Dr Nadia Millington

This course is available on the Global MSc in Management and MSc in Marketing. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply:

Places on oversubscribed courses will be allocated via a random ballot process with priority given to students with the course in their Programme Regulations, followed by other Department of Management students, then students from elsewhere in the school. Providing you apply before the Department deadline of 10am on Monday 28 September 2026, the time you applied will not be taken into account. Please be aware that places on high demand courses cannot be guaranteed. By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student’s chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.

For further information and updates on course availability during Week 1, please see the Department of Management Electives Moodle page.

Deadline for application:

Please apply by 10am on Monday 28 September 2026 with your first course choices. No allocations are made before this date and time.

For queries contact:

Please view the Department of Management Electives page for contact emails.

There is a burning platform globally to drive social change and improve social good through new and innovative business models. Whether it is developing ways to serve the unbanked through microfinance, or creating opportunities that support people experiencing homelessness through dignified work, social enterprises are on the rise: businesses whose primary objective is to deliver social impact in a financially viable way. 

At the same time, consulting in this space is also expanding. Leading firms such as BCG and Bain have established specialist practices dedicated to social impact and social business strategy. Not to mention the myriad of small social enterprises that are doing meaningful work but are in need of expert guidance to multiply their impact. 

This course prepares students to operate at the forefront of this shift. It equips them with the theoretical foundation, knowledge, and practical tools to advise and drive social business initiatives across multinational corporations, consulting firms, and social enterprises. 

The first half of the course explores the theoretical foundations of social enterprise design, followed by three core approaches to building social business solutions: problem-centric, human-centric, and opportunity-centric strategies. Rather than remaining abstract, these approaches are brought to life through interactive exercises, simulations, and real-world experimentation. 

The second half of the course focuses on scaling impact, introducing students to consulting frameworks such as theory of change, strategic tools, and growth models used to expand social businesses while balancing mission and margin. The course culminates in a hands-on consulting project, where students apply these concepts to design and develop a social business solution with real-world relevance. 

30 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Students will also be expected to: (i) undertake a 2-hour team building exercise and (ii) attend a series of support surgeries (30- minute team meetings to obtain advice from faculty). Very importantly, while every effort will be made to dedicate some class time to assist teams in progressing their projects, as with any group project, student teams are expected to work independently outside of class times on their projects. 

In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.

Compulsory: Student groups will be expected to produce a presentation outlining the progress made on their consulting project, at the end of the AT for faculty review and feedback. 

• Hervieux, C.; Voltan, A. (2018). Framing Social Problems in Social Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(2):79-293
• Margiono, Ari & Zolin, Roxanne & Chang, Artemis. (2017). A typology of social venture business model configurations. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. 24. 10.1108/IJEBR-09-2016-0316
• Grayson, McLaren, Spitzeck. Social Intrapreneurs-An Extra Force for Sustainability. http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/dinamic- content/media/social%20intrapreneurs%20occasional%20paper.pdf
• Simanis E. (2012) ‘Reality Check at the Bottom of the Pyramid’, Harvard Business Review [Electronic], Available: https://hbr.org/2012/06/reality-check-at-the- bottom-of-the-pyramid, [13 March 2015]
• Margolis, J. D.; Walsh, J.P. (2003). Misery Loves Companies: Rethinking Social Initiatives by Business. Administrative Science Quarterly.48 (2): 268–305.
• Mair,J.; Marti,I.(2004). Social entrepreneurship: What Are We Talking About? A Framework for Future Research. IESE Research Papers D/546, IESE Business School.

Project (100%).

The individual contribution is based on the student’s presentation and submission of a designated part of the project, for example: (i) Impact Thesis and Theory of Change or (ii) Competitive Advantage. 

The overall project assessment consists of a group oral presentation of the full project and the submission of PowerPoint slides with detailed appendices providing supporting evidence for the presentation. 

For detailed assessment information, including all deadlines and timings, please see the relevant course Moodle page. Assessment timings will be available at the start of each term.