Each semester the Center, and campus partners create new 2-4 credit entrepreneurial offerings for students to participate in. Below you will find a sampling of our past 101 courses, and what is being offered this semester. To find out more about these courses, come visit the Center for Entrepreneurship in Simons 350, SJU. 

 

ENTR 101 Topics in Entrepreneurship (1-2)

Introduction to entrepreneurial or innovation issues, perspectives, methodologies and/or skills at the lower-division level. In the context of the liberal arts, course will explore varied topics of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Students will examine innovation and entrepreneurship as applied in a variety of nonprofit and for profit settings. Students will consider major course of study, life-long learning, professional career and community engagement applications of course subject matter. Topics will vary each semester. Course may be repeated for credit when topics vary. Course is offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101A Entrepreneurship: A Film Study (2)

Explore the entrepreneurial mindset and skillset required for a successful entrepreneur through watching a series of major motion picture, TV series and/or documentary films. Class will unpack concepts of opportunity assessment, creativity and innovation, resources, risk taking, resiliency and relationship required to be an entrepreneur. Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101B Innovation & the Liberal Arts (2)

Webster defines innovation as the introduction of something new--a new idea, method or device. Adam Grant, in his recent book Originals, defines it as introducing and advancing an idea. It’s a concept that belongs to no particular major nor career path but is central to each of us: making our own unique contribution. Exploration of innovation through diverse array of readings and discussion from Machiavelli to contemporary organizational psychologist, Adam Grant. This class is appropriate for anyone intellectually curious, regardless of major. Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101C Improvisation (2)

Entrepreneurs are expected to “embrace ambiguity”. Expand your creativity and interpersonal skills through training in improvisation practices. Learn how to build on others ideas and contributions in a dynamic and applied classroom format. Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101D Social Ventures: Ideation to Impact (2)

Explore the concepts of opportunity/need assessment within the context of social change. Determine creative pathways to impact the social problem while learning the collaboration and benefit considerations for multiple stakeholders that will need to be engaged to create and sustain positive social impact. Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101E Innovating Your Life: Defaults and Dogfish (2)

Innovation principles can be a strong guide to creating a life that leverages trends, opportunities and growth mindset as a foundation for continuous change that will be ahead both personally and professionally. Through readings, video clips and conversation, this course will continue to push your mindset on what your life path will have in store and your ability to embrace and leverage those opportunities. Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101F Financial Concepts for Innovators and Entrepreneurs (2)

In this course, expand your understanding of financial concepts critical for successful venture launch and oversight.  Topics that will be explored will include: financial statements and key financial ratios, budgets and forecasting, financial measurement and management and funding avenues for businesses from founding through venture growth. Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101G Introduction to Product Design and Prototyping (2)

Students will be introduced to the process of designing, prototyping, and testing a potential product.  The course will include learning to use computer-aided design (CAD) software and 3D-printing.  Students will consider aspects of design   important for a marketable and profitable product.   Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101H  Storytelling for Entrepreneurs: Writing the Narrative of You and Your Venture (2)

Every venture — and every person, for that matter — has a story to tell, a narrative that differentiates them from the pack. Consistent, compelling communication of that story in an authentic voice is key to creating a strong brand or public identity. Uncover your unique story and learn how to tell it to through clear, creative, audience-focused communications — and polish those writing and video skills in the process. Course offered for S/U grading only. 

 

ENTR 101I   Sales Fundamentals (2)

Sales is key for the generation of revenue in all organizations – startup to large organizations, for profit to nonprofits.   The success of every enterprise is highly dependent on the ability of individuals to develop and execute a sales strategy for clients to purchase the organization’s product or service.   The concepts in sales are also critical for a nonprofit/social enterprise construct and communicate a compelling vision, mission and impact for individuals and entities to gain funding support or in some instances pitch your organization’s value proposition for capital investment or funding.    In this course, students will be introduced to the foundational concepts of defining and understanding customer segments and their value propositions, opportunities and challenges while developing methods to develop strategies to communicate and negotiate the product/service impact to gain a win/win sales outcome.   Course offered for S/U grading only. 

