How to Select the Ideal Entrepreneurial Program

Choosing an entrepreneurial program is an important decision which can have a significant impact on wether or not an entrepreneur is successful.

With a large number of entrepreneur programs to choose from it can be difficult to make the ideal selection. Shown below are some important aspects to consider when selecting among the large number of entrepreneurship programs:

Location

Some experts recommend that individuals seeking a career in technology select a school located in a major tech entrepreneurial center such as Silicon Valley or the Boston region where venture capital deals are made all the time. For technology entrepreneurs, some experts suggest a second-tier school located in a major tech market is preferable to a prestigious school located in the Midwest.

Reputation and Track Record

A school’s ranking and having a national reputation of academic excellence are often important factors to potential employers. They can also be important factors to venture capitalists.

Questions: What is the percentage of graduates of a particular entrepreneurship program that begin their own business? One expert estimates that up to 20 percent of people majoring in entrepreneurship begin a business immediately after they graduate. Who are the successful entrepreneurs who graduated from the program?

On-Campus Resources

It’s important to select a school that provides active opportunities for students to meet investors. On-campus small business development centers and entrepreneurial centers can also be useful.

The school’s affiliations with businesses and business related organizations can also be helpful to students during an externship and in their careers. A school’s affiliation with national and international student organizations including Students in Free Enterprise may be a desirable factor for some students.

Curriculum

In some programs, students as individuals or as part of a team have the opportunity to operate their own company during a majority of the program. A significant trend is the tech-transfer model in which entrepreneurship is taught across the curriculum.

At some institutions faculty members and graduate students from medical and engineering schools team up with MBA students to take innovative ideas and commercialize them.

 Questions: What areas of concentration are available? Does the school have entrepreneurship clubs? Does the school have mentorship programs?

Flexibility

Online classes allow students to work at their own pace from home. They can take classes while building their business. Many school offer accelerated programs. Prospective students should make sure the online program they are considering offers all the important parts of on-campus programs.

Training

Externships provide valuable experience and networking opportunities.

Questions: Does the program provide a variety of externships? Do students have to find their own externships? Are they paid or unpaid externships?

Prerequisite Work

Some entrepreneur programs focus on entrepreneurial studies throughout the program, whereas other programs require an extensive amount of prerequisite work including business classes and general studies classes.

Faculty

Quality programs are taught by instructors that have been successful entrepreneurs.

Questions: What percentage of faculty members are entrepreneurs? How does the percentage compare to top ranked schools? Do some of the instructors have experience at developing Internet businesses?

Top Rated Entrepreneurial Undergraduate Programs

Some of the top rated entrepreneurial undergraduate degree programs are provided by the following schools:

• Babson College
• University of Houston
• Baylor University
• Temple University
• Drexel University
• University of Dayton
• DePaul University
• City University of New York – Baruch College
• University of Southern California
• University of Pennsylvania
• Indiana University – Bloomington
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Syracuse University
• University of Arizona
• Miami University
• University of Texas Austin
• Ball State University
• University of Oklahoma
• Northeastern University
• University of Alabama

Top Rated Entrepreneurial Graduate Programs

Some of the top rated entrepreneurship graduate degree programs are provided by the following schools:

• Babson College
• Stanford University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Cornell University
• DePaul University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Harvard University
• Howard University
• University of Pennsylvania

About the Author: Brian Jenkins writes articles on management for Braintrack.com, including this article on General Management Careers.

Photo Credit: epak

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