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TechInnovation (MSc)

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Course Overview

This MSc in TechInnovation (Distance Education) course is a one-year full-time entrepreneurship development programme that aims to fill the gap in terms of entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship/innovation skills identified by small and large companies focused on exploring the commercial potential of solutions to identified industry needs across a wide range of domains. The aim of this course is to teach people how identify commercial needs, respond to the need in the form of a high level solution, test the viability of that solution, develop a commercial repose and create a company or a new business unit within an existing company, with a particular focus on innovation-driven enterprises that can scale up. We have chosen the successful "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" 24-step process from MIT as the basis for our approach. The course will include working through issues of market analysis, technology viability assessment, competitive positioning, team building, product lifecycle planning, marketing strategy, sales channel analysis, and with a strong emphasis on the entrepreneur/intrapreneur as a salesperson. Business plans will be developed based on the 24 steps, and will include an executive summary, vision and values, market analysis/segmentation and competition, a product and manufacturing plan, a sales plan, a financial plan, and a marketing plan.

Scholarships available
Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.

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You may also be interested in one of our other Entrepreneurship and Innovation postgraduate programmes.

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System. Qualifying applicants will also be expected to attend an interview.

Who Teaches this Course

Professor W. Bernard Carlson

E: walterbernard.carlson@universityofgalway.ie

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Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Applicants should normally hold a qualification from a university or other internationally recognised academic institution or authority, corresponding to Level 8 of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), to a minimum standard of Second Class Honours (or equivalent). It is expected that successful applicants will come from a variety of academic disciplines.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

1 year, full-time

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

20

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Please view the offer rounds website.

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

90

Award

CAO

Course code

MSC-MTN

Course Outline

The following topics and will be covered in our taught modules and expanded with regard to a selected idea/innovation/need:

  • Introduction to innovation/needs finding
  • Primary market research and data triangulation
  • Problem areas and existing solutions
  • Area analysis and stakeholders
  • Weighing factors and filtering needs
  • Needs presentation by individual students and associated poster
  • Team formation on selected need
  • Needs brainstorming and introduction to product design
  • Organising and selecting concepts
  • Go-to-market basics
  • Legal affairs basics
  • Business models
  • Presentation on concept development overview
  • Research and development strategy
  • Exploration of prototyping facilities
  • Exploration of technology development
  • Intellectual property strategy
  • Financial modelling
  • Prototype evaluation design
  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Funding sources; venture capital and angel funding
  • Quality systems and assurance
  • Licensing and alternate pathways

In an Innovation Project, students will work in teams on identifying a real-world problem in a particular domain that requires an insightful technological solution, inventing and implementing the solution, demonstrating its validity and commercial viability (and iteratively improving the solution if necessary), and developing pitches for angel and venture capital funding to allow commercialisation (post-programme). Therefore, work should focus on the startup businesses themselves, the potential for licenses, Enterprise Ireland funding proposals, and business models ready for first-stage investment. Domain areas may include, although are not limited to, tourism, agriculture, marine, fintech, defence, manufacturing, environment, transport, logistics and retail.

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

RequiredEE5113: TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation


Semester 1 | Credits: 10

The course encompasses the entire process from identifying domain-specific needs, validating those needs, brainstorming, and concept creation for new technology products.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate awareness of the process for innovating technologies
  2. Demonstrate awareness of how to identify an important unmet domain need taking into consideration domain, scientific and market knowledge
  3. Demonstrate appreciation of concept generation and brainstorming
  4. Acquire significant experience of teamwork in a multidisciplinary setting
  5. Have utilised appropriate approaches to evaluate the concepts
  6. Be able to reflect on your experience
  7. Have completed a consulting report on your specific need
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781118692288.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  2. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781119365792.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  3. "Technology Entrepreneurship" by Natasha Evers,James Cunningham,T. Hoholm
    ISBN: 9781137020109.
    Publisher: Red Globe Press
  4. "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" by Steve Blank
    ISBN: 9780989200509.
  5. "Business Model Generation" by Alexander Osterwalder,Yves Pigneur
    ISBN: 9780470876411.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  6. "Founders at Work" by Jessica Livingston
    ISBN: 9781590597149.
    Publisher: Apress
  7. "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim,Renée Mauborgne
    ISBN: 9781591396192.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
  8. "Getting to Plan B" by John Walker Mullins,Randy Komisar
    ISBN: 9781422126691.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
The above information outlines module EE5113: "TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredEI5101: TechInnovate III: Innovation Project