 

ENTR 101J    Ideas: Generation to Pitch (2)

The launch of any entrepreneurial venture begins with the seed of an “Idea”.    This course will provide you foundational skills through introduction of opportunity assessment and idea generation techniques to launch a venture, solve a business or social problem or explore various other possibilities.      You will also gain experience in sharing your ideas through different pitch formats considering various venture stakeholders in order to move your idea forward, secure resources and launch.   Course offered for S/U grading only. 

 

ENTR 101K  Small Business as an Agent for Change (2)

Small businesses account for a significant contribution to the US economy.   Structured to efficiently adapt and adjust, small business founders and leaders are uniquely positioned to make positive impact on the economy, environment and communities to ensure that resources are available for future generations to thrive.   The course will explore the principles and characteristics of sustainable for-profit small businesses, issues and models and the pathways for small business to make long-lasting changes to our economic, environmental and social practices.   Course offered for S/U grading only. 

ENTR 101L  Entrepreneurship & Sports (2)  

In this course, we will take a lens at how innovation and entrepreneurship has impact the wide and diverse space of sports – whether a sport as designed, products to support the sport or activities, research and technology impact in addition to resources (people, financial, infrastructure) to support the business of a particular sport industry. Students will engage in both innovation and entrepreneurial practices regarding opportunities or challenges they may see in the sport/sport entertainment industry as well as learn valuable lessons for their own entrepreneurial mindset and skillset from professionals engaged in this industry. Course offered for S/U grading only. 

ENTR 101M  Multi Media Strategies for Entrepreneurs (2)

Social media gives entrepreneurs unprecedented opportunities to communicate directly with their customers and potential customers, and multimedia is key to getting and keeping their attention. Learn how to create video, audio and photo posts that deliver maximum impact on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and more. Course offered for S/U grading only. 

ENTR 101N Unintended Consequences: Tech Changes the World (2)

Many entrepreneurs hope to make the world a better place. They are visionary game changers who disrupt the status quo by identifying and implementing innovative solutions to the world’s most wicked problems. Yet, frequently, innovative solutions that may solve one problem, create additional, unforeseen problems and consequences. This course focuses on a selection of case studies related to technological change to help you to identify problems, design solutions, and anticipate the potential unintended consequences of innovation. Course offered for S/U grading only. 

ENTR 101O Creativity and Innovation (2)

Entrepreneurial impact – both for social impact and for-profit ventures – begins with identifying problems, seeing opportunities, understanding human conditions and context to generate ideas and launch a venture.   While observing and engaging in creativity and innovation, this course will introduce students to Creative Problem Solving (CPS), a process for dealing with unstructured and messy situations and Lateral Thinking, a technique using one’s brain in different ways to solve problems and generate ideas.    Course offered for S/U grading only. 

  

ENTR 101P Communication Essentials for Entrepreneurs (2)

Running a company requires strong communication in a variety of formats to a variety of audiences. You’ll want to make your message clear and compelling whether you’re crafting an email, drafting a memo, posting on social media, creating a killer PowerPoint or distilling information into an executive summary. You’ll probably need a polished video presence, too. This course will tackle them all with the goal of making you a stronger, more confident communicator.  Course offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 101Q Humane Design (2)

Using the Lean Strip Startup Method and the principles of human technology, students will explore the intersections of entrepreneurship and ethical design by building and launching a digital product.  We will move back and forth between theoretical concepts about ethical design and social entrepreneurship and the nitty gritty details about user experience and product development.

 

ENTR 101R Indigenous Entrepreneurship (2)

Indigenous communities experience some of the greatest economic disparities in the United States. They are also some of the most innovative entrepreneurs, from the development of the $40 billion tribal casino industry and advances in FinTech to revitalizing Indigenous farming and wild rice gathering. This course will explore how Indigenous communities respond to political and economic marginalization with innovations that impact the entire

U.S. economy. By studying Indigenous businesses, students will learn how entrepreneurship can be a tool for empowering marginalized communities.

