Entrepreneurs are catalysts of change, driving not only economic and industrial growth but also social progress and innovation. Through the creation of new ventures, products, services, and employment opportunities, entrepreneurship plays a pivotal role in shaping thriving economies and sustainable societies. Equally, family businesses form the backbone of economies worldwide, contributing significantly to wealth creation, employment generation, and long-term value creation across generations.
Ahmedabad University offers a five-year dual degree programme in Bachelor of Science in Management and MBA with a focus on Family Business and Entrepreneurship (erstwhile administered as the Integrated MBA Programme) designed to prepare students to become entrepreneurial leaders, business innovators, and responsible stewards of family enterprises. The programme provides a deep understanding of the unique dynamics, opportunities, and challenges associated with entrepreneurship and family-owned businesses, while equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to lead and grow businesses in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.
The curriculum addresses the entire entrepreneurial journey—from opportunity identification and idea validation to venture creation, growth, financing, scaling, and sustainability. Students are encouraged to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset that enables them to recognise opportunities, innovate continuously, manage uncertainty, and create value in diverse business contexts. Whether launching a new venture, leading a start-up, driving innovation within an established organisation, or transforming a family business, students develop the competencies needed to thrive in dynamic business environments.
A distinctive feature of the programme is its strong focus on family business management. Students gain insights into the complexities of managing businesses across generations, including issues related to governance, succession planning, professionalisation, family dynamics, conflict resolution, leadership transition, wealth preservation, and legacy building. The programme prepares future family business leaders to balance tradition with innovation, ensuring continuity while fostering growth and transformation.
Through experiential learning, simulations, business planning exercises, industry interactions, mentoring, and project-based coursework, students apply theoretical concepts to real-world business challenges. They are exposed to emerging technologies, evolving business models, and contemporary management practices that prepare them to navigate rapidly changing markets and global business landscapes.
The programme also emphasises ethical leadership, responsible decision-making, sustainability, and regulatory compliance, enabling students to build businesses that are not only profitable but also socially responsible and resilient. Courses span a broad range of disciplines including entrepreneurship, strategy, innovation, business history, international business, organisational behaviour, marketing, finance, sustainability, organisational design, and family business management.
Students may further customise their learning journey by combining the major with a minor, expanding their expertise and enhancing career opportunities as entrepreneurs, family business leaders, intrapreneurs, consultants, or business professionals across industries.
The programme equips students with the knowledge and skills required to conceptualise, develop, and manage new enterprises while fostering an entrepreneurial mindset that embraces innovation, adaptability, and value creation. A key objective of the programme is to prepare students to lead and transform family businesses by understanding the unique dynamics of family ownership, governance, succession, professionalisation, and intergenerational wealth creation. Students learn to balance the preservation of family legacy with the need for innovation, growth, and long-term competitiveness. The programme also seeks to develop responsible business leaders who can build and manage high-performing organisations, leverage emerging technologies and contemporary business models, and make ethical and sustainable decisions. Through experiential learning and industry engagement, students are prepared to navigate uncertainty, manage risk, collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, and create lasting economic and social impact through entrepreneurship and family enterprise.
Learning Outcomes
The programme focuses on learning to build and execute strategies for facilitating change in organisations through experiential learning of concepts like bootstrapping, business canvas, prototyping, and building proof of concept. It provides an opportunity to build a new product or service based business by becoming a fellow at VentureStudio, Ahmedabad University’s incubator, while earning credits for the same.
Students of this dual degree programme are awarded both a Bachelor of Science in Management (BSM) as well as an MBA degree upon completion of the credit requirements of the programme.
The Programme admits students who have completed Class 12 or equivalent in any discipline and have the passion for their chosen major. Some majors may require prior preparation in certain areas. Please check the section on Majors.
Minimum Programme Credits: 200
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Management and Master of Business Administration (DUAL DEGREE)