Semester 1 and Semester 2 | Credits: 40

In this innovation project, students will work in teams on identifying a real-world problem in the chosen domain that requires an insightful technology solution, inventing and implementing the solution, demonstrating its validity and commercial viability, and developing pitches for angel and venture capital funding to allow commercialisation.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate awareness of the process for innovating technologies
  2. Demonstrate awareness of how to identify an important unmet domain need taking into consideration domain, scientific and market knowledge
  3. Demonstrate appreciation of concept generation and brainstorming
  4. Have utilised appropriate approaches to evaluate the concepts
  5. Demonstrate appreciation of legal affairs and go-to-market strategy
  6. Demonstrate appreciation of development of an operational business plan
  7. Have completed a project report on the implementation plan
  8. Acquire significant experience of team and project work in a multidisciplinary setting
  9. Be able to reflect on the experience
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Disciplined entrepreneurship" by Bill Aulet, Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management Managing Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship ; illustrated by Marius Ursache.
    ISBN: 9781118692288.
    Publisher: New York; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
  2. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781119365792.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
The above information outlines module EI5101: "TechInnovate III: Innovation Project" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredEI5102: TechInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation


12 months long | Credits: 30

The overall goal is for the student to display the knowledge and capability for independent research work on technology innovation at postgraduate level. The dissertation enables the student to acquire deeper knowledge, comprehension, abilities and perspectives needed for conducting and completing independent long-term research projects.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Identify and conceptualise a critical research problem and translate this into a well designed, applied and academic research project of investigation and understanding
  2. Plan and organise the different stages involved in designing and executing the research work (project management)
  3. Conduct a search and review of relevant literature for the project and devise research questions based on this review
  4. Describe any ethical implications of the research project where appropriate
  5. Demonstrate the ability to undertake data collection/collation and/or data processing mechanisms and procedures
  6. Implement research contributions using appropriate engineering or business methodologies and models
  7. Evaluate research work using quantitative and/or qualitative analyses as appropriate to the methodology employed for the project, including assessment and interpretation of the results
  8. Communicate and critically discuss in a scientific manner all new knowledge obtained including the research questions, methodologies employed, and results
Assessments
  • Research (100%)
Teachers
The above information outlines module EI5102: "TechInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

RequiredEE5114: TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation


Semester 2 | Credits: 10

The course focuses on concept selection, development of an intellectual property strategy, evaluation of legal and go-to-market strategy, financing, and operational planning.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate awareness of the process for innovating technologies
  2. Demonstrate awareness of how to develop a solution to a specified need taking advantage of the power of the creative group process and prototyping
  3. Demonstrate appreciation of legal affairs and intellectual property and go-to-market strategy
  4. Demonstrate appreciation of development of an operational business plan
  5. Acquire significant experience of teamwork in a multidisciplinary setting
  6. Have utilised appropriate approaches to transform the idea into a prototype
  7. Be able to reflect on your experience
  8. Have completed a consulting report on your role in the commercialisation process
Assessments
  • Continuous Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781118692288.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  2. "Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook" by Bill Aulet
    ISBN: 9781119365792.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  3. "Technology Entrepreneurship" by Natasha Evers,James Cunningham,T. Hoholm
    ISBN: 9781137020109.
    Publisher: Red Globe Press
  4. "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" by Steve Blank
    ISBN: 9780989200509.
  5. "Business Model Generation" by Alexander Osterwalder,Yves Pigneur
    ISBN: 9780470876411.
    Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  6. "Founders at Work" by Jessica Livingston
    ISBN: 9781590597149.
    Publisher: Apress
  7. "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim,Renée Mauborgne
    ISBN: 9781591396192.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
  8. "Getting to Plan B" by John Walker Mullins,Randy Komisar
    ISBN: 9781422126691.
    Publisher: Harvard Business Press
The above information outlines module EE5114: "TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation" and is valid from 2024 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

This course is suitable for those who have a business idea and wish to explore the full potential through a structured approach. It will help to guide students and increase their skills, to share best practices in entrepreneurship and to accelerate innovation maturation and transfer into business. It will ideally place students to fill the entrepreneurial need in the West of Ireland and equip graduates with the skills required to become integral members of innovation driven enterprises. Programme participants will have the benefit of an experienced team who will help them to meet their goals in terms of entrepreneurial and innovation skills acquisition.


Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€8,750 p.a. (€8,890 including levy) 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€8,750 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€28,000 p.a. (€28,140 including levy) 2025/26


For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees.

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2025/26).  You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa here. 

Find out More

Professor W Bernard Carlson
Programme Director,
Rooom 3030 TechInnovate,
Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
Alice Perry Engineering Building,
University of Galway.

E: walterbernard.carlson@universityofgalway.ie

 

 

Postgraduate Scholarships

Other postgraduate scholarships available