Center for Entrepreneurship
401 Fulton St. Suite 272 C
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Phone: 616-331-7257
Fax: 616-331-7583
ent@gvsu.edu
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The Seidman School of Business, offers two program options for those students interested in Entrepreneurship. If you are a business degree seeking undergraduate, you will be allowed to follow the Entrepreneurship Certificate and for any other major, you will follow the Entrepreneurship Minor program. Follow the information below as a guide to how our programs are offered. If you have any questions, please call or email us at your convenience.


 Click Individual Program name and Class Code for detailed information 


Minor
Certificate
Required Courses
Required Courses
ENT 150
ENT 151
ENT 250
MGT 330
ENT 350
ENT 351
             
ENT 251
ENT 350
ENT 351

 

Certificate in Entrepreneurship

About the Certificate:

The Entrepreneur Certificate Program is made up of four courses that, along with the business core courses, help to prepare students for an entrepreneurial career while being flexible to the diverse interests and opportunities of students.

Customize Your Program:

An elective course in a variety of areas allows students to customize their certificate study to the type of business or industry that works for them.

Entrepreneurship Minor

The Goal:

To provide the opportunity for students from any functional major (e.g., Art & Design, Computer Science, Software Design, Hospitality & Tourism) to learn the process, tools, and to develop the skills and experiences that will facilitate the start-up of a new venture. Students who are interested in creating new ventures need to develop an array of skills that are not currently available in a succinct, harmonized program. The entrepreneurship minor will facilitate the students pursuit of landing a new venture by providing a coordinated set of knowledge and experiences in the areas of planning, risk-taking, market analysis, problem-solving, creativity and capital development, to name a few.

Grand Valley State University Prepares You:

Traditional, specialized majors within many colleges and business schools are frequently designed from the perspective that graduating students will seek employment in specialized departments within large established firms. The goal of the entrepreneurship minor is to help provide students the choice of starting their own venture and to provide the broad entrepreneurial skills important to small, rapidly growing firms. Successfully launching and growing a new venture (i.e., entrepreneurship) requires the mastery and blending of skills that are different from those required to maintain an organization.

Core competency requirements for an entrepreneurial student are centered on the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and create a sustainable business opportunity, to prepare and execute a full business plan that integrates the necessary human, financial, physical and technological resources, and to manage the entity on an ongoing basis in periods of rapid growth and competitive uncertainty.

This 18 credit hour minor is comprised of courses that are developed based upon their content (innovation, growth, competitive analysis), strategies (interaction with local business, case studies, actual product/service development), and methods of assessment (service-learning projects and presentations).

 

ENT 150 - Entrepreneurial Quest: An introductory course designed to explore the entrepreneurial journey beginning with myths and realities of entrepreneurs, student self-analysis, as well as creativity and idea generation. Students will be able to achieve the following through recognition of a business opportunity and the introduction of a business plan. Key motivators and the drivers for success will be analyzed along with several case studies and entrepreneurial speakers. Students will have the opportunity to conceptualize a new venture idea and sketch out their initial plan. (Three credits).

ENT 151 - New Venture Feasibility: This course focuses on the process of developing an idea for a service or product into a business concept that has market and commercial feasibility. Students will have "hands on" and applied opportunities to develop their concepts within different environments including engineering prototyping, graphics and software development, and entrepreneurial locations. (Three credits).

Prerequisite: ENT 150

ENT 250 - Entrepreneurial Finance and Accounting: This course begins the process of entrepreneurial tool development within the framework of the business plan. Students will research and extend their plan into the areas of identifying start-up and continuing cash flows, budgeting and control processes, accounting and information systems, risk assessment and management, and the various sources of venture funds. Students will pull all materials together in the final presentation of a comprehensive business plan. (Three credits).

Note: ENT 250 & 251 may be taken concurrently

Prerequisite: ENT 151

ENT 251 - Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing: This course completes the process of business plan development by incorporating market research, the competitive environment, legal formation, intellectual property protection, and management development. Prerequisite: ENT 250. Three credits. Offered every semester.

Prerequisite: ENT 151

ENT 350 - Entrepreneurial Business Plan: In this course, student teams will work with an entrepreneurial client in developing a business plan for client implementation. In addition, the student will individually refine their own comprehensive business plan and submit it for competitive evaluation at a business plan competition to be judged by local entrepreneurs, investors, and faculty. (Three credits).

Note: ENT 350 & 351 may be taken concurrently

Prerequisite: ENT 250 & 251

ENT 351 - Entrepreneurial Project: In this course students will extend principles to real world entrepreneurial projects. The course involves individual project work such as the launching and/or growing the student business, conduct in-depth research on current entrepreneurial issues, or assisting area entrepreneurs. (Three credits).

Note: ENT 350 & 351 may be taken concurrently

Prerequisite: ENT 250 & 251

MGT 330 - Application of management principles to the everyday operating problems of small, evolving businesses. Designed for persons considering entrepreneurial careers and those already operating small businesses(Three credits)

 
  Last Modified Date: August 12, 2009
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