MBA+ PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Program Name
  • Master of Business Administration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Program Short Name
  • MBA+
Mode of Study
  • Part-time
Normative Program Duration
  • 2 years
Tuition Fees
  • RMB 450,000 per program
1st Cohort of Student
  • Registered in Aug 2026
Program Highlights

3+

  • Business + X Expertise
  • Theory + Practical Combat
  • China + Overseas

3 Mentors

  • Triple mentorship
    Academic + Entrepreneur + Capital Mentors
Class Schedule
  • Biweekly weekends
    & holidays
Program Director
  • Prof. Shaozhou QI
Introduction

The MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MBA+) provides a curriculum with insights from areas of business, science, and engineering as well as hands-on experience in venture capital investment and entrepreneurship. The program can also serve as a platform connecting and integrating research in science and engineering, business education, and innovation in the private sectors. The MBA+ program attracts people who have great curiosity and potentials to initiate/assess startup ideas with or without working experience.

This program has three distinguishing features as compared to the other programs.

First, compared to traditional MBA programs in the world, the MBA+ program emphasizes more on innovation and entrepreneurship. And compared to other MBA programs in innovation and/or technology management, the MBA+ program incorporates the whole ecosystem of innovation (venture capital and entrepreneurship) in the curriculum, so that our graduates can develop both venture capital thinking and entrepreneurial design thinking skills.

Second, the MBA+ program utilizes project-based and evidence-based learning methods, so that students can obtain hands-on experience in conducting market and firm analysis, making venture capital investments, and/or implementing startup initiatives.

Finally, consistent with the cross-disciplinary academic structure of HKUST(GZ), the MBA+ program leverages the strong research environment and achievements in science and engineering at HKUST(GZ) and HKUST. Students in the program will identify a particular “X” area in science and technology, which is related to the market or startups they will select in the project-based modules. Then they will take relevant courses in the “X” area and have opportunities to work together with faculty members to gain deeper knowledge in the chosen area and possibly bring faculty’s research findings to the private sectors.

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the MBA+ program, graduates will be able to:
MBA+
01
Create or assess innovation and startup initiatives based on venture capital thinking and entrepreneurial design thinking.
02
Analyze business problems from each of the managerial disciplines of management education, and make integrated business decisions.
03
Develop the skills to communicate clearly across multiple stakeholder groups and functional topics.
MBA+ PROGRAM SPECIFICS
Curriculum structure, course names and course content are subject to approval, and continuous review and change.
Curriculum

Minimum Credit Requirement
45 credits

 

The MBA+ Program will include core business fundamentals, specialized entrepreneurial courses, project-based learning and practical combat in venture capitals and entrepreneurship, as well as knowledge in cutting-edge fields like AI, fintech, new energy, microelectronics, smart manufacturing, and advanced materials, etc.

The curriculum for 2026/27 intake will be published shortly.

1
Required Courses

19 Credits


MBAX 5010

Financial Accounting Foundations

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course provides introduction to accounting concepts, preparation and interpretation of financial statements.

MBAX 5020

Managerial Microeconomics

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course uses economic analysis to analyze market demand and supply, examine strategic behavior, and investigate the impact of competition on business decisions.

MBAX 5030

Corporate Finance

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course covers corporate finance topics, including valuation of cash flow streams, capital budgeting decisions and valuation of securities.

MBAX 5040

Information and Technology Management

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course provides a general manager’s perspective on the strategic roles of information systems and technology in companies. It also discusses strategies on information systems and technology management.

MBAX 5050

Marketing Strategy and Policy

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course discusses how to develop strategic marketing objectives and implement marketing strategies through pricing, distribution channels, promotion, and new-product decisions.

MBAX 5060

Operations Management

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course investigates the management of business processes, including operations strategy, process analysis, inventory and revenue management, service management, and other important issues.

MBAX 5070

Strategic Management

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course will introduce major techniques and approaches to the development and implementation of corporate strategies. It will also discusses internal and external competitor analysis and evaluation of strategic options.

MBAX 5080

Strategy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

2 Credit(s)

Description

This course utilizes both theory and best practices to help students become familiar with the development and implementation of innovative technology or business models. It also examines economics and strategies related to innovation and entrepreneurship.

MBAX 5090

Venture Capital Fundamentals

2 Credit(s)

Description

This course covers a comprehensive overview of the venture capital (VC) cycle from raising a VC fund, portfolio construction, opportunity assessment, deal valuation, deal structuring, corporate governance to harvesting investments.

MBAX 5100

Business Communication and Negotiation Skills

2 Credit(s)

Description

This course allows students to improve their ability to communicate efficiently and effectively as an entrepreneur, a venture capitalist, or a business leader. It also helps students to develop negotiation and dispute resolution skills through simulations.

MBAX 5140

Global Macroeconomics

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course provides an understanding of macroeconomic concepts and models, develops your ability to anticipate macroeconomic adjustment. You will have a good grasp of macroeconomic topics including the determinants of growth, business cycles, and fiscal and monetary policy. Special attention would be devoted to open-economy macro issues such as trade war, capital flows, and foreign exchange markets. Frequent cross-country comparisons will enable you to acquire an international perspective.

