Success in entrepreneurship requires a broad base of conceptual knowledge, personal skills, and competencies. By majoring in entrepreneurship, you will sharpen your creative thinking and problem-solving skills, develop your entrepreneurial mindset to start your own business, develop a new product, or become an innovator in an established company. The required courses in the major provide a variety of rich developmental experiences that include applied learning, case analysis, research projects, team-based learning, and guest speakers, in addition to traditional classroom lectures and discussions. The Entrepreneurship major places a strong emphasis on written and oral communication skills, teamwork, creativity, leadership, and personal initiative.
Undergraduate Major in Entrepreneurship
For undergraduate curriculum in business, major in entrepreneurship.
The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship offers a major in Entrepreneurship. Students will complete the general education requirements (including business foundation courses), business core requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, and 18 additional credits in the major.
The Entrepreneurship major is designed to prepare students for the field of entrepreneurship. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to identify and exploit business opportunities, start their own business, or lead venture-creation and innovative initiatives at established for-profit and non-profit organizations.
The Entrepreneurship Major rests on three pillars:
- Business Startup and Small Business Management. The major focuses on starting and managing new and small businesses, including family businesses, which present different challenges that require knowledge of various models of leadership, market research, fundraising, risk management, and other activities with increasingly digital components.
- Corporate Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology Management. Today's highly sought-after employees are those with entrepreneurial mind and skill sets that allow them to create, lead, and contribute to innovative projects and initiatives within their organizations. Thus, this major prepares students for leadership positions at established innovative firms.
- Social Entrepreneurship. A major emphasis is given to managing non-profit ventures to initiate and support positive social and environmental changes. Entrepreneurship principles and tools have proven their relevance and value for both small and large non-profit ventures and organizations. Thus, this major prepares students who are interested in making a difference by supporting positive social and environmental causes.
The Entrepreneurship Major includes a wide range of opportunities for experiential learning through elective courses and offers a variety of robust extracurricular activities through collaboration with the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is also an attractive second major for students with interests in any other business field.
Students majoring in Entrepreneurship are not permitted to take Entrepreneurship as a minor.
For more information on the undergraduate major in Entrepreneurship, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/entrepreneurship/.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, undergraduate students majoring in Entrepreneurship will:
- Be effective communicators.
- Be effective collaborators.
- Be problem solvers.
- Understand business concepts.
- Recognize ethical and legal responsibilities to organizations.
Curriculum:
In addition to the basic business degree requirements (https://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofbusiness/#curriculuminbusinesstext), Entrepreneurship majors are required to complete 18 credit hours of entrepreneurship or management department-approved courses. Included in these 18 credits are four required courses:
| Required Courses (12 credits): | ||
| ENTSP 3130 | Feasibility Analysis for New Ventures | 3 |
| ENTSP 3200 | Corporate Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTSP 4100 | Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTSP 4800 | Applied Entrepreneurship: Executing New Ventures | 3 |
| Elective Courses (6 credits): | ||
| Select two courses from the following list: | ||
| ENTSP 3670 | International Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTSP 3810 | Managing Family Businesses | 3 |
| ENTSP 4610 | Entrepreneurship and Accounting Information | 3 |
| ENTSP 4310 | New Venture Financing | 3 |
| ENTSP 4540 | Entrepreneurial Marketing | 3 |
| MGMT 4710 | Introduction to Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MGMT 4720 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Organizations | 3 |
| ACCT 3830 | Intermediate Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 4160 | Business Law | 3 |
| FIN 3100 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN 4350 | Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Mergers and Acquisitions | 3 |
| MIS 3400 | Project Management | 3 |
| MKT 3420 | Foundation Of Personal Selling | 3 |
| MKT 3610 | Social Media Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| MKT 3620 | Digital Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 3630X | Creative Tools for Digital Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 4470 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| SCM 4240 | Process Management, Analysis, and Improvement | 3 |
| SCM 4660 | Global Trade Management | 3 |
| SCM 4950 | Executive Analysis and Presentations # | 3 |
| AESHM 4740 | Entrepreneurship in Human Sciences | 3 |
| AESHM 4760CX | Entrepreneurship Studio: Creating an Online Business | |
| DES 2300 | Design Thinking ^ | 3 |
| DSNS 3400 | Design Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ECON 2340 | Small Business Management ^ | 3 |
| ECON 3340 | Entrepreneurship in Agriculture | 3 |
| ENGR 4300 | Entrepreneurial Product Engineering | 3 |
| LDST 3700 | Special Topics * | 3 |
- ^
42 credits of 3000-level or higher coursework from a four-year institution is required to graduate. Students choosing 2000-level courses toward their major may be required to compensate for this requirement elsewhere in their curriculum.
