Certificate in entrepreneurship
Program information
Develop your entrepreneurial competency and build foundational entrepreneurship skills through a combination of coursework and experiential learning. The certificate provides a hands-on introduction to the field of entrepreneurship.
A certificate in entrepreneurship can benefit all majors and career paths by fostering innovative, strategic thinking.
Forthcoming changes to entrepreneurship certificate
Effective fall 2023, requirements for the certificate in entrepreneurship will change, and it will be open to all undergraduate KU students across every major. Find details about current and future requirements below.
- Any new student who enrolls at KU beginning fall 2023 will be subject to the new requirements.
- Any student who was enrolled at KU before fall 2023 may opt in to the new requirements or continue with the current requirements.
- Questions about eligibility should be directed to your academic advisor.
Changes to the certificate requirements for graduate students are forthcoming.
Entrepreneurship certificate students are not eligible for the minor in entrepreneurship.
Undergraduate requirements
Beginning fall 2023, the certificate in entrepreneurship will be open to all undergraduate KU students. Students will be required to complete three courses (nine credits) and earn points through participation in School of Business entrepreneurship co-curricular activities.
- Any new student who enrolls at KU beginning fall 2023 will be subject to the new requirements.
- Any student who was enrolled at KU before fall 2023 may opt in to the new requirements or continue with the current requirements.
- Questions about eligibility should be directed to your academic advisor.
ENTR 301: Starting Your Own Business
Learn the entrepreneurial process — the approach successful entrepreneurs use to find a new business opportunity and determine its viability. Using videos, guest speakers, case studies and step-by-step presentations, the course provides a foundation to help you discover your entrepreneurial strengths, identify a solid new business opportunity and determine the resources necessary to bring that idea to market.
ENTR 302: Financing Your Own Business
This course introduces the fundamentals of accounting and finance to non-business students. To run a new business, you need to be able to keep score. Learn how to track your business growth, how to talk the language of business to your bankers and investors and how to make smart financial decisions.
ENTR 303: Marketing Your Own Business
Understand how to plan an entrepreneurial marketing program, implement it and evaluate its performance. This includes market analysis, segmentation, the marketing mix (product, price, promotion and distribution) and marketing strategy, all within the constraints of a small new venture budget.
Required courses
ENTR 410: Building Entrepreneurial Competency*
Build your entrepreneurial competency — a way of thinking about problem-solving that can be applied across every industry and every type of organization. Topics may include opportunity recognition, opportunity feasibility, idea validation through experimentation, business model construction, and learning from failure.
Not open to students with credit in ENTR 301 or BBA 404.
*For students enrolled at KU before fall 2023, completion of ENTR 301 satisfies the ENTR 410 course requirement.
ENTR 460: Entrepreneurial Finance*
This course explores finance through an entrepreneurial lens — both from the perspective of the entrepreneur and from the investor, using numerous case studies and examples to illustrate topics. Topics may include designing revenue models, forms and stages of financing, capital structures for new ventures, and evaluating financial statements.
Not open to students with credit in ENTR 302.
*For students enrolled at KU before fall 2023, completion of ENTR 302 satisfies the ENTR 460 course requirement.
ENTR 470: Entrepreneurial Marketing*
An emerging business venture may have the most innovative technology or distinctive service offering, but if there are no customers, the venture is likely to fail. This course is about how a new venture gets, keeps and grows customers to successfully build the business, often under the constraint of limited resources and a high degree of uncertainty.
Not open to students with credit in ENTR 303.
*For students enrolled at KU before fall 2023, completion of ENTR 303 satisfies the ENTR 470 course requirement.
Experiential activities
4 points needed. Students can earn points by participating in School of Business entrepreneurship co-curricular activities. Activities may include:
- Entrepreneurial internship
- Active work on an entrepreneurial venture
- Participation in Jayhawk Consulting or The Catalyst
- Pitch competition
- Job shadowing
- Entrepreneurship-related guest speakers
- Club or leadership experience
These activities will require approval by the program director. Further details about point-eligible activities and point values are forthcoming.
ENTR 301: Starting Your Own Business
Learn the entrepreneurial process — the approach successful entrepreneurs use to find a new business opportunity and determine its viability. Using videos, guest speakers, case studies and step-by-step presentations, the course provides a foundation to help you discover your entrepreneurial strengths, identify a solid new business opportunity and determine the resources necessary to bring that idea to market.
ENTR 302: Financing Your Own Business
This course introduces the fundamentals of accounting and finance to non-business students. To run a new business, you need to be able to keep score. Learn how to track your business growth, how to talk the language of business to your bankers and investors and how to make smart financial decisions.
ENTR 303: Marketing Your Own Business
Understand how to plan an entrepreneurial marketing program, implement it and evaluate its performance. This includes market analysis, segmentation, the marketing mix (product, price, promotion and distribution) and marketing strategy, all within the constraints of a small new venture budget.
Required courses
ENTR 410: Building Entrepreneurial Competency*
Build your entrepreneurial competency — a way of thinking about problem-solving that can be applied across every industry and every type of organization. Topics may include opportunity recognition, opportunity feasibility, idea validation through experimentation, business model construction, and learning from failure.
Not open to students with credit in ENTR 301 or BBA 404.
*For students enrolled at KU before fall 2023, completion of ENTR 301 satisfies the ENTR 410 course requirement.
ENTR 460: Entrepreneurial Finance*
This course explores finance through an entrepreneurial lens — both from the perspective of the entrepreneur and from the investor, using numerous case studies and examples to illustrate topics. Topics may include designing revenue models, forms and stages of financing, capital structures for new ventures, and evaluating financial statements.
Not open to students with credit in ENTR 302.
*For students enrolled at KU before fall 2023, completion of ENTR 302 satisfies the ENTR 460 course requirement.
ENTR 470: Entrepreneurial Marketing*
An emerging business venture may have the most innovative technology or distinctive service offering, but if there are no customers, the venture is likely to fail. This course is about how a new venture gets, keeps and grows customers to successfully build the business, often under the constraint of limited resources and a high degree of uncertainty.
Not open to students with credit in ENTR 303.
*For students enrolled at KU before fall 2023, completion of ENTR 303 satisfies the ENTR 470 course requirement.
Experiential activities
4 points needed. Students can earn points by participating in School of Business entrepreneurship co-curricular activities. Activities may include:
- Entrepreneurial internship
- Active work on an entrepreneurial venture
- Participation in Jayhawk Consulting or The Catalyst
- Pitch competition
- Job shadowing
- Entrepreneurship-related guest speakers
- Club or leadership experience
These activities will require approval by the program director. Further details about point-eligible activities and point values are forthcoming.