Social Entrepreneurship pathway

The BYCL social entrepreneur pathway is the perfect option for anyone wishing to make an impact on social needs through entrepreneurship opportunities. You will develop self- and community leadership skills paired with key insights in marketing, management and social entrepreneurship. Following this pathway will allow you to reflect on UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals in relation to our local, national and international contexts. through internship opportunities, you can start building your own network with entrepreneurs from a range of successful businesses and initiatives.

Is this pathway for me?

Social entrepreneurs combine instincts, knowledge, dedication and a social conscience to develop innovative solutions to opportunities and problems.

This study pathway is for students who want to make change. You will have a natural curiosity, a strong work ethic and empathy for people from diverse backgrounds. Your studies will equip you with skills in leadership, communication, problem-solving and sustainability.

You will have the opportunity to initiate your own projects and connect with organisations and businesses. You will learn through combining practical opportunities with theoretical knowledge, preparing you for a diverse range of roles in the future.

What is social entrepreneurship?

Social enterprise is when an individual, group, organisation or business aims to make a social impact through commercialised strategies and actions. This could be encompassed in a variety of ways, including addressing a social issue with a business solution, sourcing ethical and sustainable resources, equal opportunity employment, or dedicating a proportion of profits into initiatives that improve individual lives and the community.

What makes this pathway so special?

• The BYCL Social Entrepreneurship pathway allows you to take courses across subject areas. This could include marketing, communications, education, management or innovation.
  
• You can join UC’s Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE) | Te Pokapū Rakahinonga, where you have opportunities to attend seminars and workshops, develop your ideas and gain experience. The UCE community of founders, mentors, experts and advisors fosters innovation and creativity where students are challenged in a supportive environment and are encouraged to take risks, explore new concepts, and make things happen.
• The BYCL degree is designed for the future of work. You will be equipped with transferable skills and disciplinary knowledge to thrive in rapidly changing employment contexts.
• You have the flexibility to build the degree you want! Along with a social entrepreneurship focus, you can develop a programme of study that can make you an exceptional candidate for any workplace with a unique set of skills and expertise. You could even start your own business or social enterprise.
• Join a dynamic group of students, intent on making positive change in their communities, locally, nationally and internationally.

What are the courses?

The BYCL is a 360-point degree, with at least 225 points at 200-level or above:

• 150 points of compulsory courses in Schedule C: Compulsory courses
• 105 points of courses from Schedule E: Elective courses
• up to 105 points of courses from any bachelor’s degree at UC
• At least 90 points at 300-level

The degree does not have any majors, but there are some identified study pathways. To study the BYCL social entrepreneur pathway, you can design your study drawing on the compulsory and recommended recommended courses below and supplementing with courses to meet your interests and certain course requirements.

Your first year comprises a minimum of 120 points or eight 15-point courses. There are two compulsory courses plus four highly recommended courses for the social entrepreneur pathway. 

Talk to a  about your course options. They will help you select courses from across subjects while ensuring you meet any prerequisites and requirements for the BYCL degree.

Year 1 Compulsory courses

YACL101 (15pts) Introduction to Youth Leadership: Leading the Self
CHCH101 (15pts) Strengthening Communities through Social Innovation

The following elective courses are highly recommended:

EDUC101 (15pts) Spark! How & What People Learn
MKTG100 (15pts) Principles of Marketing
MGMT100 (15pts) Fundamentals of Management
TREO110 (15pts) Conversational Māori for Absolute Beginners

For a fulltime study programme, you will complete a further two 100-level courses (30 points). These can be from subjects such as cultural studies, education, human services, management, marketing, māori and indigenous studies, and sociology. When selecting your courses remember to consider prerequisites for desired 200 and 300- level courses. 

UC Graduates as entrepreneurs

UC has a proud history of social entrepreneurship. Here are some examples of what our amazing graduates have done.

Little Yellow Bird
Samantha Jones (BCom graduate) started Little Yellow Bird, an award-winning sustainable manufacturer and supplier of ethically produced, organic cotton uniforms and apparel. Samantha entered what would become Little Yellow Bird in the UC student-run business competition Entre, winning a prize in the $85K Start Up Challenge in 2015.

Bead & Proceed
Founded by Bridget Williams (BA/LLB graduate, former president of the SVA), Bead & Proceed is a social enterprise that exists to educate and inspire people to action towards the 17 United Nations social development goals through creativity. Their bead kits are designed and handmade by the amazing people from Silence, an organisation located in India that provides safe and quality employment for adults who are deaf, mute and/or blind.

Ethique
Since founding her sustainable cosmetic company, Ethique, Brianne West (BSc graduate) has saved over 350,000 plastic bottles from disposal. Instead, her innovative solid bar beauty products are wrapped in compostable packaging. Following five years of hard work, Brianne has created a successful brand with global distribution that has a positive impact on the world.

51 Mirco enterprises in Afghanistan
Bariz Shah (BEng student) and his wife, Saba Afrasyabi, travelled to Afghanistan to empower 51 people to establish their own micro-business in honour of the 51 lives lost in the Christchurch Mosque shootings. Beneficiaries of the couple's project include a teenager who was trying to support his large family after his father became a drug addict, a mother whose husband was killed in a suicide bomb attack, and a disabled man forced to walk 6 kilometres on crutches every day to run his small shop.