A formal qualification in Social Enterprise will help to further your career, your work and your organisation’s contribution to society. The MSc focuses on things that matter to social enterprises: delivering excellent services and high social value, building and maintaining stakeholder support, securing investment, and measuring and communicating success. These are set in the wider context in which social enterprises operate, including political, market and community contexts. The MSc in Social Enterprise is a new and exciting course aimed at professionals working within social enterprises, advisors, officials, development officers and sector representatives and those wishing to develop a career or an interest in social enterprise. The goal of the course is to support the vitality of the sector, provide advanced expertise and equip the sector to meet the challenges of innovation and sustainability. The course offers opportunities to gain specialised expertise in key sectors such as health, social care, housing, education, sport, culture and the environment, or in key functional areas such as finance, HRM, marketing, public relations or operational management. The in-built flexibility of the course means that these aspects can be tailored to the needs of each individual student. Prior learning and experience will be fully assessed and accredited. The course culminates with a supported project to conduct research and development within the social enterprise sector.

The University contributes to the development of a healthy system for social enterprise in Scotland and beyond, upskilling the workforce and providing a base for the presentation and dissemination of research evidence. These courses provide an opportunity for talented professionals within the social enterprise sector to gain formal qualifications that reflect their contribution to social life. Social entrepreneurs often need to be able to compete for contracts and commissions with other agencies. A goal of this high qualitycourse is to provide the ability for individual social enterprises to compete effectively and match the credentials of their private sector competitors. The content of these courses is aimed at improving the functionality of social enterprises to deliver excellent services and high social value, build and maintain stakeholder support, secure investment, and measure and communicate their success. This MSc allows social entrepreneurs to understand more clearly how added value can be driven by integrating these tasks more effectively. This is particularly important where social entrepreneurs may have to fulfil more than one strategic role in their organisation. For students setting out on the path to a career in social enterprise, this course provides an important grounding in the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to succeed in the sector. Linked to the practical understanding of cuting-edge new developments in the sector through participation in Masterclasses and the Social Enterprise Laboratory, they will be fully prepared for the road ahead.