Jordan
Elphick

When I first applied for this degree it was not to gain an academic degree, but more so, to develop my business.  I completed my BA in Criminology here at Nottingham Trent University and loved it, I love the city, I love the campus and everything is so close and compact. I also play at the rugby league so I wanted to keep playing for the Trent Rugby league team. The scholarship was an attractive extra as well so I applied for it and was successful.

Nottingham Business School and Degree Content

My main reason for choosing this degree was because I wanted to learn how to run my business properly after seeing that it had potential to be more professional. I knew that MSc Entrepreneurship was the right course for me as it would allow me gain transferable skills which I could take away and put in to practice with my own business.

This programme really stood out to me because of the pitching event that takes place towards the end of the degree. Students get the opportunity to pitch to investors which could potentially result in an investment in to their proposed business ideas. I also appreciated the fact that the degree was geared towards providing more practical skills as opposed to a traditional masters degree where coursework is more general.

I feel that my masters degree will give me a competitive edge in my line of business. Many people do what I do as a hobby which means they don't have very much business knowledge. I feel that with the knowledge gained through studying for my MSc degree in entrepreneurship it will allow me to put theory in practice.

Postgraduate Community

The postgraduate community is great! The staff are really good. In our class we all help each other and suggest different ideas. We’re a class of 15 students and its pretty multicultural. You get to meet people from different backgrounds and people at different stages of their careers who already have family businesses which makes you see things from a different perspective. We support each other’s business ideas, and we help each other find suppliers etc. It’s a very creative environment and highly motivating as we discuss ideas and build upon them together. My tutors are also very helpful, I can contact them regarding my business issues and they're always happy to help.

Skills Development

My analytical skills and critical thinking skills have really developed and I can put them in to context with my business. For example, I'm able to analyse the costing of my merchandise, and then apply a long term strategy to my pricing which is something I learned through my degree The Hive has also helped with my development as they provide a service to support NTU student start-up businesses which is great. As part of my course I also have access to many resources such as business reports which cost thousands of pounds and the Financial Times which all help with my business development and learning.