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Multidisciplinary major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship will help you turn your ideas into impact

1 November 2021
Develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset
Offering a range of study pathways to suit different degrees, passions and career goals, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major will give you the skills to lead innovation and disrupt with purpose.

Why study the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major?

It is widely understood that entrepreneurialism and creative thinking skills are crucial to success in the careers of the future. For example, "analytical thinking and innovation" have been identified as the top skills required for jobs in 2025 by the World Economic Forum.

With flexible multidisciplinary pathways and a focus on solving contemporary global challenges, our Innovation and Entrepreneurship major will develop you into a creative and entrepreneurial leader who can succeed in almost any industry, whether you're driving innovation projects in large organisations or building your own startup or social venture.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship major is groundbreaking in its scope. You'll work with students from across the university to creatively solve real-world problems in units of study from six faculties and university schools, while developing the skills to launch your own new ventures or become a champion for innovation in larger private, public or not-for-profit organisations.
Professor Steven Maguire, Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

What will I learn in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major?

Multiple distinct pathways

You'll learn through experiential, project-based opportunities alongside students in disciplines from across the university. A broad range of subjects allows you to tailor your studies to your passion and purpose, with multiple innovation and entrepreneurship pathways through the major, including:

  • Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Cultural and Arts Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainability-Focused Innovation and Entrepreneurship

A wide range of subject areas

Truly multidisciplinary, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major draws units of study from Business; Arts and Social Sciences; Engineering; Science; Architecture, Design and Planning; and Music.

You can choose to apply your learning in a range of areas including building new ventures and launching start-ups, design thinking for new product or service development, social and technological innovation for sustainability, music festivals and arts event management, and digital games - to name but a few.

Example units of study:

  • Design Thinking
  • Design for Innovation
  • Digital Arts
  • Digital Business Management
  • Games and Play
  • Global Social Problems
  • Management of Technological Innovation and Change
  • Managing Organisational Sustainability
  • Music Business Skills
  • New Products Marketing
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainable Innovation

Real-world experience

In the capstone unit at the end of your major, you'll work on a real-life project to match your career goals, such as an innovation project inside a traditional organisation, a live challenge confronting a University of Sydney-based startup, or working on your own budding startup.

Professor Steven Maguire introduces the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major

What career opportunities can the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major lead to?

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship major will prepare you for entrepreneurial leadership in almost any sector. You will learn to apply innovation skills to areas ranging from global social problems to cleaner technologies and digital games.

Whether you'd like to lead innovation and transformation projects in large private, public or not-for-profit organisations, or build new for-profit or social ventures, this major will give you the skills to succeed.

Possible career trajectories include:

  • Entrepreneur
  • Venture capital analyst
  • Business innovation consultant
  • Social entrepreneur
  • Social innovation consultant
  • Research and development manager
  • Incubator or accelerator manager

Who can study the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major?

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship major's flexible pathways ensure the skills and knowledge you gain will be directly relevant to your passion, purpose and planned career, whether it's in business, the arts, computing, science or design.

The major can be taken as a primary or secondary discipline by Business School students, or as a complement to another field of study for students in degree programs with access to the "shared pool" of majors.

Browse the list of University of Sydney degrees with access to the shared pool.

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