Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor

Summary

The minor is designed to expose, engage and support students in thinking and experiencing the processes, challenges, and opportunities associated with the interdisciplinary and team-based nature of beginning a new venture. 

Catalog Year

2023-2024

Degree

Minor

Total Credits

21

Locations

Mankato

Update Your Major

Thinking like an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily mean starting a new business. This minor is for any student, from any discipline who wants to explore and implement ideas that create social, environmental or economic value.

From an engineering major developing the next energy efficient vehicle, to the sports management student learning to coordinate events, to the artist wanting to open their own gallery, the Entrepreneurship & Innovation minor is developed to help prepare you for what lies ahead in the working world. By completing the minor you will have the opportunity to:

  • Practice real world application of business concepts
  • Acquire new resources to help you reach your goals
  • Increase your self -awareness and social skills to help determine your skills and strengths
  • Understand the value in creating effective management teams
  • Think like an entrepreneur

OBJECTIVE

Challenge students to think like an entrepreneur by providing foundational and creative coursework combined with co-curricular entrepreneurial opportunities. 

ABOUT

A minor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation consists of the following 21 credits and requires completion of the United Prairie Bank IBE program. 

Program Requirements

Core

The accounting process, financial statement preparation, and analysis. Includes the accounting cycle, asset, liability, and equity accounting. Emphasis on the use of accounting data.

Prerequisites: MATH 112 or MATH 115or MATH 121 or MATH 130 or MATH 181

BUS 397 provides students an entrepreneurial real-world learning opportunity. Students gain additional insight into business concepts by applying the material in a real-world environment and gaining insight into the integrated nature of business. The class focuses on learning to develop and operate a business entity. Student teams will operate their own company, obtain an actual bank loan, and sell their chosen products throughout the semester. The class provides an opportunity to practice business skills such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership. Students learn what it takes for entrepreneurs to succeed while giving back through community service.

Prerequisites: Must be admitted to a major.

An introduction to finance relating to problems, methods, and policies in financing business enterprise.

Prerequisites: ACCT 200

This course examines basic management concepts and principles, their historical development, and their application to modern organizations. Topics covered include planning, organizing, decision making, leadership, control, and organizational change. In addition, the course includes an introduction to business ethics and social responsibility, human resource management, organizational design and organizational behavior.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to develop a students personal creativity and help a student identify the process of organizational innovation. The course is comprised of a combination of short lecture, in-class discussion of readings and videos, writing assignments, an elevator pitch and group activities.

Prerequisites: none

This course focuses on startup and post-startup venture activities. Students who have achieved proof of concept with a venture idea will find this course helpful. Students will learn to evolve a business model concept into a sustainable, scalable venture in a variety of business sectors. Topics discussed include business operations, analysis, entrepreneurial finance, growth, and exit strategies. Students will also learn to present their venture ideas to interested stakeholders. The course will allow students to have the opportunity to engage with business professionals and entrepreneurs.

Prerequisites: none

This course provides a basic understanding of marketing concepts with emphasis on the pricing, promotion, and distribution of need satisfying products and services in domestic and international markets. The format of the course consists of lectures, case discussions, application exercises, projects, exams, and in-class group assignments.

Prerequisites: none