The ability to come up with novel services and products that intentionally address social problems is increasingly seen as a necessary core competence of organizations that want to strive in a resource-scarce and volatile environment. This module is devoted to the conceptual foundations of social innovation and provides principles and techniques of innovation management. Moreover, it looks at organizational models geared towards innovation and strategies for implementation.

In order to define how target groups, beneficiaries and potential customers can be addressed effectively, comprehensive data on their behavior is indispensable. Behavioral patterns, motivations, attitudes, preferences, etc have to be analyzed, based on socio-psychological theories and concepts that explain these patterns. Thus, this module focus on methods of empirical research that contribute to unveiling and addressing these patterns.

Designed as the kick-off of the program, it allows the participants to become acquainted with the program’s content and course, the faculty members, and their fellow students. Team building exercises will facilitate collaboration. Specifics of organizational behavior will be actively experienced in a management game. Students will collaborate on different management tasks and slip into a defined role. As part of this learning experience, we will reflect on work processes, goal achievement, fulfillment of specified roles, and individual learnings.

Digitalization is here to stay. These sessions introduce the intersections of digitalization and social innovation. The contribution of blockchain technology to social innovations will be discussed based on use-cases. Subsequently, we will explore issues such as open data and open government, digital democracy, and technical innovation in social service provision, in particular as regards their potential to address societal development.

Impact and its measurement are becoming ever more important for all kinds of organizations, especially for social ventures. This session explores what social impact is (and is not), why organizations should invest in building social impact measurement capacity, and how you can measure social impact effectively. Students will dive into concepts of impact measurement, such as theory of change, identification of target groups, attribution of outcomes, and methods for data gathering. We will illustrate these aspects by practices in evidence-based healthcare. Finally, lessons learnt are applied to students’ cases.

Social finance and impact investing promise to substantially increase funding opportunities for impact-driven organizations in terms of market development and accessible funds. These modules provide comprehensive insights into these topics and elaborate on relevant actors, approaches, instruments and models. Moreover, they offer space for reflection on the benefits of these concepts for participants and discuss potential desired but also undesired consequences of working with impact investors, social banks, and the likes. These modules will take place in the “Impact City” The Hague.

We introduce conceptual and theoretical foundations of economic and social policy: objectives, instruments, actors, and the various fields of social policy. We then dive deeper into social policy and discuss institutional choice, distinct welfare regimes and the welfare mix. Within the welfare mix, Civil Society Organizations play a crucial role. Hence, we also discuss so-called nonprofit regimes.

In recent years, many new types of actors have emerged at the intersections of markets, the public and the nonprofit sector. Social entrepreneurs are most prominent amongst them, applying the instruments of startups and the private sector for societal purpose. In this module, we scrutinize the meaning and different incarnations of social entrepreneurship in Europe will. We explore the new actors, tools, language and funding instruments as well as the limitations of the concept.

In this module, we invite participants to a conference. Researchers and practitioners will present most recent studies and state of the art insights on the various topics of social innovation and management. Students will actively contribute by slipping into the role of discussants, and by presenting the results of their master's theses.

Students will engage in experience-based learning, challenging individual approaches to tackle practical challenges. Likewise, we will reflect on the adaptability, usability and power of concepts, tools and methods. In this module, we aim to continuously push the study project forward. In four to five loops, students will get the opportunity to discuss their projects with expert coaches from practice and research. The focus will be on adopting and transferring the contents of the respective week to the study projects.

We offer case study sessions throughout the program. In these sessions, students get the opportunity to study real cases of social innovation on site and during field trips. These case studies facilitate interdisciplinary learning and move the learning experience beyond classroom knowledge exchange to analysis, evaluation, and application. Social innovators from various sectors and the ecosystem of social innovation will share their experiences with students and discuss the knowledge transfer.

These modules provide students with the opportunity for flexible specialization. They may focus the elective coursework on a particular topic related to social innovation or social management. There are two options available: to select from a provided list of potential elective modules, and/or to present a self-selected course from other providers on a subject that is of special interest (to be approved by the academic director). Thus, students may also facilitate their study project and master's thesis.

Getting your message across, pitching powerfully, writing incisive posts, negotiating effectively, making a good first impression: Communicating professionally is an essential precondition for establishing and maintaining successful relationships with stakeholders and partners. Organizational and individual communication patterns will be put to test in this module.

European integration has embraced an increasing number of societal fields in the last decades and put forward many opportunities to engage on a supranational level. Against this background, developing an understanding of these arenas becomes highly relevant. Building on this overview of the European framework, the skills for effective project development and grant writing will be addressed.

This module offers students space for in-depth, structured reflection on their own professional practice. The aim is to become aware (again) of one’s own coping strategies for operational and professional challenges, share them with others in order to critically reflect and expand management skills and leadership competencies. The reflective learning process is supported by a reflection-on-practice diary, four peer-reflection sessions, two facilitated group-coaching sessions and a final reflection account.

The Master in Social Innovation & Management is designed for professionals and leaders who want to expand their expertise in social innovation and drive practical change. This program is particularly suited for:

• Individuals in project and program management positions in non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and philanthropy.

• Entrepreneurs and employees in social start-ups who wish to broaden their knowledge and practical skills.

• People seeking a career in social innovation and looking to make a meaningful impact.

• Innovation managers who wish to update and deepen their knowledge.

• CSR managers in profit-oriented companies who want to expand their understanding of social responsibility and impact.

Upon successful completion of the Master's program Social Innovation & Management, graduates are awarded the academic degree Master of Science (Continuing Education)^WU, abbreviated MSc (CE)^WU. This degree is conferred by the renowned Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU).

Our selection process involves careful consideration of the following factors:

• High motivation for joining the program

• Enthusiasm for a challenging learning experience

• Clear understanding of personal contribution to team learning and the overall cohort experience

• Relevant skills and work experience

• Strong record of career progression

• Excellent interpersonal, intercultural, and communication skills

• Passion and commitment to achieve personal growth and success

• Diversity of the student group in terms of academic, professional, and cultural background

Applicants must meet the following formal requirements:

• Undergraduate degree (Bachelor 180 ECTS or equivalent) from a recognized post-secondary institution

• Minimum of 3 years of postgraduate work experience (2 years for the Master Accounting & Auditing and Master Sustainability, Entrepreneurship & Technology)

• Proficiency in written and spoken English or German (language of instruction)