MANAGEMT 431 - Mentored Study in Entrepreneurship
Course Overview
The course is designed for students who wish to experience an entrepreneurial career path (whether or not they plan to be involved with such a venture in the near future) and who are willing to invest the effort required for such an experience. Participating students are placed into part-time internships during the school year with local entrepreneurial start-up and early stage companies, non-profit organizations, real estate developers, venture capital firms, and other entrepreneurial ventures. There are no exams. Grades will depend on (1) evaluations of student work by the participating organizations and (2) the quality of the experience as evidence by written reports generated by each student. The time commitment is intended to be the equivalent of a normal one term course, but is spread over two terms to provide sufficient continuity to benefit both the student and the participating organization.
Mentored study program with entrepreneurial firms - It is expected that students will have a general management experience in a high growth environment. All participating companies are asked to assign a senior company official as a mentor to each student and to provide each student with as broad and multifunctional an exposure to their business as possible. Typically, projects might include involvement in some or all of the following: preparing a business plan and/or financial projections, raising venture capital and other sources of financing, identifying and evaluating corporate partnering and licensing opportunities, evaluating competitors, and developing marketing strategies.
Mentored study program with venture capital firms - It is expected that student responsibilities will include: screening potential investment opportunities (reading business plans and preparing evaluation reports); conducting due diligence (researching markets, intellectual property positions, and competitors); evaluating company presentations; and, participating in venture firm discussions leading to investment decisions. Students also may be requested to conduct special research projects on topics that may be of interest as potential areas for future investment.
Downloadable detailed course description:
Management 431 Course Description (PDF)
Management 431 Language Proficiency Information
Course Website