-based firms, telecommunications, education,
manufacturing, academia and governmental organisations or start their own company. The
programme runs in part-time mode and consists of two cycles of lectures which last for 16 months,
along with the postgraduate dissertation. The first cycle is composed of one bridging unit and five core
units beginning in October and ending in June of the first year. The second cycle is composed of four
units, beginning in October and ending in March of the second year. The dissertation must be
submitted within seven months after the lectures have been completed. A unit is covered in a threeday
session which takes place on a weekend (Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday). The
curriculum consists of inter-disciplinary flexible and up-to date units which are presented in Table 1
below. Credits are presented following the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
(ECTS).
Table 1: The MSc in BMT structure and curriculum
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
MSc In Business Management and Technology Curriculum
TAUGHT PART (52.5 credits)
Fundamentals of Business and ICT (non-credit bridging unit)
Strategic Management in Modern Business (7.5 credits)
ICT for Strategic Management (7.5 credits)
Innovation Management and New Product Development (7.5 credits)
Entrepreneurship and Innovation (7.5 credits)
Managing Knowledge-Driven ICT Projects (7.5 credits)
Two units from the following:
Internetworked Business Enterprises (7.5 credits)
Knowledge Technologies For Innovation (7.5 credits)
Managing Strategic Change (7.5 credits)
DISSERTATION PHASE (37.5)
Research Methods (7.5 credits)
Dissertation (30 Credits)
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