Graduate

 


Graduate Entrepreneurship Curriculum


Courses in this Area of Emphasis are designed to give the graduate student an in-depth understanding and appreciation of new venture operations including entrepreneurial ventures in small business, and entrepreneurial ventures and activities within large business organizations. This area of emphasis provides the student with practical concepts and practices within a sound empirically-based theoretical framework on how to create a new product or venture, and bring it to market. The courses are designed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit and way of thinking in any endeavor the student undertakes in the business world. Creativity, innovation, risk acceptance (at an acceptable level) and a "can do" attitude are encouraged to optimize entrepreneurial results.


Please check with the MBA Dean's Office, and the general catalog, for full and specific information on degree requirements and other details of designing your entrepreneurial degree emphasis.

MBAH 611 Entrepreneurship
The development and creation of a new venture opportunity is stressed in this foundation class. Students are encouraged to explore their entrepreneurial talents and potential through self assessment, creation of new ideas, interviewing entrepreneurial winners, and the creation of a practical business plan for a new venture.

MBAH 613 Performance Management in the Small + Medium Enterprise
Methods of enhancing employee productivity and creativity are studied in this course, using methods appropriate for the small and medium sized enterprise. Critical legal aspects of performance management are also covered.

MBAH 614 Intrapreneurship and New Venture Practices
A study of practices and techniques used to stimulate and foster the entrepreneurial spirit within the framework of larger firms.

MBAH 615 Project and Program Management for the Firm
Developing basic management concepts in the operational management of projects, programs, and new ventures.

MBAH 616 Creativity and Innovation Management
A study of models and methods of creativity development and creativity management, through which the creative process can be encouraged and increased.

MBAH 617 Small Business Management and the Law
This course focuses on the structure of the law as it applies to syndications, franchises and business opportunities.

EGPM 620-MBAH 620 New Product Design and Development
This course is co-taught between the faculty of the College of Business and the Engineering school. Teams of MBA students and grad engineering students develop a new venture product, then develop a feasible business plan for the product.

MBAH 621 Legal and Tax Considerations for New Venture Managers
An examination of the effects of taxation on business organizations, including capital structure policies. Emphasizes those aspects of taxation that are critically important to the entrepreneur and venture manager. Tax planning from the perspective of the entrepreneur, the business enterprise, the employee and the investor will be emphasized.

MBAH 622 Management Consulting for Entrepreneurial Companies
This course is designed to provide an introduction to management consulting and the consulting industry. It is aimed at covering basic conceptual, analytical, and technical knowledge and skill sets necessary for consultancy engagement success. The course draws on a real-world semester-long projects to examine how organizational issues are identified, analyzed, and resolved through the consulting process.

MBAH 624 Mergers and Acquisitions
A capstone MBA entrepreneurial experience that looks at mergers, acquisitions, long term capital investments, leveraged buyouts, and divestitures. The viewpoint is from that of growing the entrepreneurial venture through these techniques, and harvesting the venture.

MBAH 625 Real Estate Investment and Entrepreneurship
An entrepreneurial approach to real estate investment built around financial modeling, market area supply and demand analysis, risk analysis, mortgage alternatives, and taxation impacts. Real property investment options and strategies are presented in a "real world" context.

MBAH 658 New Venture Simulation and Applications
This course is about simulation, data bases, and other informational science techniques that can be used by the student to examine and test hypothetical situations, with a view to the application of these techniques to new venture opportunity evaluations.

MBAH 698 Strategies for Technology Ventures
This course explores emerging trends and opportunities arising from innovations in science and technology and examines strategies that ventures utilize to exploit them.  This course is designed to be approachable for all graduate students regardless of backgrounds and will be highly relevant for those interested in careers in management, marketing and financing of technology. The goal of the course is to offer the student with the tools necessary to successfully identify a true business opportunity, and to start, grow and maintain a technology enterprise.

MBAH 698 Entrepreneurial Finance (Also MBAF 698)
In this course, students are introduced to the financial aspects of small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. The key topics include evaluating new business ideas and ventures, reading and understanding financial statements of rapidly growing companies, and developing financing strategies. We also discuss various debt and equity alternatives of financing, the different valuation techniques, and key tactics and approaches to negotiating term sheets.

MBAH 698 Special Studies
This course designation is used from time to time to introduce and develop new courses and study areas within the curriculum. It may also be used to cover a subject area taught by a visiting faculty member with special expertise for a limited time, thus taking advantage of their skills.

MBAH 698 Small Business Strategy
This course explores strategic management from the perspective of the small business. Students research actual smaller entrepreneurial firms to determine how strategic management differs by industry and company size. Viable strategic management decisions are made to sustain growth and profitability. Particular emphasis is placed on barriers to growth, and the leadership role of management.

MBAH 699 Independent Studies
Under this course designation the student has a framework within which they can develop and design special projects, such as fully developing and implementing a business plan for a new business. Special emphasis is put on idea development, research, and creating an implementable, real life new venture business. The specifics of the project are developed between the student and their faculty mentor.