Earlier this month Advenio eAcademy on behalf of the ARPEL4Entrep Consortium launched the student recruitment campaign for Intake 1 of the online accredited* EQF/MQF 180 ECTS credit Level 6 Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship. The project is an Erasmus+ co-funded project which commenced in September 2020. The partners on this project are: Advenio eAcademy, Malta; University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy; University of Ioannina, Greece; University of Zilina, Slovakia; Vilnius University, Lithuania; EUCEN – European University Continuing Education Network, Brussels and Spain; and AllSecure Ltd – eBusiness Systems, Malta.

To the ARPEL consortium, online learning is not a knee-jerk, panic solution to COVID, but an upfront investment in the development of the online dedicated infrastructure and learning content that is most convenient for adult learners. The programme is directed at experienced entrepreneurs who already are very busy people but through effective time management and use of state-of-the-art learning systems and programmes can make time to study! The Intake 1 launch event was hosted on the Gozo Fast Ferry to highlight the manner in which e-learning enables students to make best use of their time. They can study any time, any place that provides internet connectivity!

The ARPEL Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship is an innovative programme designed, developed and produced by a consortium of leading universities and higher educational institutions. to assist entrepreneurs to build on their previous experiences and learning. The acronym ARPEL reflects one of the core elements of the programme, the Accreditation & Recognition of Prior Experiences and Learning. 

Illustration of the four elements reviewed and evaluated further at each of the four stages of the ARPEL process involved in the implementation of the programme. Through the ARPEL process experienced entrepreneurs can earn and get accreditation for up to 90 ECTS credits on the basis of their prior learning and work experience.Illustration of the four elements reviewed and evaluated further at each of the four stages of the ARPEL process involved in the implementation of the programme. Through the ARPEL process experienced entrepreneurs can earn and get accreditation for up to 90 ECTS credits on the basis of their prior learning and work experience.

The scope of the project is to leverage the infrastructure and competencies of the partners in e-learning and the collective expertise and resources of the partners in creating a programme which would encourage entrepreneurs to earn a 180 ECTS credit Level 6 Bachelors’ Degree in Entrepreneurship. The ARPEL Bachelors’ programme provides a structured manner in which Validation of Prior Learning and Recognition and Accreditation of Prior Learning frameworks are integrated. The novel ARPEL process would enable them to validate their prior learning and experience. Students can opt for the first exit-point of the programme, which is on completion of the ARPEL process and receive formal EQF/MQF accreditation for their prior learning and experience which will be recognized throughout the EU.

For those students who choose to continue with the Bachelor’s Degree programme, and have obtained the full 90 ECTS credits, or a minimum of 74 ECTS credits, in the ARPEL process, the second stage comprises a series of custom-developed course subject modules. Those students that have obtained the 90 ECTS credits may choose eight of the 10 subjects, whilst those students that have acquired the minimum of 74 ECTS credits need the additional course modules to top-up their ESTC Credit count for the course completion. Each subject module includes weekly interaction with Faculty through live tutorial sessions and on going remote access through online forum discussions and coursework. A case-study approach including innovative simulation-based learning is adopted throughout the progamme. The final stage comprises a research project to enable students to get first hand experience of the importance of research as a basis for business and organizational growth and development. This three-stage programme enables participants to earn the required 180 ECTS credits at Level 6.

A limited number of full scholarships are available to suitably experienced and qualified entrepreneurs and SME management staff. Registrations are now open and applicants can commence with the ARPEL stage immediately! This should take them a few weeks to complete, and those that obtain the required 90 ECTS credits may proceed with the second stage of the programme which commences in January 2022. 

Entrepreneurs with a minimum of four years’ work experience may apply.For more information contact admin@aea.academy. 

* Awaiting finalisation of MFHEA official accreditation process.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.