This foundation unit provides an introduction to the essential concepts and frameworks relevant to the fields of strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship. Topics covered include the key elements of business strategy, including developing a business mission, understanding the external environment, reviewing internal resources and capabilities, and business and corporate strategy. The importance of entrepreneurial activity and the challenges faced by startup ventures, as well as examples of successful and unsuccessful business innovations, are highlighted. The emphasis of the unit is on understanding the strategic activity of both startup and established businesses with a focus on issues relevant to entrepreneurs as well as business managers.

This unit is designed to assist students to develop specialised knowledge and communicative skills in the context of entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability. Students complete a research project that explores the phenomena of strategy, sustainability and/or entrepreneurship in a context of their choice or as proposed by an academic. This research addresses a specific entrepreneurial problem or opportunity confronting business. For example, these research projects could relate to action research in a remote or rural enterprise, students' own enterprise, or future career. The unit is offered to students undertaking the Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Enterprise, as well as those in the Master of Commerce who successfully apply for special permission.

The special project in International Business provides students with an opportunity to undertake a supervised research project on an approved topic.

Being able to identify and exploit new business opportunities is critical to all sizes of businesses. Identifying new markets, developing new products and implementing new business models are highly-regarded and valuable skills for entrepreneurs and business managers alike. This unit is structured around learning from engaged practice in order to explore the special problems and opportunities associated with entrepreneurial start-ups. Students engage with start up and early stage businesses to deliver a plan to help them become profitable. Topics include opportunity recognition, strategy development, business model design, customer acquisition and retention, financial model development, as well as entrepreneurial and creative leadership.

Businesses are increasingly challenged for their sustainability. This unit centres on addressing significant business and societal challenges by balancing sustainability and innovation. Topics include current and future challenges of innovation and sustainability for business. This unit is structured around learning from seminar and practice. Students are required to work in a way which delivers sustainability.

Entrepreneurial business opportunities do not always relate to early-stage or start-up businesses. Later-stage business investments, whether buying existing businesses or turning around failing enterprises, are a significant and growing focus of entrepreneurial activity. This unit explores the process of acquiring and reinvigorating established businesses and how to secure private equity funds (leveraged buy-outs) or corporate funding. The focus is on opportunity evaluation, business model innovation, management and revitalisation rather than financial structuring. Students have the opportunity to apply the functional skills learned in core strategy, finance, marketing, and management units to real opportunities. As well as being of interest to those wishing to acquire and manage their own business, the unit is appropriate for those working in 'big' business and the financial markets.

Social entrepreneurs are committed to furthering a social mission through enterprises that rank social, environmental or cultural impact on a par with, or even above, profit. Intersecting the business and not-for profit worlds, social entrepreneurship addresses many complex local and global problems. This unit critically introduces the concept and develops frameworks for understanding social entrepreneurship (also referred to as social enterprise and social innovation). Teaching and learning utilises case studies, and includes the opportunity to apply theory to real-world experiences. Topics include creating innovative social enterprises, sustainable business models, philanthropy and funding, impact assessment, and leadership. The unit is structured around learning from engaged practice, and provides the opportunity to work with social enterprises.

This unit of study will be intensively taught off campus, enabling you to engage deeply with entrepreneurial contexts and opportunities. The unit will be offered in a variety of contexts but could include businesses in cities, towns or remote locations in Australia and Asia. You will work intensively with a business or community to resolve a particular problem, and apply entrepreneurial insights and actions to grow an existing or new enterprise. These problems could be addressed through commercial or social entrepreneurship, and will typically require that you engage with other fields such as architecture or engineering. The focus of the unit is learning with action, and acting with learning - you will cover topics that will ensure you appropriately understand the situation, as well as organisational resources, capabilities and vision. With this understanding you will be challenged to develop an entrepreneurial strategy and funding proposal that can be implemented by the enterprise.