Social Entrepreneurship Concentration



The Concentration in Social Entrepreneurship is designed for students interested in using their MBA skills in the entrepreneurial pursuit of social impact. MBA skills are seen as valuable and much needed in the social sector, and the core MBA program provides a strong foundation for any student looking to become a successful social sector leader. However, MBAs looking to use their skills and talents for social impact must approach their work thoughtfully, recognizing the unique challenges, opportunities, and qualities associated with trying to create social value. The Social Entrepreneurship Concentration exposes students to the skills, knowledge, and perspectives necessary to pursue social impact entrepreneurially, effectively, and pragmatically. This concentration is designed to serve students who aspire at some point in their lives to be social entrepreneurs, executives in social-purpose organizations, philanthropists, board members, or leading volunteers in their communities and the social sector. Courses in this concentration will also appeal to students interested in incorporating strategies for social impact into their business and entrepreneurial careers.

Coursework Requirements:
Students must complete a minimum of 6 electives. Courses focus on the use of business/entrepreneurial skills for social impact in different contexts, MBA skills that are particularly relevant for the effective pursuit of social impact, field or industry-specific knowledge, and there are opportunities for students to gain practical experience in the social sector.

Students may also petition to include social impact-related independent study projects or other Duke University graduate level courses for credit towards the concentration. To petition, students should contact The Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) to discuss their plans.

Choose at least 2 of the following required courses*:
MANAGEMT 426 — Social Entrepreneurship
MANAGEMT 491 — Advanced Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship
MANAGEMT 491 — Corporate Social Impact Management
STRATEGY 490 — Global Consulting Practicum

* At a minimum, students must receive credit for 2 of these courses. However, interested students may apply up to all 4 towards fulfillment of the social entrepreneurship concentration requirements.

Choose 4 courses from the following lists (at least 2 courses must be from outside the Management area):
ACCOUNTG 491 — Control and Evaluation
FINANCE 351 — Corporate Finance
FINANCE 356 — Entrepreneurial Finance
MANAGEMT 423 — Leadership
MANAGEMT 431 — Mentored Study in Entrepreneurship**
MANAGEMT 490 — Strategic Planning Practicum**
MARKETNG 361 — Market Intelligence
MARKETNG 468 — Marketing Strategy
MARKETNG 490 — Marketing Practicum**
OPERATIONS 472 — Service Operations Management
STRATEGY 333 — Entrepreneurial Strategy
STRATEGY 437 — Entrepreneurial Execution/Planning

** While not required, students may fulfill 1 of the social entrepreneurship elective requirements through a practicum opportunity, as long as the content of the project is focused on organization or innovation in pursuit of social impact. Students interested in this option should contact The Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE)  with a short description of their project/client and why it should qualify for the concentration. Upon completion of an approved project, a copy of the final product/paper should be submitted to CASE in order to verify credit toward the concentration.

For students interested in nonprofit management:
LAW 541 — Exempt Organizations
PUBPOL 280S/LAW 585 — Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Not-For-Profit Management
PUBPOL 330.02 — Nonprofit Management
PUBPOL 330.04 — Foundation Strategy and Impact

For students interested in community development:
LAW 314 — Community Economic Development Law
LAW 427 — Community Enterprise Law Clinic
MANAGEMT 491 — Minority Business Enterprise

For students interested in the environment and sustainability:
ENRGYENV 380 — Environmental Sustainability                                                        
ENVIRON 270/PUBPOL 272 — Resource and Environmental Economics
ENVIRON 298.41 — Environmental Problems: Tackling Sources Rather than Problems
ENVIRON 298.65 — Business Strategy for Environmental Sustainability

For students interested in global health:
HLTHMGMT 491/BME 362 — Invention to Application: Healthcare Research Commercialization
PUBPOL 195/264, LAW 364, Nursing 455 — Global Health

For students interested in international development:
PUBPOL 264.50 — Communities & Development: Social Capital, Entrepreneurship, and External Support
PUBPOL 383A — Institutional Design for Managing the Environment.
PUBPOL 383C — Strategic Management of Policy Change