Join a business model innovation course you can study flexibly online.
This course is about business model innovation and the development of new business propositions.
In this course, you’ll learn about the tools, techniques and models used by successful business developers in identifying and evaluating business opportunities.
This course aims to help you:
- understand the different dimensions of innovation, with a particular focus on business model innovation
- understand how business model innovation works, and why business model development is important for companies, public sector organisations, social enterprises and charities
- learn and use the skills, tools and models you need to support the development-design of a business venture.
Who can join this online business model innovation course?
This online course is designed for business managers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of how to create, refine, and successfully pitch innovative business models.
It’s valuable learning for:
- business managers aiming to refresh or redesign their value propositions and business models
- entrepreneurs looking to sharpen their approach to validating and pitching new business ideas, and
- professionals in corporate, public sector, or non-profit roles seeking practical tools to drive business model innovation.

Build credits towards an online MBA
This course is part of our:
You can use the credits you earn on this short course towards this MBA qualification.
What you’ll study
You’ll cover the following modules in this course.
Innovation
- What is innovation?
- Ten types of innovation
The value proposition
- Value proposition canvas
- Researching the “Chasm” model
Business models
- Business model canvas
- Business model patterns
Disruptive thinking
- Exploring disruption
- Disruptive innovation theory
Validating and pitching
- Sticky pitch
- Enhancing your business model pitch
Future thinking
- Future business models
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to...
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Critically assess what innovation is and why it is important from a company or organisational perspective.
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Outline and appraise the key areas associated with developing a new business proposition and appreciate how they link together.
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Develop, document, implement and evaluate a new business proposition.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the complex issues associated with creating, evaluating and implementing a new business model.
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Review, reflect and contrast your own approach to shaping a new business idea with those of your peer group.
Choose the University of Aberdeen for business model innovation courses

Earn as you learn
We fit around full-time work, so you can build qualifications while you keep earning a salary.

We’re EQUIS accredited
Join a Business School that’s EFMD EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions.

You’re in expert hands
Founded in 1495, we’re an ancient UK university that’s been delivering online teaching for decades.

Outstanding student feedback
We’re ranked 1st in Scotland for student positivity for both Business Studies and Management Studies in the National Student Survey 2024.
How you’ll study
Online learning
This distance-learning business model innovation course is delivered flexibly, 100% online.
You can learn with us anywhere, no student visa required, and manage your hours to suit you.
Your teaching
This course is taught at Masters level.
Teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
Course materials are carefully planned and structured. You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources available, including:
- videos
- live online webinars with course lecturers
- reading materials
- quizzes
- discussion boards with your tutors and peers
- the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
In this interactive course, you’ll participate in many discussions with fellow students and course lecturers using online discussion forums.
Live online webinars
Across the course, you’ll have eight live webinar sessions with your tutor. These live online webinars support the main learning material and are central to your learning. Your participation in them will count towards your final grades.
These are student-led webinars where you’re invited to share and discuss each other’s experiences and reflect together on the materials.
Ahead of each live webinar, you’ll be asked to study the online materials provided, post questions online, undertake multiple-choice quizzes and other tasks. You may also be asked to work in small groups to prepare for some of the live sessions.
Your tutors
You’ll learn from experienced academics and researchers from the University of Aberdeen Business School.
This course is assessed online.
You’ll be assessed via:
- an individual project (worth 80% of your final course grade), and
- a reflective written report (20%).
Live online webinars
This course features eight online webinars. Each webinar is live and scheduled to last for around one hour.
Webinar dates and times will be organised flexibly at the start of the course. Your course coordinator will consider everyone’s circumstances and time zones before setting up live webinar times.
Study hours
The course totals approximately 150 hours of teaching, private study, and assessment time. That’s around 10 – 15 hours per week.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.
You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.
Activities at fixed times
You’ll have live online webinars at fixed times, plus assessments with deadlines. But otherwise, you can access and work through your courses at your convenience.
Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via MyAberdeen and email. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.
We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:
- Careers and Employability Service – including one-to-one advice sessions
- Disability support
- IT support
- Library support
- Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
- Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
- Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
- Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier
Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.
Your course coordinator

Dr Leo Xiaohui Shi
Leo is a Senior Lecturer in our Business School. He holds a PhD in Management.
Leo’s research interests include business model innovation, digital platforms, new product marketing, and diffusion of innovation.
View Leo’s profileWhere this will take you
Towards an MBA
You’ll earn 15 credits at Masters level (SCQF Level 11) with this course. You can use these credits towards our:

