Professionally oriented

Full-time study

3 years

doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. Alena Kocmanová, Ph.D.
Councillor internal :
doc. Ing. Mgr. Karel Brychta, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Vít Chlebovský, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. Marie Jurová, CSc.
prof. Ing. Vojtěch Koráb, Dr., MBA
Ing. Jiří Kříž, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. et Ing. Stanislav Škapa, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D.
Councillor external :
Ing. Rostislav Tesař

The study's primary educational objective is to provide the graduates with the abilities necessary to run their own small businesses as well as to work at positions responsible for the development of activities related to the running of larger enterprises or other organisations.

In its conception of teaching the theoretical background and the form of gaining practical experience, the programme improves the graduates' interdisciplinary expertise and skills, thus developing their potential for being active in developing all the key functions of an enterprise and devising business models. Here, the principle of interdisciplinarity is seen as a combination of the economic and managerial views in business projects. From this point of view, the general social objective of the programme may defined as the development of the entrepreneurial expertise in the sense of the economic and social development of a country's economy and improved competitiveness both for individual businesses and at the economy as a whole.

The aim of the comprehensive development of entrepreneurial competencies offered by the programme is for the graduates to gain a deep understanding of the economic, managerial, and social contexts of entrepreneurial activity. In terms of the practical focus, the programme aims to provide the students with hands-on experience of entrepreneurship already during the study. The teaching methods are chosen with an aim to achieve a maximum efficiency of educational process developing the students' competencies by combining practical training with individual self-education and group learning.

The graduates of the profession-oriented Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Bachelor’s programme will be fully equipped for their own entrepreneurial activity not only as traders, but also the level of small and medium enterprises. They will be successful in performing the roles as the founders, owners, and managers of companies. They will be able to work in family enterprises as well as in all small and medium enterprises including start-up businesses. They will be able to apply the knowledge gained both to the business development of companies and to the management of such development. The graduates can also manage projects of small enterprises and business teams. They will also find jobs in large companies at positions steering comprehensive projects to develop and market products and services, to innovatively extend business activities. The graduates can work as managers responsible for the development and implementation of marketing and business activities of business entities and other organisations.

The graduates in the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development programme will have expertise and skills needed to launch and run business such as a trade or a small company. They can identify, create, and assess business opportunities in the environment of global market, knowing how to make an efficient use of them, including a suitable business plan. They can clearly define the global social and economic factors affecting entrepreneurial activities being capable of taking effective measures. They apply analytic approach to finding solutions to problems related to entrepreneurial activities.
In managing entrepreneurial activities, founding and running their own company, the graduates can apply procedures for raising and organizing all resources needed. They can devise a suitable business model. They know, understand, and set the management processes of newly founded or developing business entities They can design and apply approaches to safeguard entrepreneurial activities in a way corresponding to the current enterprise growth phase. They define the position of their own business in the market value system and in the social and economic context of the business environment.

The graduates have experience and skills gained through their own entrepreneurial activities being experienced in applying theoretical concepts and knowledge in the real business environment. The graduates' competencies are based on team work and on cooperation of the team and enterprise with customers, suppliers, competitors, business partners, and other external interest groups.
The knowledge, skills, and competencies gained by the graduates with this profile can be divided into three groups – expert knowledge, expert skills, and general competencies. For specialised knowledge and skills, detailed fields are specified to by the below outcomes.

Expert knowledge
• Economic theory and theoretical background:
o graduates gain theoretical and conceptual knowledge needed to identify and analyze entrepreneurial problems in the context of a global market and market economy, clearly understanding the role of business activities and business entities in a globalised market economy along with their social and economic importance, they understand the mathematical tools and their importance for analyzing the needs of entrepreneurial activities, are aware of the role of macroeconomic figures and their impact on entrepreneurial activities.
• Business administration, finance, accounting, and taxes:
o graduates can define and critically evaluate economic categories, understand elements of corporate financial management affecting entrepreneurial entities, clearly understand and define business accounting and tax aspects.
• Entrepreneurship:
o graduates define economic, financial, and legal framework of the conduct of business, know how to define the functions needed for the management and development of a business entity and how to ensure activities of entrepreneurial nature, define input variants to entrepreneurial activity explaining their specific features, define the factors of business environment affecting the activity of an enterprise, and define the principles of the development of a business entity relations with the stakeholders in every phase of enterprise development, define the structure of a business plan and approaches to its creation, define approaches to an evaluation of enterprise business potential and of business projects.
• Management and leadership:
o graduates define and critically evaluate managerial approaches and principles to developing entrepreneurial activities, define methods and procedures used in key managerial positions to ensure the development of entrepreneurial activities.
• Business marketing, and communication:
o graduates define marketing approaches in the level of medium and small enterprises, methods of improving enterprise communication, approaches to the improvement of services as products, approaches to brand development at small and medium companies.
• Presentation and communication techniques:
o graduates can describe and understand communication and presentation techniques using them to promote a company and its plans, are acquainted with approaches to communication within a team, clearly defining the role of communication with the stakeholders and the suitable tools of personal and virtual communication.
• Knowledge of English:
excellent knowledge of the English terminology on business management and administration with focus on the activities of an entrepreneurial entity.

