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Entrepreneurship Courses Open to All Drexel Students This Fall

Close School course offerings focus on infusing entrepreneurship into all academic disciplines.

July 25, 2014

This fall, Drexel students of all academic disciplines will have the opportunity to add groundbreaking entrepreneurship courses to their course loads. These courses, which can be taken without prerequisites, focus on topics ranging from the power of failure to the exploration of new venture creation as a force of social and environmental change.

The following courses, which are offered as part of the Close School’s BA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and three new minors – including Health Innovations, Energy Innovations and Social Entrepreneurship – are just the first of 40 new classes the Close School created to help all Drexel students think and act as entrepreneurs in their chosen fields of study.

ENTP 100: Innovation Neighborhood

CRN: 16179
Wednesday, 10:00 - 10:50 am
Instructor: Ian Sladen

Entrepreneurs are naturally attracted to innovation and creativity.  They eagerly pursue different technologies, markets, ideas, and innovations from many sources. As a student of innovation and entrepreneurship, you are part of Drexel’s legacy of innovative thinking and doing. 

Today, Drexel is embarking on an ambitious strategic plan titled, “Transforming the Modern Urban University”. At the core of this plan is a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that stretches across our community.  The term “innovation neighborhood” distinguishes how we view our role in higher education, and how we advance societal welfare and economic development. 

Through an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, Drexel researchers, scholars, scientists and thought leaders are engaging regional, national and international universities, institutions, industries as well as various other organizations toward a world-class innovation hub.

As a Drexel student, you are part of this innovative ecosystem.  This course is designed to introduce you to the numerous activities that are part of Drexel University and the greater Philadelphia region.  We hope to engage your curiosity about innovations and ideas that you have not encountered and stimulate your thinking about new opportunities.

ENTP 101: Life Strategies I

CRN: 16180
Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 9:00 - 9:50 am
Instructor: Roy Carriker

The Life Strategies series is intended to prepare students for current and future opportunities in the workforce.  Targeted at those interested in entrepreneurship, family enterprise, or being an individual contributor as a career alternative to a traditional job with a firm, the course is also well suited for any students wishing to broaden their career preparedness. The course objective is to build awareness of global employment trends and reinforce entrepreneurship as an increasingly important career.

ENTP 205: Ready, Set, Fail

CRN: 16308
Tuesday/Thursday, 5:00 - 6:20 pm
Instructor: Charles Sacco

There are many students who say they want to be an entrepreneur, but they are often not ready for the risk that comes with starting and growing a business. Taking risks requires a deep appreciation of failure. In fact, some entrepreneurs launch their strategies on assumptions about the unknown and hope they get it right. Conversely, some entrepreneurs are afraid of making aggressive pledges that are too often required for success, and choose a more conservative strategy of survival.   This course will teach students how to appreciate failure and learn from it and use these experiences to build future success.

ENTP 270: Social Entrepreneurship

CRN: 16181
Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30 - 10:50 am
Instructor: Damian Salas

This course examines how social entrepreneurs launch successful ventures to addressing the world’s most challenging social and environmental problems. The course introduces students to frameworks and methodologies that challenge current models to advance original solutions to existing problems. A passion for social change is advanced by adopting a market orientation and data drive approaches that encompasses both social and financial outcomes.

ENTP 450: Launch It!

CRN: 16182
Thursday, 6:30 - 9:20 pm
Instructor: Damian Salas

This course is designed for those serious about being entrepreneurs, and not for the faint of heart.  During these ten weeks, students will be expected to work on the actual launching of a startup.  Students will be talking to customers, partners, competitors, as you encounter the iterative process of how a startup actually works.  Students may work as individuals or in teams, learning how to turn a great idea into a great company.  Students will learn how to experiment with different business models, validate a market need through customer development, and build all facets of a startup company.  Finally, students will see how to rapidly iterate a product or service to build something customers will use and buy.  Each week will be a new adventure outside of the classroom as students test each part of their business model and then share the hard earned knowledge with the rest of the class. 

Using the Business Model Canvas as a guide, students will be expected to achieve milestones and test key risks on which the business’ success depends.  Students are responsible for the progress of their business, and their success will depend on achieving the aforementioned milestones.