- *
Only sections of LDST 3700 with a topic of "Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation" may count as an elective for the major. Additionally, only 3 credits of LDST 3700 may count towards the entrepreneurship major electives.
- #
Only 3 credits of SCM 4950 may count as an Entrepreneurship major choice elective.
The X designation after a course number indicates this is an experimental course offered by the Department. Although in an experimental phase, these courses are open for registration just the same as permanent courses listed in the course catalog and count as elective choices in the major.
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees/minors within the Ivy College of Business. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
Entrepreneurship, B.S.
Sample 4-Year Plan (Your plan may differ)
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BUSAD 1020 or 1030 | 1 | ECON 1020 | 3 |
| ECON 1010 | 3 | STAT 2260 | 3 |
| COMS 1130 | 3 | U.S. Cultures and Communities# | 3 |
| ENGL 1500 | 3 | ACCT 2840 | 3 |
| MATH 1500 | 3 | ENGL 2500^ | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | 1 | BUSAD 2030 | 1 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ACCT 2850 | 3 | PHIL 2300 | 3 |
| SPCM 3120 | 3 | ACCT 2150 | 3 |
| ENTSP 3100 | 3 | MGMT 3710 | 3 |
| Natural Science | 3 | Global/International Perspective@ | 3 |
| MATH 1510 | 3 | HUM/SOC SCI | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENTSP 3130 | 3 | ENTSP 3200 | 3 |
| Business Core Courses | 6 | ENTSP 4100 | 3 |
| General Electives | 6 | Business Core Courses | 6 |
| HUM/SOC SCI | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENTSP 4800 | 3 | MGMT 4780* | 3 |
| ENTSP Elective | 3 | ENTSP Elective | 3 |
| Global/International Perspective@ | 3 | HUM/SOC SCI | 3 |
| ENGL 3020 | 3 | General Electives | 6 |
| Business Core Course | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits: 122 | |||
- @
Courses in these requirements may also be used as Global Perspective.
- ^
Students are encouraged to register for sections of ENGL 2500 that have topics focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
- #
U.S. Cultures and Communities courses may be used to satisfy HUM/SOC SCI.
- *
Must have credit or enrollment in all core courses listed above, except for MGMT 3720, plus senior standing, in order to enroll in MGMT 4780.
Graduation Requirements:
1. Grade of “C” or higher in at least 30 credits of Core and Major courses.
2. 42 credits of 3000+ level courses from a four-year institution.
3. 50% of required Business courses must be earned at ISU.
4. At least 32 credits and the LAST 32 credits must be earned at ISU (exceptions for study abroad and internship may be requested).
5. 122 Credits minimum and a Cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 with no quality point deficiencies.
6. A grade of C or better in ENGL 2500 required, and also in one other required ENGL course.
7. All 3000-level and higher business credits must be earned at a four-year college.
8. Multiple business majors must have at least 15 distinct credits in each of the major requirements; when applicable, one course can be shared between business majors; see your advisor regarding multiple business degree requirements.
Undergraduate Minor in Entrepreneurship
An Entrepreneurship minor for non-Entrepreneurship majors is also available. This university-wide undergraduate minor in Entrepreneurship is available to all undergraduate students at Iowa State University. The minor requires 15 credits from an approved list of courses, including at least 6 credits in courses numbered 3000 or above taken at Iowa State University with a grade of C or higher. The minor must include 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement. Students must follow college-specific rules in selecting courses for the minor. The college representatives to the supervisory committee for the minor will be responsible for advising students in their college and will inform students about the details of the college rules. Students with declared majors have priority over students with declared minors in courses with space constraints.
Non-business students with an Entrepreneurship minor are not permitted to major in Entrepreneurship. Business students interested in Entrepreneurship may choose to major in Entrepreneurship (https://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofbusiness/entrepreneurship/#undergraduatemajortext) or pursue the Entrepreneurship minor.
A student seeking a minor in entrepreneurship must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits in courses approved for use in the entrepreneurship program, including the following:
| Required Courses (6 credits): | ||
| ENTSP 3100 | Entrepreneurship and Innovation | 3 |
| ENTSP 3130 | Feasibility Analysis for New Ventures | 3 |
| or ENTSP 3200 | Corporate Entrepreneurship | |
| or ENTSP 4100 | Social Entrepreneurship | |
ENTSP 3100 Entrepreneurship and Innovation is the introductory course and provides an overview of the entire field.
ENTSP 3130 Feasibility Analysis for New Ventures emphasizes developing an idea for a new venture, conducting a feasibility study, researching the potential market, analyzing the competition, and preparing a formal business plan.
ENTSP 3200 Corporate Entrepreneurship introduces and examines state-of-the-art approaches to product innovation and technology development in today's large and established organizations.
