Become a Social Entrepreneur. Turn social problems into opportunities and establish a viable social enterprise to initiate change.

4.7

stars

283 ratings

Kai Hockerts

16,929 already enrolled

Offered By

Social Entrepreneurship SpecializationCopenhagen Business School

Skills you will gain

Income
Business Plan
Investor
Social Entrepreneurship
Asset
Project

About this Specialization

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In this specialization you will learn how to create societal impact through Social Entrepreneurship. Social Entrepreneurship describes the discovery and sustainable exploitation of opportunities to create social change. We will introduce you to examples of Social Entrepreneurship and guide you through the process of establishing a venture to address a social or environment problem. You will form of team and study a problematic issue to learn more about the source of the problem. We will equip you with frameworks identifying opportunities, support your team, and outlining your idea. You will develop your idea and iterate on your business model throughout the Specialization, and conclude with completing a business plan.

Applied Learning Project

Entrepreneurship is not about a single genius doing magic, but about a group of people who combine forces, take action and initiate change. Throughout the 3 courses learners will be encouraged to work in teams and form a social venture. They are asked to reach out to people who share similar thoughts and concerns about a particular topic to eventually form a team. This team will focus on a very specific issue and do research to examine the source of the problem. Results will be used to identify an opportunity to address this problem. Gradually a business model will be developed. Learners will choose an organizational form, devise an appropriate financial structure and start to create a business plan. Measuring social impact and selecting the right strategy to scale will define success. Whether a team sticks to the very same members and project throughout all 3 courses will depend on the individual learners. Changing topics or switching teams is possible anytime.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

No prior experience required.

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, Spanish

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

No prior experience required.

Approximately 4 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, Spanish

How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 3 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Identifying Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities

4.6

stars

288 ratings

This Course will clarify the definition and meaning of Social Entrepreneurship and will focus on the need to learn about the source and root of a social problem. You will be introduced to different perspectives about Social Entrepreneurship and you will learn about complementary and opportunistic assets which will help you to detect an opportunity and develop an idea of how to create a business for social change.

Course2

Course 2

Social Business Model and Planning for Social Innovation

4.7

stars

104 ratings

In this course we will take the social business opportunity that you have identified in the first course to a higher level. Specifically, you will develop a business model using the Business Model Canvas. Gradually you will also start writing your business plan. Moreover, you will be able to assess different organizational forms and select the one that is appropriate for your developed business model. By the end of the course you will be able to compare different social impact investment methods and choose the right funding strategy for your social venture.

Course3

Course 3

Unleashing the Impact of your Social Enterprise

4.7

stars

68 ratings

In Course 3 of this Specialization you will first of all learn about Social Impact Assessment. Hence you will be able to develop a method to evaluate the social mission that you achieve while implementing your business plan. Next you will outline an appropriate communication strategy for your social enterprise and will demonstrate how to market your products and services to beneficiaries and other customers. Here you will employ an adaptable communication strategy as you move from early adopters to a broader market share.

Furthermore you will determine growth strategies and how you can scale or replicate your business plan internationally in order to reach a larger number of beneficiaries. In particular you will discuss organic growth, social franchising, and an open source approach. Finally, you will evaluate exit strategies. Thus you will review options social enterprises have when they need to finance their growth but the original funders can not or do not want to finance the expansion. Course 3 will be completed by your Capstone project, which will ask you to submit the final business plan of your social venture. Note: It is highly recommended to have completed Course 1 & 2 of the Social Entrepreneurship Specialization before starting this Course!

Instructor

Kai Hockerts

Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility

30,737 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

Copenhagen Business School

Centrally located in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen Business School (CBS) is one of the largest business schools in Europe with close to 23,000 students. CBS offers world-class research-based degree programs at undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels as well as executive and other post experience programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
The Specialization is composed of 3 courses and each course takes about 5 weeks to complete. Hence about 18 weeks are needed to finish the whole Specialization, if you want to take all courses in a row. However each course starts every 6 weeks, so you can freely choose when to take a course.
What background knowledge is necessary?
You do not need any specific background knowledge. The only thing you need is special interest, extraordinary passion and an enthusiastic motivation to start a social venture.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
Yes, the courses are structured by chronological order. Each course builds on the acquired knowledge form the previous learning outcomes. If you have a certain experience in the field of entrepreneurship and/or social enterprises you might be able to step in course 2 or 3 right away. However, there is highly valuable feedback and advice from experts, researchers and practitioners in all courses that you should not miss out.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
You will be either a founding member of a social entrepreneurship startup venture or ready to work as an employee of an existing social venture. You can also choose to become a board member or mentor for social entrepreneurship in your community or start interacting with Social Entrepreneurship in the public sector.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Social Entrepreneurship Specialization

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project