Entrepreneurship Certificate Lets Grad Students Explore Real Business Ideas

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The Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship allows students from across disciplines to launch successful ventures, create innovative products and drive social impact.

Students eager to get their ideas off of the napkin and out into the world are encouraged to apply for the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, a fast-paced, experiential environment to develop skills as a founder alongside intensive mentoring and soft skills development. 

The 12-credit-hour certificate is open to any discipline. Participants must be U of A graduate students in good standing. 

Registration is open for two virtual information sessions about the certificate and funding: 

Register for Monday, Feb. 19, 5 to 6 p.m. 

Register for Thursday, March 7, 6 to 7 p.m. 

These sessions will focus on the structure of the certificate, the process through which students identify teams and ideas, and how to apply for available fellowship funding, said Laura Moix, program manager. 

Students who are curious about entrepreneurship and interested in "solving big problems" should check out the certificate program, said David Hinton, executive director of Technology Ventures at the U of A and co-instructor of the New Venture Development courses at the heart of the certificate program. 

"We emphasize the value of learning by doing, recognizing that certain skills can only be truly developed through practical application," Hinton said.  

"The Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship is supported by a dedicated community of mentors and fosters an environment where individuals collaborate across disciplines to thrive, innovate and ultimately emerge as leaders in their respective fields." 

Overseen by the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI), the certificate pairs graduate students from business and non-business disciplines on teams together in an incubation-like setting for exploring real business ideas and for connecting new technologies to market opportunities. 

OEI also offers a Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship to support promising graduate students from all disciplines in the pursuit of intensive entrepreneurial training. Entrepreneurial Fellows are expected to devote at least 20 hours per week to their entrepreneurial pursuits during their fellowship year.  

"Many students find that the certificate fits best into the 'all but dissertation' stage of a Ph.D., the second year of a professional master's program or embedded into a full-time or Executive M.B.A.," Moix said. 

"Others pursue it as a standalone program while working full time."

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.