ENTSP 4100 Social Entrepreneurship discusses issues related to the role of social entrepreneurship in helping to solve social problems, including innovation, opportunity recognition, planning and the launch of new non-profit organizations.
| Elective Courses (6 credits): | ||
| Select TWO entrepreneurship-oriented electives from an approved course list (see below). Students are encouraged to take electives within their major college. | ||
| Experiential Learning (3 credits): | ||
| Students will engage in the process(es) of entrepreneurship to earn experiential learning credits. Students will either take a course that has been designated as an experiential learning course, or use some other experiential learning activity as the basis to receive credits through an independent study. | ||
Detailed information about the Entrepreneurship minor, the list of approved electives, as well as information about the experiential learning options are available online at: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/minors-and-certificates/entrepreneurship-minor/.
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees/minors within the Ivy College of Business. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
For more information on the undergraduate minor in Entrepreneurship, please visit: https://catalog.iastate.edu/interdisciplinaryprograms/minor/entrepreneurship/#undergraduateminortext.
Graduate Programs
Master of Entrepreneurship (MEP)
The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship offers a Master of Entrepreneurship (MEP) degree intended to convey entrepreneurial expertise that prepares graduates to launch successful startups and international ventures. The MEP is a non-thesis degree offering students the opportunity to develop strong conceptual and practical entrepreneurial skills. With a flexible curriculum covering a broad range of entrepreneurial topics and immersion in practically oriented experiential activities, the 30-credit hour program is built with aspirant entrepreneurs in mind. With both online and in-person course offerings and extensive list of elective and experiential credits to choose from, this program is designed to provide an educational experience tailored to your needs. With a focus on imparting advanced skills related to developing business ideas to start a new venture, taking an existing startup to the next level, and advancing innovation strategies in existing organizations, graduates will be prepared to be successful entrepreneurs in a variety of contexts.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, MEP students will be able to:
- Identify and explore entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Develop and test business ideas.
- Identify and secure key stakeholder relationships.
- Strategically position and launch new ventures.
- Design and implement strategic plans, processes and systems for innovation.
- Identify and access resources for launching a startup.
For more information about the MEP program, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/academics/graduate-programs/master-of-entrepreneurship/.
Double Graduate Degree
The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship participates in one double degree program at the graduate level. Students can simultaneously pursue a double degree in Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Entrepreneurship (MEP). The double degree plan allows students to share credits between the degrees. See the Director of Graduate Education for more details on sharing credits.
For more information on the double degree in Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Entrepreneurship (MEP), please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/academics/graduate-programs/double-degree-options/.
The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship participates in the full-time and part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) and in the Ph.D. in Business and Technology programs.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA is a 48-credit, non-thesis, non-creative component curriculum. Thirty of the 48 credits are core courses and the remaining 18 and graduate electives. Within the MBA program, students can obtain a specialization in entrepreneurship.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, MBA students will:
- Demonstrate effective communication skills.
- Effectively lead and work in diverse teams.
- Critically solve business problems.
- Integrate ethical and global perspectives in decision making.
For more information about the MBA program with a specialization in entrepreneurship, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/academics/graduate-programs/ivy-mba/.
Ph.D. in Business and Technology
The doctoral specialization in entrepreneurship (ENTSP) prepares students to conduct and publish scholarly research in entrepreneurship, including focus on new business ventures, entrepreneurs, innovation, and technology. In addition to curriculum in these core areas, students will also take courses in research methods and the closely related areas of management, including strategy, organizational behavior, and human resources.
The goal of this program is to prepare students to compete for tenure-track positions at leading research universities in the United States and abroad. As a doctoral candidate, students will learn how to conduct impactful research, and they are expected to develop a research pipeline and publish their work in top academic journals before entering the job market.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, PhD students will be able to:
- Understand and advance knowledge.
- Create knowledge through original research.
- Teach effectively in an institution of higher education.
For more information about the PhD program with a specialization in Entrepreneurship, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/academics/phd-program/entrepreneurship/.
Graduate Certificate
A graduate certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation offers post-undergraduate students the opportunity to learn the basics of starting a business. The certificate requires 4 courses (12 credits). The two required core courses are offered online by the Ivy College of Business. Elective courses are available across campus.
The graduate certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation focuses on strategies and resources for launching new ventures and helps students understand the role of innovation in entrepreneurship.
This interdisciplinary certificate provides a solid foundation in entrepreneurship and innovation through required core courses ENTSP 5660 Entrepreneurship and New Venture Startup and ENTSP 5830 Formulating and Implementing Innovation Strategies. At the same time, the program enables students to follow their own interests through electives offered by partners across campus.
For more information about the graduate certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, please visit: https://ivybusiness.iastate.edu/ei-certificate/.