Outcomes of a pilot final-year programme in science, technology and engineering to create entrepreneurial graduates

Employer demand exists to produce graduates that have technical expertise coupled with creativity and an entrepreneurial capacity [2]. This combination of competencies can enable graduates to develop new technologies whilst also having the mindset to commercialise them. Producing graduates with this combination of skills has been identified as a critical component to succeed in developing new enterprises in emerging areas of the economy [3]. Developing an academic programme to deliver these entrepreneurial outcomes presents a major challenge [4] [5]. This paper presents the outcomes of a pilot programme for final-year science, technology and engineering degree students in entrepreneurship. An interdisciplinary course structure is adopted based on a group project with an even balance of business-support, discipline-specific technical modules and exposure to entrepreneurial people, organisations and environments. This integrative approach allows students to relate theory to practice through a wide range of pedagogies designed to stimulate enterprising behaviour. A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the programme in meeting its learning outcomes and to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Results show a strong increase in student propensity towards an entrepreneurial career. Furthermore, the results indicate that the development of entrepreneurial skills, attitudes, and values are linked more to the pedagogical approach, learning environment and exposure to entrepreneurial individuals than the curriculum content.