My Executive MBA experience - Entrepreneurship Specialism

Executive MBA participant, Archana Dhankar, gives us an insight into the MBA entrepreneurship specialism, the specific modules included and what she has gained from studying the specialism.

Getting back to studying after a long stint as a professional sounded like a challenge. But the thought of taking the next step was exciting enough to overcome all the apprehensions and mental blocks that I had. Thankfully, I picked Warwick Business School (WBS) for pursuing the degree, for a variety of different reasons, including the wide variety of elective modules, flexibility to suit a busy professional life and most importantly, because of the great teaching faculty that WBS has. My experience on the Executive MBA at WBS was truly rewarding, both professionally and personally, and I am so glad to be able to share it with my classmates and prospective MBA students. I couldn’t have asked for more, with the multiple opportunities that Warwick opened up, from mentoring and careers support, to social activities, business lectures and expert talk sessions. 

Although a flexible programme, there was a lot of juggling to do between my study schedule, job responsibilities and personal life, but the knowledge and skills I was getting played an instrumental role in driving me ahead. And the fact that my peers were going through similar challenges but still emerging strong was a big inspiration. There is also a special mention for the teaching team that were helpful throughout and even extended assignment deadlines when I was in a fix. Now, as I look back at the amazing journey at WBS, I feel good about the learning it entailed.

My specialism was Entrepreneurship and I am happy that I chose this option because it will someday help me to achieve my entrepreneurial vision. The core subjects of the specialism included Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation. The entire experience was an eye-opener, helping me to understand the challenges, motivations and the journey of an entrepreneur. Furthermore, it allows you to recognise your strengths and how to build a venture considering the constraints and opportunities. Beyond just the practical aspects like finance, the course educated us about the vision, passion and belief that are such important aspects of entrepreneurship.

The Entrepreneurial Finance module, the other module I undertook as part of the specialisation, imparts training to the budding entrepreneurs on the funding side of the new venture creation i.e. how to get capital for creating a team and translating your idea into a reality. We had an option to pursue it in Warwick or San Francisco. Though delivering the same content, the Warwick module is more in a UK context while the San Francisco module also adds the Silicon Valley American experience. I chose the latter because it is the hub of start-ups and I wanted to understand how new brands start the journey from seed funding to venture capital to an IPO.

Beyond just honing my skills as a future entrepreneur, the course enabled me to connect and network, and I have found the networking part to be of immense value. The whole experience of living the student life once again made me feel nostalgic and I’m glad that I got to do it again. Now that I have completed the programme, I am actually putting the skills and know-how I gained into real-time action. 

I’m eagerly looking forward to a future reunion at Warwick!

Find out more about the Executive MBA