Entrepreneurship is about pursuing opportunities, being innovative, and imagining an unknown future. OIE focuses on processes for designing and managing entrepreneurship and innovation in organisational settings.
We see entrepreneurship and innovation as fundamental aspects of creativity: making the imagination real. Organisations are the medium for the construction of social reality, where intentions and actions develop to create the future.
In an experiential, studio and case-based learning environment, you will integrate theory, real-world practice and personal reflections on creating and growing innovative organisations.
OIE prepares you to develop and utilise your entrepreneurial mindset, understand the complexity and diversity of entrepreneurship, and manage others in turning new ideas into new forms of organisation. OIE builds your problem-solving skills to create economic and social value in an ever-changing global economy.
OIE focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation processes at the societal, organisational, and individual levels. It addresses challenges associated with moving from an industrial to a postindustrial era when new ideas and organisational forms are needed. OIE provides you with a set of capabilities required to meet these challenges by offering experiences to design and test viable business models, products, services, and new modes of organisation; develop sustainable innovations; identify and manage resources; and involve others in collaborative efforts.
Entrepreneurship and innovation take an equal role in OIE. We are interested in organisations that bring novel products and services to market or reinvent how business is being done in an existing industry. We are not interested in the countless “me-too” startups imitating existing business practices or reverse engineering products and services that others have introduced.
Entrepreneurial thinking is relevant for start-up companies and early ventures as well as for established organisations engaging in processes of serial innovation and creativity. OIE looks at the larger forces at play in these diverse contexts for entrepreneurship.
During the programme, you have various opportunities to create your own academic profile. OIE students often chose Social Entrepreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Finance, Networked Businesses, Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, among other focus areas.
Electives
On the 3rd semester, you can choose to study courses of your specific interest. CBS offers a large number of electives within a wide range of topics. You can also choose to take electives at other Danish universities. The electives you choose have to be relevant for your programme.
See the current selection of CBS electives on Single courses and electives - Master
Minor
On the 3rd semester, you can also choose to study a so-called minor. A minor is a package of electives within a specific academic area. Typically, it consists of 3 courses. By taking a minor, you strengthen your competences within a specific area of interest, and you can use it to qualify for specific jobs or industries.
See the current selection of CBS minors on Minors
Exchange
Many students choose to go on exchange on their 3rd semester; usually at one of CBS’ more than 300 partner universities. When you go on exchange through CBS, you do not have to pay for the teaching at the foreign university (with a few exceptions), and you can bring your SU (student grant).
Find a list of all CBS partner universities here
Academic internship
You can choose to replace some of your electives with a so-called academic internship. The academic internship consists of an internship period at a company, which is then completed with a project report. You can do the internship at a company in Denmark or abroad.
When doing an internship you get the opportunity to relate theory to practice and reflect on the academic training you receive at CBS in a practical setting. Therefore, the project report and work assignments during your internship have to be relevant to your study programme.
Master's thesis
Your 2nd year is completed with a master's thesis. You choose the topic you want to write about, which allows you to focus on a specific topic of your interest. Typically, you write your master's thesis with a fellow student.
Critical thinking
To succeed in OIE, you need to be able to think critically, see what is important in a problem or case and use your knowledge for crafting creative solutions.
Communication and curiosity
You will also need to be an effective communicator, willing and able to take part in the collective learning processes, sharing your opinions and defending them with relevant arguments as well as writing clearly and convincingly. A healthy dose of curiosity and a willingness to question common sense will serve you well.
Studying in English
If you do not have a bachelor’s degree taught in English, we recommend that you read more about what to consider before applying for an English taught programme.
Read more about Teaching and literature in English on Teaching and working methods.
Diverse student population
OIE has a very diverse student populations with many international students of different academic backgrounds. This contributes to a creative and dynamic learning environment.
As a member of the OIE community, you will be exposed to a variety of points of view. This prepares you for a business career in diverse environments and is highly appreciated by OIE students. The students regularly rank OIE’s social environment high.
Student life at CBS
Studying at CBS is much more than just preparing for and going to classes.
At CBS, there are more than 20,000 students with different backgrounds and nationalities. Teamwork is an essential part of studying at CBS both in classes and in extracurricular activities.
With more than 100 student organisations, you also have plenty of opportunities to engage and connect with students across programmes and classes.
Learn more about the vibrant student life at CBS, the student organisations, and the international environment on Student life
For internationals
If you are an international student, we have gathered a lot of information about what it is like to be an international student at CBS and how you can prepare for life in Denmark.
Read more on For internationals
Teaching
You will meet a mix of different types of teaching, such as lectures, case discussions, practical exercises and simulation games.
The OIE core curriculum consists of two types of courses: lecture and studio courses. In each quarter, you will have one of each to combine business relevant analytical discussions with practical applications.
