Course Spotlight - MG104: Innovation Management

We sat down with Olivia, who took MG104: Innovation Management over the summer, to hear more about her thoughts on the course and why she would recommend it. 

Why did you decide to attend LSE Summer School?

I chose to attend LSE Summer School because I wanted the chance to study subjects beyond the purely law modules offered on my university course. Summer School was the perfect opportunity for this as I could guarantee that the unique course would be both engaging and academically rigorous due to the LSE’s outstanding reputation.

Why did you choose your course?

I chose MG104 because I wanted to study something very specialised that I would not find anything similar to on my university syllabus. Innovation Management was something completely novel to me as a law student and the open innovation project that was a part of the course was practical experience that would set me apart in strategy consulting interviews. From looking at the course page, I knew that we would address current issues with an interesting combination of theory and real-world case studies.

Tell us about an average day as a student on your course.

We typically had a seminar for an hour and a half in the morning. This class would either consist of analysing a case study which we had all read in preparation about real world innovation successes and failures or it would be group work on our projects. There would then be at least one hour for lunch before three hours of lectures in the afternoon. These lectures were interactive sessions focused on the theories of innovation and common challenges. Some days our group would meet during lunch or after lectures to work on our crowd sourcing project so that we would be prepared to move on to the next stages in the next class.

What was your favourite part of your course?

The lectures were my favourite aspect of MG104. Nadia, my lecturer, was brilliant; she was an engaging teacher who always ensured that the lectures were interactive and lively. While some of the lectures were more traditional in style, others saw the class put design thinking theory into practice and built upon our models as we went through the course and learnt more about specific techniques. They perfectly combined theory and practice.

What advice would you give to students considering your course?

Students considering MG104 should look into some of the theories studied on the course. Design thinking was a particular favourite of mine. If they find the concepts and examples interesting, then the course will benefit them by asking them to question and challenge those theories or create their own examples.

What are your short-term professional goals, and how does your course contribute to these goals?

I am hoping to undertake a strategy consulting internship next summer and the Summer School course will allow me to show my interest in business despite coming from a law background. The MG104 course has helped me to craft interesting cover letters as I use my open innovation project to demonstrate my genuine interest in forward thinking ideas and problem solving. I hope that the studied theories and challenges will guide me to give standout answers in case study interviews.

Was meeting and talking to other students on your course easy?

Due to the very interactive lectures, meeting people on my course was easy. We would be split up into conversation groups multiple times per lecture and therefore you easily broke the ice with complete strangers. The group project completed in morning seminars also made it much easier to get to know others than if we were working on individual projects. We had to quickly adapt to others’ preferred working styles and thus got to know one another swiftly. Everyone was very proud to talk about their home countries and institutions which made the atmosphere friendly. Being a British student at a UK university, I expected to be uninteresting to others but that was not the case. Everyone was keen to hear about others experiences because of the hugely diverse group – this resulted in lots of spirited conversations and debates!

How has your course helped you in your undergraduate degree/career plans?

MG104 has greatly helped me with my career plans. I study law at undergraduate level in England which means that I do not have the chance to take an economics or business class, for example. I want to pursue strategy consulting, and the Summer School has allowed me the chance to study some concepts that others applying for these roles will encounter in their undergraduate studies. As English universities only teach modules specific to the degree programme, as opposed to the diverse credit requirements at US universities, spending my free time this summer on the course is strong evidence of my strategy interests for employers. Furthermore, MG104’s theories will guide me to give creative answers in case study interviews and my open innovation project will be an interesting reference point.

What was your favourite part of studying at LSE?

My favourite part of studying at LSE was the quality of the teaching. LSE is known for its academic rigour and whilst the course lived up to this reputation, our lecturer made complex information easily comprehendible. Nadia’s passion for the subject was infectious. The combination of high-level theory and real-world case studies was the perfect way to ensure that the information was deeply understood by students whilst remaining accessible over only three weeks. Nadia’s teaching style was highly interactive which is very important for such creative topics as lean start-up and design thinking. Whilst rigorous, the LSE teaching meant that the experience was not intimidating but greatly enjoyable.

Would you recommend your course and why?

I would certainly recommend MG104. Whether you have a business background or not, there is so much to be learnt in theory and practice. Even if you are already familiar with some of the concepts, the high quality of teaching translates to deeper understanding from world experts. For those like me who have no business background, the three weeks fly by as each lecture starts with the basics of a concept and three hours later you are critiquing the theory with confidence before applying it in the small classes the next morning. Three weeks is the perfect amount of time to get a clear insight into innovation or business school learning more generally. This is particularly advantageous for British university students who have far more specialised undergraduate course modules on offer each term than those who require general subject credits like in the US college system.

 

This interview was written by one of our 2024 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the summer school experience at LSE.