Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset

UCIL21331 - Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset 

• Semester 1 
• Face-to-face delivery
• 10 credits 
• Level 2
• Alliance Manchester Business School

This unit forms part of the Enterprise Challenge.

This unit introduces students to entrepreneurship as a way of thinking and acting, rather than solely as business creation. It explores what makes individuals entrepreneurial or enterprising across a wide range of contexts, including business, science, the creative industries, sport, and the not‑for‑profit sector. Central to the unit are the enduring questions: ‘are entrepreneurs born, or can they be developed?’ and ‘how can entrepreneurial mindsets be fostered through education, experience, and reflection?’ 

Through a combination of theory and practice, students examine contemporary entrepreneurship research, educational approaches, and real‑world practices to better understand the behaviours, competencies, and support mechanisms that enable entrepreneurial action. Students engage with a variety of case studies and narratives drawn from diverse sectors, allowing them to explore how entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs mobilise skills, values, and resources to create value in uncertain and complex environments. 

A key feature of the unit is its strong emphasis on personal development and reflective learning. Students are supported to analyse their own strengths, preferences, and aspirations using a range of self‑development tools and models. This learning is brought together through the creation of a practical personal development roadmap, which may be oriented towards entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial, or more traditional organisational career pathways. 

By the end of the unit, students will be able to articulate clear and inclusive definitions of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and enterprising individuals, and to apply relevant theoretical frameworks from the entrepreneurship literature to analyse entrepreneurial behaviour. Students will also have developed enhanced self‑awareness and the ability to plan intentionally for their own ongoing entrepreneurial and professional development. 

The unit is delivered through University College to a multi‑disciplinary cohort of students via a programme of interactive lectures and activities. Students work collaboratively in small groups for parts of the assessment, reflecting real‑world organisational and entrepreneurial practices, alongside individual reflective learning activities. 

In addition, students taking this unit have the optional opportunity to participate in the Manchester Enterprise Challenge, a voluntary, partnership‑enabled learning experience developed and supported by the Manchester Enterprise Centre (MEC). Through this unique offering, students may choose to work individually or in teams with a local business, charity, or social enterprise on a real enterprise challenge. This extra‑curricular project allows students to apply and extend their learning beyond the classroom, gain practical experience, and develop professional networks, complementing the academic learning achieved through the unit. 

This unit aims to explore and critically examine what makes individuals entrepreneurial and enterprising across a wide range of contexts, including business, science, the creative industries, sport, and the not‑for‑profit sector. Rather than focusing solely on venture creation, the unit adopts a broad and inclusive view of entrepreneurship, emphasising mindset, behaviour, identity, and personal development, all relevant to aspiring to entrepreneurs. 

Through the integration of theory, practice, and structured reflection, students will investigate how entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs develop key competencies, behaviours, and capabilities, and how these are mobilised to create value in uncertain and complex environments. The unit also considers how entrepreneurial mindsets can be fostered more widely within organisations, communities, and society through effective educational and pedagogical practices. 

By undertaking this unit, students will be able to: 

• Develop a broad and nuanced understanding of entrepreneurs and enterprising individuals, recognising the diverse roles they play in creating economic, social, cultural, and scientific value across different sectors and disciplines. 
• Critically explore the competencies, behaviours, and personal traits associated with the entrepreneurial mindset, drawing on contemporary research, real‑world examples, and their own observations and experiences. 
• Appreciate the value of developing personal entrepreneurial capabilities, enabling them to recognise, create, and act on opportunities that may positively impact their own lives, personally and professionally, as well as the lives of others. 
• Develop as reflective, active, and self‑directed learners who are capable of making sense of experience, learning from uncertainty and failure, and engaging in lifelong personal and professional development beyond their degree programme. 
• Actively manage their own personal development by assessing strengths and areas for growth, planning and resourcing their learning, and monitoring and evaluating progress towards self‑determined goals. 

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Indicative topics covered in this unit include:

This unit is delivered through a blended and interactive learning approach designed to support students from all disciplinary backgrounds. Teaching takes place through a structured programme of lectures, combining conceptual input with applied and reflective learning activities. 

Weekly sessions introduce key entrepreneurship concepts, theories, and frameworks through short lectures, followed by activities such as discussions, case analysis, and practical exercises. Learning is supported by a range of digital materials, including pre‑recorded content, curated readings, entrepreneurial case studies, and structured online activities. These resources are made available via Canvas, organised clearly within weekly learning folders to support independent and self‑directed study. 

The unit adopts a student‑centred and experiential pedagogy, encouraging learners to actively engage with ideas, reflect on experience, and apply theory to real‑world and personal contexts. Students work both individually and collaboratively, enabling them to develop confidence, communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary groups reflecting the realities of entrepreneurial and organisational practice. 

To enhance relevance and authenticity, the unit may include external or guest speakers, such as entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, alumni, or practitioners from industry, the creative sector, or the not‑for‑profit environment. These contributions provide students with real‑world perspectives and illustrate how entrepreneurial mindsets operate across different professional contexts. 

Students are encouraged to engage regularly with the Canvas site, which acts as the central hub for learning materials, announcements, communication, and assessment submission. Coursework is submitted electronically via Canvas using Turnitin. Students can communicate with the teaching team during scheduled sessions, via Canvas announcements and messaging, email, or through scheduled online or face‑to‑face meetings. Individual appointments can be arranged by prior agreement or though office hours. 

• Formative task: an individual slide-deck: a set of PowerPoint slides,10 slides max (0%)  
• Summative task: a group poster, with individual reflection, analysing an entrepreneur (30%)  
• Individual report: self-development roadmap (2000 words) (70%) 

• Jonathan Styles

The Enterprise Challenge combines enterprise UCIL units with a community-based enterprise project.

Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset is one of the 10 credit enterprise UCIL units you can study as part of completion of this challenge.

UCIL units are designed to be accessible to undergraduate students from all disciplines.

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This unit is also available with a different course unit code. To take a UCIL unit you must choose the unit with a UCIL prefix.