Hodges Fellowship Will Fund Deep Entrepreneurial Training

University of Arkansas graduate students interested in entrepreneurship are encouraged to apply for the Kaneaster and Ruth Lindley Hodges Entrepreneurial Fellowship Award, which will aid in pursuing deep entrepreneurial training. 

Launched in 2021, the Hodges Fellowship allows them to bridge their academic work with the problems they care about in society and industry. Two to three outstanding full-time graduate students will be named fellows. They will receive $10,000 while pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship.  

Available to both degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking graduate students from any discipline, the 12-credit-hour certificate provides a hands-on, team-based environment that allows students to develop the skills to evaluate and pursue new business ideas.  

Applications close April 1, 2025. The fellowship is overseen by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Be sure to check OEI's event calendar at the bottom of its graduate studies page for information sessions and workshops about how to complete the application.  

The certificate program will help you to collaborate on interdisciplinary teams to develop and validate business ideas, engage with mentors, secure seed funding and compete in international business-plan competitions. The fellows devote at least 20 hours per week to their entrepreneurial pursuits. 

The intensive, incubator-like New Venture Development course sequence at the heart of the certificate helps students develop the knowledge and skills to bring new innovations to society — whether by creating their own company, working for a startup, taking a greater role in an established company or founding a non-profit.  

Prospective students must have completed an accredited undergraduate degree and meet all other Graduate School of Business admissions requirements to be eligible for the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship.   

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, OEI 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, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.