Undergraduate

 


Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Curriculum


Courses in this Area of Emphasis are designed to give the undergraduate 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.


To earn an Emphasis in Entrepreneurship, the student needs to take 3 of the following 9 choices of courses.

Management 457 Entrepreneurship (Capstone)
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.

Management 458 Small Business Management
This is an integrative course that focuses on consulting assignments with actual small business firms. It draws in the skills learned in the several business disciplines, and applies them to operating small businesses, including identifying problems and opportunities, and solving them.

Management 441 International Entrepreneurship
This course focuses on developing knowledge and skills in three key areas of international entrepreneurship: initiating entrepreneurial ventures, managing international business transactions, and dealing in multicultural business environments. The course includes a feasibility study of an international small business venture start up, case studies, and experiential learning.

Managment 431 Entrepreneurial Finance (Also FNCE 431)
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.

Marketing 476 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Marketing
Whereas traditional marketing courses often assume that marketers are operating in a predictable environment with generous budgets, this course examines shoestring methods to be used under conditions of considerable uncertainty.

Management 498 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.

Management 498 Technology Ventures
Explores emerging trends and opportunities arising from innovations in science and technology and examines strategies that ventures utilize to exploit them.  Discusses strategic concepts relevant to technology ventures including disruptive technologies and business models; first-mover advantage, economics of increasing returns, “crossing the chasm”, basics of IP protection, and venture financing.

Finance 428 Real Estate Finance and Investments
Financial modeling and analysis of real estate investment opportunities to include financing strategy, risk analysis, taxation, market area supply and demand analysis by property type, as well as evaluating alternative financing instruments in both primary and secondary markets.

Management 498 Tax Law / Planning for Small Business
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.

Other important courses for entrepreneurship, although not officially part of the emphasis, are as follows:

Management 459 Leadership
Focuses on the role of leadership and leaders in organizations. Principal topics include sources and uses of power, leadership traits, leadership styles and behaviors, contingency theories, charisma, transformational leadership, team leadership, strategic leadership, and the development of leaders. Lectures, discussions, case studies, videos, experimental exercises, and field research.

Management 409 Management Policy
This is an integrating course dealing with the problems of general management of businesses and organizations. Strategy is stressed, using cases, simulation and field study and experiential activities for analysis and decision making.

Management 437 Professional Development Practicum
This 3 credit advanced business elective requires a minimum of 100 hours of reflective and contributory internship work. In addition to practical work in the firms, classroom activities such as personal journals, self-assessment tests, interviews, and other self-directed research for personal analysis and planning will be implemented. New ventures and small businesses are a focus of many of the internship sites for this course.

Management 498 Internships
This course designation is used from time to time to introduce and develop new courses and study areas within the curriculum. Within the entrepreneurial area it is presently being used for special internships for entrepreneurial real world experience in small and medium firms, and not-for-profit organizations, outside of the more formal Management 437 internship course. Many of the internships have been designed to be with smaller firms and entrepreneurs.

Management 498 Distance Field Work Practicum
This course is taught on a one to one tutorial distance basis via Internet and e-mail communications throughout the US, or abroad. The intent of the course is to provide internship learning experiences. Several of these internships will be overseas in a number of different countries. The focus is on exposing the students to new venture development in an international context.

Management 499 Independent Study
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.