Online MBA
Tailored to your career and research goals, and flexibly online.
Develop key skills in leadership, innovation, change management, strategy development, sales and marketing.
View online MBABuild your learning
Use our flexible online business and leadership short courses to build your skills, earn university credits, and gain postgraduate qualifications.
Careers
By completing this course, you’ll be better equipped to lead innovation initiatives, pitch new venture ideas, and future-proof your organisation in rapidly evolving markets.
You’ll gain career-enhancing skills
- A solid understanding of innovation principles and their application in business contexts
- Expertise in crafting compelling value propositions that resonate with customers
- The ability to design, evaluate, and refine business models using tools such as the Business Model Canvas
- Skills in disruptive thinking to challenge market norms and identify new opportunities
- Techniques for delivering persuasive pitches to stakeholders
- Future-thinking capabilities to develop resilient, adaptable business models.
Valuable upskilling for a range of roles, including:
- Business Development Manager
- Product or Service Manager
- Entrepreneur, and
- Senior Executive overseeing growth initiatives.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for CPD hours. Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.

Free career support
Access our free careers service while you study.
- 1:1 appointments
- CV checks
- Interview prep
- Job opportunities
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world.
This course has no formal entry requirements. You do not need to provide proof of your qualifications.
But you do need to check the entry guidance above to understand the level of teaching delivered, to decide if this course is right for you.
If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check the equivalent teaching level for your country.
Visa requirements
You do not need a student visa to study online with us.
English language requirements
Teaching is delivered in English.
You do not have to provide proof of your English language skills to join this course. But we want to make sure that you can use English well enough to study successfully.
Recommended level of English
This course uses our Postgraduate Higher level of English language proficiency.
These are our Postgraduate Higher requirements, and these are minimum scores.
IELTS Academic, IELTS UKVI Academic, or IELTS Online (not IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training)
- 6.5 overall
- 5.5 for listening and speaking
- 6.0 for reading and writing
TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- 90 overall
- 17 for listening
- 21 for reading
- 20 for speaking
- 21 for writing
- TOEFL DI code is 0818
Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency
- 176 overall
- 162 for listening and speaking
- 169 for reading and writing
LanguageCert Academic / LanguageCert Academic SELT
- 70 overall
- 60 for listening and speaking
- 65 for reading and writing
Oxford ELLT Digital – English Language Level Test Online
- 7.0 overall
- 5.0 for listening and speaking
- 6.0 for reading and writing
PTE Academic (online test not accepted)
- 62 overall
- 59 for listening, reading, speaking and writing
Skills for English: SELT
- B2 pass with merit
Duolingo – tests taken from 1 July 2024 onward
- 120 overall
- 95 for listening and speaking
- 105 for reading and writing
University of Aberdeen English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE)
- Pass
- Valid for one year. Refresher can be offered if out of date
Pre-sessional academic English preparation programmes undertaken at other UK universities
- Pass at an equivalent of 6.5 (C1)
- B2 in all four skills
- Certification must be within one year prior to the start of your course
For more information about language qualifications see our English Language Requirements page.
When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.
But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.
Your most important commitment will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.
Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your studies each week:
- Be realistic
- Create a weekly schedule as a guide
If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.
You will need access to:
A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) with an up-to-date operating system
Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.
Reliable internet access
We recommend:
- a wired connection
- a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.
Speakers or headphones
- We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
- A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one for some interactive sessions.
Software
We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive and install these programs on up to five personal devices.
If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.
See our detailed IT requirements for more information.
Fee payment
Your course fee needs to be paid in full before you start your course.
We accept payment via Visa Debit, Visa Credit and Mastercard.
Ways to save
You may be able to get help funding this course via:
- discounts – if any discounts are available for this course, they’ll appear in the section below
- employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors.
Find out more about funding options.
Student card
All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.
Learning resources
Access to all the essential books and resources you need are included in your tuition fee. They’ll be made available to you online and you do not have to buy your own copies.
We also provide optional recommended reading lists. Many of these resources are available electronically through our library, although purchases may be required if you wish to read the full list.
Printing
You may want to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.
This course has no formal entry requirements. You decide if it’s suitable for you.
The course is delivered at Masters level. At this level, you’d usually have at least:
- an undergraduate degree at UK honours level, or equivalent, and
- a minimum of two years’ post-degree professional experience.