Extension Programme Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial thinking is a key skill for the future – even beyond traditional business studies.
This interdisciplinary programme is aimed at those who want to make a difference in their field: through new projects, sustainable innovations, or founding their own ventures. In hands-on workshops, personal reflection sessions, and real-world projects, you will learn to take responsibility, identify opportunities, and actively drive change. It combines business knowledge with creativity, methodological skills, and practical experience – for everyone who wants to create solutions where others only see problems.

Over the course of the programme, participants acquire key entrepreneurial skills that can be applied in a wide range of professional contexts:

• Development of an entrepreneurial mindset
• Identifying innovation potential and implementing it systematically
• Application of practical methods such as business modelling, pitching, and prototyping
• Reflection on one’s own role in innovation processes and team settings
• Hands-on experience through real-life projects, excursions, and collaborations with start-ups
• Gaining expertise in strategy, marketing, finance, and product development

The importance of practice-oriented learning:
In the extension programme, you put entrepreneurial thinking directly into practice. You will develop your own business ideas, build prototypes, and work on real innovation projects – for example, during innovation sprints, excursions to start-ups, or in collaboration with the InnCubator. In addition, you will take part in the unique Skinnovation start-up conference – held on skis in the Axamer Lizum. You will work on real business models, create prototypes, and reflect on your experiences in the context of current research. This structured, hands-on approach promotes independent thinking, creativity, and confident decision-making – all key competencies of entrepreneurial action.

The extension programme offers a solid foundation for students who wish to work professionally at the intersection of innovation, business, and society:

• Entry into start-ups as a project manager, business developer, or team member in the early stages of a company
• Roles in innovation departments and positioning as an intrapreneur – a driving force for new ideas within established organisations
• A basis for future self-employment or freelance work in the field of innovation consulting

The diploma and master's programmes that can be complemented by the extension programme in Entrepreneurship are listed in the curriculum (see below).

Yes, however, this requires an admission review by the admissions office.

At least 30 ECTS credits must have been completed in the degree programme to be supplemented.

Part-time study alongside employment is possible, provided your working hours allow you to attend the courses.
A study duration of four semesters is recommended.

From a formal legal perspective, it is possible to enrol in the extension programme in Entrepreneurship in the summer semester. However, we recommend starting in the winter semester, as the intended course structure is designed accordingly.