Expert skills
• Economic theory and theoretical background:
o graduates can apply comprehensive economic and theoretical knowledge at the level of activities by entrepreneurial entities, identifying the current economic values as viewed by an entrepreneurial entity, using mathematical methods to analyse the relevant areas;
• Business administration, finance, accounting, and taxes:
o graduates apply knowledge of business administration, accounting, and taxes to ensure the standard running of a small business;
• Entrepreneurship:
o graduates can identify business opportunities, evaluate the enterprise development potential, cooperation with partners and investors, both in a domestic market and on an international scale, employ procedures for innovating and marketing both products and services, use creative and innovative business approaches based on a critical assessment of opportunities taking into account possible risks of the domestic and international markets, are familiar with legal regulations at a level necessary for starting and developing a business, set up and implement a business plan, define a business model and its practical implementation, manage the development of business activities at all stages of enterprise development.
• Management and leadership:
o graduates can fully assess the potential development of the strategic competitiveness of companies and organizations proposing strategic variants of taking business opportunities, based on a critical appraisal of the market situation, they can formulate objectives and well-founded methods of problem solving, devise actions and strategic plans to implement activities of the enterprise. They create and develop teams for dealing with comprehensive projects and business plans, efficiently employing teamwork and applying principles of management and leadership both at enterprise level and on an international scale, select suitable instruments for the support of business activities, apply managerial principles in the global and multi-cultural business environment, being able to judge and define methods to enhance competitiveness;
• Business marketing, and communication:
o graduates apply marketing tools for assessing market and business opportunities, conduct market enquiries using quantitative and qualitative methods, interpret the results of the enquiries by suitable analyses designed for sizing up the situation in a global market environment, implement activities towards better enterprise communication, design comprehensive products and services, use the brand development techniques for better products and services.
• Presentation and communication techniques:
o graduates can communicate in the role of a small business owner and manager, communicating in teams during work on comprehensive projects, present a business plan to various interest groups, while negotiating they can choose suitable methods for settling conflicts, clearly presenting their attitudes during internal and external communication, formulating and presenting the essence of the problems faced, being familiar with online communication tools in business practice.
• Language skills:
o graduates can work with English text both at a general and special level, being able to communicate in writing and verbally in formal and informal situations;

General competencies
• Assessment of the development of business environment in a broader economic context and evaluation of the impact on business and society.
• Understanding the role of business activities both at the level of an enterprise and economy as a whole along with their importance for society.
• Comprehensive systematic approach to solving problems based on a critical analysis with a view of a feasible solution and its implementation.
• Self-reliance and creativity in dealing with complex business and managerial problems
• Carrying out of project-oriented activities with emphasis on maximal efficiency and assessment of critical points and contributions of a project.

Language skills form a specific group of competencies. As the degree programme is offered in English, English textbooks and other study materials are written in English. Special attention is paid to the specific features of the programme, that is, doing business in the conditions of the Czech Republic and, along with the Czech legal regulations, the proficiency is required as well of the corresponding English terminology. Language skills are particularly developed in the following areas:
• knowledge: specialized English vocabulary;
• skills: good reading and writing proficiency of specialized English text, fluent communication in English;
• competencies: preparing and conducting meetings and negotiations in English, making presentations in English.

Students completing the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development programme are well prepared to conduct business as traders and at small and medium enterprises. They can play the role of a founder, owner, and manager of a company. They can find jobs in family businesses as well as in all small and medium business units, including start-up businesses. They can participate in the business development of enterprises as well as in the management of such development. They will find good opportunities in the environment of big companies in positions responsible for comprehensive projects developing and marketing products and services, innovative enhancement of business activities of a big company. They can also be employed as persons responsible for the development and implementation of marketing and business activities of entrepreneurial entities and other organizations.

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development is a three-year Bachelor's degree programme divided into two semesters, each followed by an examination period. In terms of the study structure and specialisation, the programme courses are divided into four groups:
- Entrepreneurship
- Market Strategy
- Management and Economics of Company
- Final Thesis

This type of curricula organisation and the structure of the basic theoretical and required subjects of the profile base are instrumental in getting the correct understanding of the interrelations between the disciplines, which will have a positive impact on the graduates’ knowledge and skills.

The Entrepreneurship groups includes the subjects Principles of Entrepreneurship, Business Competence Development, Business Idea Development, Law in Entrepreneurship, Accounting and Taxes, Business Development Assessment, Entrepreneurial Practice 1, Entrepreneurial Practice 2, Entrepreneurial Practice 3, and Entrepreneurial Practice 4. By their conception and focus as parts of the Entrepreneurial Practice 1 to 4 courses, the professional experience stays are logically very important for understanding the basic issues of entrepreneurship and getting the necessary practical skills and experience.

The Marketing Strategy group includes the subjects Marketing, Market Economy, Mathematics, Applied Analytical Statistics, Market Research, Competitiveness and Communication of Small Company, Service Management, Digital Marketing and Social Media, and Trade and Sales Promotion. These subjects combined bring a deep theoretical and practical knowledge of fields related to the strategic development of a small business at all stages of its evolvement. Such combination also enables a better understanding of the advantages of quantitative and qualitative approaches, improving analytical abilities.

The Management and Economics of Company group includes the subjects Management, Economics of Company, Financial Management of Small Company, Project Management, Human Resources Management in Small Company, and Information System of Small Company. A major importance of this subject combination may be seen in the comprehensive knowledge of the company management principles in the context of the marketing, economic, financial, and legal relationships. Such knowledge is instrumental in developing the graduates’ own business activities providing professional business experience already during the study.

The last Final Thesis group includes the Final Thesis Seminar 1 and Final Thesis Seminar 2. In these courses, students create and work on their own projects on announced topics.

The basic theoretical subjects of the profile basis include Market Economy, Management, Economics of Company, Mathematics, and Applied Analytical Statistics with others subjects being the required subjects of the profile basis. The degree programme does not include required optional of optional subjects. The teaching focus along with the scope of professional experience gained provide sufficient flexibility for the graduates to develop their professional expertise.

Graduates in the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Bachelor’s programme can continue their studies in Master’s programmes offered at the BUT Faculty of Business and Management.