Graduate entrepreneurship education in the United Kingdom

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the progress made by UK higher education institutions (HEIs) to deliver the enterprise education agenda. The key areas for research included the type, content and delivery methods of graduate enterprise education being offered in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was e-mailed to 123 HEIs in the UK, together with a brief introduction stating the purpose of the research. These were followed up by telephone calls to request responses.

Findings – The paper finds that provision of entrepreneurship education is varied, with both entrepreneurship and innovation courses on offer. Entrepreneurship education is most often offered at postgraduate level and on a part time basis. Overall, delivery methods proved to be more traditional than anticipated, with few instances of action learning or the use of technology to support learning. There were differences between pre- and post-1992 HEIs, and little attention was given to topic areas evident in relevant UK policy initiatives.

Research limitations/implications – Supports entrepreneurship education, key capacities need to be addressed within HEIs, at senior and other levels, so that graduate enterprise embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and delivers the expected results of governmental focus and intervention.

Originality/value – This is one of the first surveys to explore how enterprise education is delivered within UK HEIs.