Business Development, 7.5 credits

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree equivalent to a Swedish Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits in health care, biomedicine, biology, cellular and molecular biology, pharmaceutics, chemistry, medicine or biotechnology. English language skills equivalent to English B at Swedish upper secondary school.

The course aims to give an understanding of the basics of business development in the life science industry, that is pharamceuticals, medical technology and biotechnology.

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:

Regarding knowledge and understanding

• explain the basics of business development and identify situations where an organisation may need to initiate business development initiatives,
• describe the essential elements for successful alliances between companies and external organisations active in the life science industry,

Regarding skills and ability

• apply basic methods of due diligence, valuing and business intelligence and competitor analysis,
• identify and analyse the processes that can lead to a deal,

Regarding judgement and approach

• critically assess and evaluate the ethical dimensions in business development.

The course deals with the following themes:

• Background to why business development as a concept emerged
• Methods for business intelligence and competitor analysis
• Due diligence of projects and companies
• Valuation of projects and companies
• Negotiation, decision-making and contract design
• Sources of funding for buiness development
• Different partnerships pros and cons and the factors influencing the outcome of partnerships

The course is at the master's level, where the students are assumed to be familiar with the most common study methods in higher education. The fundamental pedagogical view is based on entrepreneurial learning and requires an active student participation. The teaching consists of lectures, seminars case studies and assignments on group as well as individual levels.

The examination consists of

• a report from a group-project (Fail/Pass/Pass with Distinction) and the opposition on another groups report (Fail/Pass)
• an individual report (Fail/Pass/Pass with Distinction)
• a written examination (Fail/Pass/Pass with Distinction)

In order to pass the entire course all assignments need to get a pass. To get the grade Pass with Distinction on the entire course, you need to get a Pass with Disctinction on the written examination as well as the grade Pass with Distinction on at least one of the following examinations: report from group project or individual report.

Compulsory participation
Participation at seminars and presentations is compulsory. The course director assesses if and, in that case, how absence can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence in accordance with the course director's instructions, the student's results for respective part will not be registered in LADOK.

Limited number of examinations
Students who have not passed the regular examination are entitled to participate in five more examinations. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination or new admission is provided.

Participation in an examination is defined as an occasion on which a student attends an examination, even if the student submits a blank examination paper. If a student has registered to sit an examination, but does not attend the examination, this is not defined as participation in the examination.
 

After each course there will be at least six opportunities to sit the examination within a two-years period.
 

The course language is English.

A course evaluation will be conducted according to guidelines decided by the Board of Higher Education.

Oral evaluation in the form of course council meetings will be carried out during the course.