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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Mathematics : Mathematics

Undergraduate Course: Entrepreneurship in the Mathematical Sciences (MATH10099)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Mathematics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThe applications of mathematics and statistics to business and industry are widespread and pivotal. This course details a range of case studies in which our discipline has made a significant contribution to real-world applications, and introduces the skills required to develop entrepreneurial ideas into a successful business. The course culminates with teams of students presenting their own business ideas, which are derived from the context of the mathematical sciences.
Course description This course will introduce the key steps that lead from an entrepreneurial idea to the development of a business, including the safeguarding of business ideas, the implementation and execution of the idea, market research, customer validation, and pitching the idea to clients or investors. Students will also be introduced to practical examples of mathematical techniques and concepts that have made a clear contribution to the world of business and industry. The course will be assessed through three pieces of coursework: a technical essay detailing the mathematics behind one of the industry case studies; a report analysing a particular industry that has arisen from the mathematical sciences (including a description of the customer base, future business scenarios, brainstorming of business ideas, and so on); and a group pitch of a new business idea relating to the mathematical sciences, developed by the students. Alongside the mathematical material, the course will provide a range of valuable business skills which will be applicable to any future career in commerce or industry.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students to have passed at least 40 credits of Level 10 School of Mathematics courses
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  41
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 12, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 6, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 70 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework: 100%
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of ideas relating to entrepreneurship, and of case studies where mathematics and statistics have contributed to business and industry
  2. Produce a scientific outline of a mathematical application in industry
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of and facility with techniques for idea generation, safeguarding business ideas, implementation and execution of business ideas, customer validation, and feasibility studies for business
  4. Develop entrepreneurial ideas relating to the mathematical sciences
  5. Construct and deliver a business pitch in a group, leading to enhanced skills in teamwork, enhanced presentation skills, and a greater appreciation of real-world mathematical applications
Reading List
Francis Greene, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, forthcoming, Palgrave.

Avner Friedman and Walter Littman, Industrial Mathematics: A Course in Solving Real-World Problems, SIAM, 1994.

Glenn Fulford and Philip Broadbridge, Industrial Mathematics: Case Studies in the Diffusion of Heat and Matter, Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsEMS,Entrepreneurship,Mathematics for Industry
Contacts
Course organiserDr John Pearson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5049
Email: J.Pearson@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Alison Fairgrieve
Tel: (0131 6)50 5045
Email: Alison.Fairgrieve@ed.ac.uk
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