MBAX 5150

Project Management

1 Credit(s)

Description

Nearly every company executes projects - construction projects, software development projects, new drug approvals etc. The successful management of these projects requires application specific and industry knowledge. At the same time, there are some common skills needed to successfully manage these projects – no matter what the application area or industry. The course focuses on these common skills, knowledge and tools that are needed by all project managers to successfully manage a project, with a particular focus on projects that develop innovations.

MBAX 5160

Startup ESG Strategy

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and their integration into entrepreneurial ventures and business strategies. It explores how ESG factors drive value creation, risk management, and sustainable growth in startups and established enterprises. Through case studies, industry frameworks, and practical simulations, students will learn to assess ESG risks and opportunities, design ESG-aligned business models, and communicate ESG performance to stakeholders. The course emphasizes actionable strategies for balancing profitability with environmental and social responsibility, equipping students to lead sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives in a global context.

MBAX 5170

Strategic Intellectual Property Rights Management

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course equips students with essential skills to protect, leverage, and maximize the value of intellectual property assets. In today’s innovation-driven economy, effective IP management fosters innovation, reduces legal risks, and builds competitive advantage. By bridging legal principles with business strategy, the course enables informed decisions on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. It helps align IP portfolios with organizational goals, making it a valuable resource for entrepreneurs, managers, and innovators navigating a knowledge-based economy.

MBAX 5180

Entrepreneurial Talent Management and Leadership Development

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course develops entrepreneurial leadership and talent management skills for startups. Combining theory and practice, it covers vision-setting, team building, risk decision-making, and scaling challenges. Through case studies and simulations, students learn to lead teams, manage uncertainty, and align talent with growth.

MBAX 5190

Decision Making

1 Credit(s)

Description

This course aims to provide students with essential concepts, frameworks, and tools for making high-quality managerial decisions, both individually and in groups. It covers topics related to the decision-making process and content, including how to facilitate and formalize decision-making, understand decision-making biases, and use various analytical tools to manage different business problems effectively. Students will gain a deep understanding of the pitfalls and traps in decision-making and learn steps to enhance the quality of their decisions as managers.

2
Accelerators on Data Analysis, Accounting and Python

3 Credits


MBAX 5110

MBA Accelerator – Accounting

1 Credit(s)

Description

This pre-program course aims to provide elementary or refreshing knowledge in financial accounting, managerial accounting and finance to prepare students for the academic demands and rigor of MBA courses. The course will also cover the basic business concepts, financial statement analysis, cost classifications and how to do managerial decisions. Graded P or F.

MBAX 5120

MBA Accelerator – Python

1 Credit(s)

Description

This pre-program course aims to provide elementary or refreshing knowledge in technical skills to prepare students for the academic demands and rigor of MBA courses. Python is used for creating high-level abstractions for well written and well-optimized frameworks, where business applications rely on. The course will cover Python programming language for developing business applications, the practical libraries and packages. Graded P or F.

MBAX 5130

MBA Accelerator – Data Analysis

1 Credit(s)

Description

This pre-program course aims to provide elementary or refreshing knowledge in quantitative and analysis hard skills to prepare students for the academic demands and rigor of MBA courses. It will cover data and variation, probability model and association between random variables at introductory level. Graded P or F.

3
Elective Courses

8 Credits

Students can take the following courses to meet the elective course requirement:

i. “X” Area Elective Courses  4-6 credits
"X" Areas may include AI, financial technology, sustainability, smart manufacturing, advanced materials, biomedicine, and microelectronics, etc. Students should identify several non-business areas “X” and take related courses, subject to approval by the Academic Director.

ii. Other Elective Courses  2-4 credits
Students can take other electives, subject to approval by the Academic Director.

4
Project-based Modules

12 Credits

Students are required to complete two project-based modules.


MBAX 6010

Apprenticeship Module on Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital

4 Credit(s)

Description

Students (in groups) select some existing startup companies in a particular area, conduct market and firm analysis, and evaluate investment opportunities from the venture capital perspective. At the end of the module, students will present their analysis to a panel of faculty and venture capitalists. Graded P or F.

MBAX 6020

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab

8 Credit(s)

Description

Students in this project-based module can choose multiple tracks: developing and implementing their startup initiatives, working together with one existing startup company, or making investments together with venture capital firms. Graded P or F.

5
Career Activities

3 Credits

Students are required to attend career-related workshops/seminars, and/or study tours organized by the program.


MBAX 6100

MBA Career Development Program

3 Credit(s)

Description

Students are required to attend career-related workshops/seminars, and/or study tours organized by the program. Workshops and training sessions can keep students exposed to valuable career connections, abreast with the latest development in the commercial world. Through these career development activities, students will get to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for improvement, collect feedback on interview techniques, further improve and formulate a personalized strategy to develop their career goals. Graded PP, P or F.

MBA+ ADMISSION
Admission Requirements
1
General Admission Requirements of the University

Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification.

2
English Language Admission Requirements

Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:

TOEFL-iBT: 80*

TOEFL-pBT: 550

TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)

IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5

* refers to the total score in one single attempt

Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if

their first language is English, or

they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.

To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Enquiry

Master of Business Administration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Email: mbaplus@hkust-gz.edu.cn

Apply Now