- Lecture courses: are taught according to the case study method and train you in analysing data, taking business-relevant decisions in context, and using tools and analytical frameworks for informed decision-making. The lecture courses are based on a mix of lectures, exercises and Harvard Business School case study discussions.
OIE faculty has been trained in case-study teaching at the most prestigious educational institutions and many of your teachers have developed and published cases themselves. Both the interactive learning environment and the real-life business cases are a motivating factor for our students.
- Studio courses: engage you in experimental learning processes and lead you to take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to real business situations. Based on new teaching methods, including simulations, games, team-based exercises and video creation, these experiences give you the chance to practice entrepreneurial decision making and probe your solutions actively in a hands-on experimental environment. You will gain leadership practice and confidence through the studio learning experience.
All studio courses take place in the so-called studio@CBS, a specialised training facility, and they are as a rule activity-based. In your studio classes you experience real life entrepreneurial and organizational dilemmas and create solutions for them. You will also deliver practical results: a small but viable product or service, a business plan, an improvement to a social entrepreneurship problem, a pitching video or a leadership simulation. The studio pedagogy is designed to build your leadership confidence, including encouraging you to co-create your learning environment. Each year, students organize a number of activities, such as company visits, studio workshops with industry experts, and training sessions. Your suggestions for activities are always welcome.
Together, the studio courses follow a life cycle model of the organi0sation. They explore turning innovative ideas into prototypes, business models and organisations, as well as growing and managing these organisations successfully, to eventually considering exit options and opportunities for serial entrepreneurship.
The curriculum encourages you to take a developmental perspective and better understand the specific challenges at different points during the life cycle. Through self-reflection of the entire entrepreneurial process, students continuously consider the social impact of business and the relevance of social sciences for entrepreneurship and innovation.
The parallel lecture courses give four different and complementary perspectives on the phenomenon of entrepreneurship and organisational innovation. They consider the importance of:
- context for being innovative and entrepreneurial
- different forms of strategic management
- design-thinking in growing creative and innovative organisations
- the social impact of entrepreneurship.
Read more on Teaching and working methods
Exams
At CBS each course is concluded with an examination. This means that you will have exams after each quarter. OIE uses a mix of different exam types: written projects, activity-based studio deliverables, 48h take-home assignments, 4h written exams or oral examinations.
Exams generally aim at letting you demonstrate knowledge and skills that will be relevant to your future career.
Read more on Exams at CBS
Time consumption
You should know that it is demanding to study in a graduate programme, and both the curriculum and workload is significantly higher than at bachelor level.
If you are studying on a full-time graduate programme, you should expect spending approximately 37 hours on average on your studies each week. The workload will vary during the year.
The time leading up to assignment submissions and exams can be hectic, and you can easily work more than 40 hours a week in this period. Preparing for oral exams can be especially time consuming, because you have to be able to explain and discuss the covered concepts and theories and learn things by heart.
Read more on Teaching and working methods
Student job
Most programmes are quite flexible in terms of combining studies with a student job. Most students work a maximum of 15 hours a week in order to have sufficient time for their studies.
Studying in Denmark - for internationals
If this is your first time studying in Denmark, you may find teaching and exam formats, the grading scale and the academic calendar very different from what you are used to.
Read about everything you need to know as an international student studying at CBS on For internationals > Academic information
What gets you the job?
In OIE you will develop entrepreneurial, managerial, and leadership skills. You learn how to advance ideas, and turn innovative plans and models into viable lasting organisations.
You also develop your social skills, such as working in teams, communicating with partners, solving problems and taking initiative.
If you are interested in involving yourself with a start-up, OIE will provide you with useful competencies. If you want to use entrepreneurship as a way to change society and build capacity for new/better solutions, OIE’s holistic approach provides a good basis for such ambitions. If you are planning a career in innovation management, OIE will provide you with the competencies needed. Innovating in the context of a large, established company means that you will have to tackle the challenges and excitements of corporate entrepreneurship. Most large companies today go to great lengths to foster entrepreneurship within the organization, and OIE students are well trained to support these initiatives.
Career opportunities
The interdisciplinary nature of this program allows you to qualify for many different careers, which you should reflect in your second year specialisation. Some students have launched their own businesses; others have joined OIE partner companies after having completed internships or having cooperated with them in master thesis projects. Apart from working as entrepreneurs, OIE students work as project managers in innovation and organisation development departments, innovation analysts, product or service portfolio managers, business development managers and similar types of positions that require strong cross-disciplinary business skills.
Competence profile
In the competence profile you can read more about the purpose of the programme and the competencies you achieve in the programme:
Competence profile for OIE
You can also follow MScOIE on our Social Media Channels and alumni website:
