Graduate Certificate In Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This course focuses on the comprehensive process of formulating a new business venture. It focuses on the methodology of transforming an idea into a business. Key topics covered include: self-assessment, entrepreneurial makeup, the startup process, customer discovery, customer validation, scaling a business idea, and building a company.

This course focuses on why and how marketing and sales is critical to any start-up and small business. It covers how marketing drives a company’s brand image and awareness of its products and how sales drives revenue and profits. A key component of the course is how marketing and sales must work together in order for a company to be successful. Key topics include identifying the market needs and target audiences, determining which offline and digital marketing channels reach the different audiences, and how marketing and sales move prospects through the sales funnel to become leads, buyers and repeat buyers. Data collection, reporting, analysis and tracking key metrics to test the effectiveness of marketing programs will also be closely examined. Many case studies will be discussed so students experience real world examples of how marketing and sales impacts a start-up venture. Students will then take all these learnings and start developing their own marketing and sales business plans.

This course focuses on intrapreneurship—making existing organizations more innovative. It considers how to make individuals, teams, and departments more creative and then on how to implement approved ideas. Key topics covered include ideation, organizational culture, innovation strategy, incentivizing innovation, working in teams, economic analysis, managing change, the implementation of ideas, and the measurement and monitoring of innovation in organizations.

This course focuses on the entrepreneur (or intrapreneur) who is ready to develop an executable business plan for the purpose of a new business opportunity with an innovative product, process or service. The entrepreneur will develop a business plan for acquiring human, financial and other required resources, and will be responsible for its success or failure. Within the entrepreneurship ecosystem, we will consider government programs and services for entrepreneurs, not-for-profit resources, such as incubators and accelerators; education, training and financing (loans, venture capital, and grants). The business plan will include all key components, including: an executive summary, company description, market analysis, competitive analysis, description of the leadership team and organization, operations, financial plan, products and services, marketing plan and sales strategy.