ENTR 201 Foundations of Entrepreneurship (4)

Interdisciplinary exploration and application to  innovation and entrepreneurship.  Innovation would be examined as it occurs at the individual level, in new start-ups, in small businesses, and at the corporate level.  Students will be introduced to entrepreneurial concepts such as opportunity recognition, feasibility analysis, design thinking, creative problem solving, lean start up, business model canvas, and minimum viable product.  Elements of venture business models and organizational functions such as sales, marketing, operations, human resources and finance will be introduced.    Different approaches and types of start-up firms will be examined highlighting the benefits of liberal arts education.    At the conclusion of the course, students will identify their entrepreneurial strengths and aspirations including a list of potential ideas for new ventures and preliminary steps toward launch.   No prerequisites.  

 

ENTR 271 Individual Learning Project (1-4)

Supervised reading or research at the lower-division level. Permission of department chair required. Consult department for applicability towards major requirements. Not available to first-year students.

 

ENTR 280 Experiencing Entrepreneurship (1)

Students will be introduced to entrepreneurship, interviewing techniques as a research tool, organization operations basics, differences between nonprofit and for profit organizations, and career discovery techniques. Course is offered for S/U grading only.

 

ENTR 301 Creating World Class Ventures (4)

This is the first in a three course sequence for the E-Scholars program. The course covers conceptual entrepreneurial skills needed to create a business that is globally competitive.  Students will be introduced to the essential entrepreneurial tools of opportunity recognition, idea generation and feasibility analysis for a potential world class venture. Students will prepare for an execute multiple informational interviews with entrepreneurs and people of interest to observe first hand best practices of entrepreneurial organizations. Students will also be introduced to issues of organizational integrity and ethics. Prerequisite: acceptance into the E-Scholars program and permission of instructor required.

 

ENTR 302 Global Entrepreneurship (4)

This is the second course in a three course sequence. The course prepares students to refine their business ventures through framing and validating assumptions through methods of customer feedback, concept testing and prototypes.    Students will also prepare for a global business trip  understand how markets and competition (economic dimension), power (political dimension), and culture (social dimension), and values (ethical dimension) influence start up decisions. The global trip includes engagement with foreign professors, business leaders and entrepreneurs as they are immersed in a foreign culture and face the challenge of transacting  and collaborating with global business partners and markets.  

Prerequisite ENTR 301 & Acceptance to E-Scholars Program and written permission of instructor required.

 

ENTR 303 Entrepreneur Apprenticeship (4)

This is the final course in the E-Scholars program. It involves an individualized entrepreneurial experience. Students will reflect deeply on their global business travel experience.   Students will be expected to complete a professional written business plan and business plan presentation. Prerequisite ENTR 302 and written permission of instructor required.

 

ENTR 304 Entrepreneurship (4)

Entrepreneurs search for change, respond to it, and exploit it as an opportunity. This course begins by examining the process of opportunity recognition. Students then conduct a feasibility analysis on one or more new venture ideas. Students will consider issues in marketing, strategy, operations, human resources, and finance as they develop and present a business plan. Topics relating to ethics, social responsibility, technology and personality will be investigated.

 

ENTR 310 Social Entrepreneurship (4)

Social Entrepreneurs identify and address social issues using entrepreneurial principles and approaches. They act as change agents at the local, national, and often global level and focus on creating value for those around them. An introduction to social entrepreneurship, this course will engage students in identifying important issues in today’s world and creating potential entrepreneurial approaches to address those issues. Students will become familiar with this new field, meet active social entrepreneurs and develop their own social venture plans. Prerequisite: instructor permission, preference to students with service learning or nonprofit volunteer experience.

 

ENTR 371 Individual Learning Project (1-4)

Supervised reading or research at the upper-division level. Permission of department chair and completion and/or concurrent registration of 12 credits within the department required. Consult department for applicability towards major requirements