11 Colleges for Future Entrepreneurs
Written by: Pavita Singh
One of the defining traits of the current generation is an entrepreneurial spirit. Some of the most brilliant minds are coming together with innovative ideas that will change the course of society. The entrepreneurs of today are creating the jobs of tomorrow. As an entrepreneur, how do you ensure that your idea actually turns into something great and doesn’t just stay an idea? Unfortunately there are no guarantees, but there are steps that you can take to help you move in the right direction towards a sustainable business. Entrepreneurial training in college is a great place to start. If you have any entrepreneurial drive in you and want to make that part of your college experience, check out these 11 colleges.
1. Babson College, Babson Park, MA: Babson was founded in 1919 for the purpose of fostering business innovation. Babson is home to the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship. The college offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Design, and students can pursue customized two-week programs that specialize on certain aspects of entrepreneurship. About 90% of students at Babson take at least one entrepreneurship elective.
2. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT: BYU offers a BS in Management where students can emphasize in entrepreneurship. More than a dozen courses are catered to new business ventures. The university houses the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology—a nurturing environment for students interested in startups. The Center’s motto is “learn, earn, and return.” Currently, more than 140 startup founders serve as mentors for BYU students through the Rollins Center.
3. University of Houston, Houston, TX: At UH, students can earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) along with a corporate entrepreneurship certification. Through the university’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, students have access to mentorship programs, business plan competitions, retreats, and internship opportunities. They can also take part in the UH-Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
4. Baylor University, Waco, TX: Baylor is unique in that it offers a major in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, where students can learn everything about starting a new business with classes like “Franchising: Franchisee & Franchisor Perspectives” and “Entrepreneurial Leadership.” Baylor also has an Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Center where undergraduates can live and receive support from faculty. The John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise at Baylor also sponsors programs and initiatives in which students can take part. Baylor has its own investment engine, the Baylor Angel Network, which is overseen by both students and faculty.
5. Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY: At Syracuse, students can major in Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (triple E). The university is home to the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship. Students have access to such programs and resources as Couri Hatchery, a student-centered business incubator; and the Panasci business plan competition, a campus-wide competition where top teams earn prize money for their ventures.
6. Northeastern University, Boston, MA: At Northeastern, you will find the Center for Entrepreneurship Education. Undergraduates can pursue a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Courses cover a range of topics, including technology, social ventures, and family businesses. The curriculum is structured in such a way that students can develop and launch their own business ideas. Northeastern also hosts IDEA, a student-run venture accelerator to help students start businesses.
7. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA: USC is home to the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. The school offers six interdisciplinary entrepreneurial minors, including game entrepreneurialism, the digital entrepreneur, and technology commercialization. USC hosts 5 venture competitions, awarding over $250,000 in prize money. USC alumni have founded such companies as Kinko’s, Quicksilver, and Salesforce.
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC: Classes at UNC include “Venture Capital and Startups” and “New Product Development.” Undergraduates who major in business can concentrate in entrepreneurial studies. The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies partners with new accelerators in Chapel Hill and provides resources to help students turn their ideas into something marketable. There is also an Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club on campus.
9. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI: The Center for Entrepreneurship at Michigan is housed within the College of Engineering. One of its highlights is “The Startup”—an annual competition where students pitch mentors to join their teams. Teams increase their funding with each round they make it through. The CFE sponsors a 9-credit certification program in entrepreneurship that is open to all undergrads. Course titles include “Finding Your Venture” and “Entrepreneurial Business Basics.”
10. University of Washington, Seattle, WA: At UW, you can find the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, where students can take classes on such topics as building business plans and launching new ventures. One of the Buerk Center’s unique programs is the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge, which was established to solve environmental and cleantech issues. Students can also join Startup UW, a club that hosts weekly meetings and quarterly events such as BarkTank, where students can pitch to real investors and VCs. A short drive from campus are Microsoft and Amazon, where students can further fuel their entrepreneurial drive.
11. University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD: University of Maryland has an immersive entrepreneurship and innovation program, where freshmen and sophomores live and study together and support each other. The program includes workshops, guest speakers, and case studies. Business majors can choose to pursue an entrepreneurship track. The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at Maryland is home to the Dingman Center Angels, the nation’s largest university-run angel investor network.
Pretty cool, huh? If you want to learn more about these colleges, these programs, or entrepreneurship in general, join Konversai. Currently a startup itself, Konversai is a global knowledge platform that allows for one-on-one live video conversations between anyone, anywhere, about anything. It was founded on the premise that everyone everywhere in the world has valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences to share that can benefit people outside of your network. Konversai is the space for accessing these knowledge, skills, and experiences without geography, time, money, and the limitations of your network getting in the way. On Konversai, you can connect with investors, startup founders, industry leaders, college students and alumni, and more and have a session personalized to exactly what you’re looking for. Users are encouraged to be both providers and seekers of knowledge on the platform on any and as many topics as they wish. Given that we believe that all knowledge has value, knowledge providers are encouraged to charge for their time. They can also hold sessions for free or donate their earnings to a charity of their choice as they wish.
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