Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises

The major theme of the Whitman School of Management is entrepreneurial management--the ability to envision and create new business ventures whether in a startup situation or within a mature organization; the ability to identify new opportunities; and the ability to grow and renew existing businesses (including nonprofit organizations) in a healthy, productive manner. These capabilities are often lacking in traditional organizations. The skills and competencies of 21st-century managers are very different from previous managerial requirements.  Entrepreneurs are transforming the way we live and how we conduct business. Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial managers must deal with numerous challenges and opportunities including managing proficiently in rapidly growing global markets. These exciting challenges require new ways of thinking, creating, and managing. They also require personal courage and risk-taking. 

Whitman's Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) program is designed to link educational excellence and entrepreneurial ingenuity. Topics covered in the curriculum include the entrepreneurial mind, opportunity identification and verification, financing, venture planning, managing family and closely held enterprises, venture capital, startup challenges, legal issues facing entrepreneurs, creating an entrepreneurial culture, and building highly proficient entrepreneurial teams. Students frequently benefit from the expertise of local and national leaders in the field. 

The Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises offers both a major and a minor in entrepreneurship. The major is pursued by itself or as part of a double major to complement other disciplines both within the Whitman School and across campus.  Students from other (non-business) schools and colleges also find that a minor in entrepreneurship complements their educational goals. 

Graduates of the EEE program are particularly well-suited for the growing opportunities found in both small and large organizations requiring entrepreneurial skills. A primary educational mission of the EEE program is to help students recognize and capitalize on their own entrepreneurial potential. 

Major Requirements
Students majoring in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises must take the following courses:

Sophomore or Junior Year
EEE 370 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (3 credits)
Advanced EEE course (see listed below) (0-3 Credits)
Management elective(s) (0-6 credits)

Senior Year
Advanced EEE courses (see below) (6-9 credits)
Management elective(s) (0-6 credits)

Advanced EEE Courses
EEE 375 Entrepreneurial and Family Business Management (3 credits)
EEE 378 Imagination, Entrepreneurship, and Creative Problem Solving (3 credits)
EEE 382 Entrepreneurial Marketing (3 credits)
EEE 439 Entrepreneurship and Digital Commerce (3 credits)
EEE 442 Emerging Enterprise Law (3 credits)
EEE 443 Emerging Enterprise Consulting (3 credits)
EEE 446 Minority and Women’s Entrepreneurship: Race, Gender, and Entrepreneurial
Opportunity (3 credits)
EEE 451 Finance for Emerging Enterprises (3 credits)
 
Study Abroad Opportunities
EEE 464 Entrepreneurial Empowerment
EEE 490 Entrepreneurship Field Experience

Note: Other topics are offered periodically and are listed under EEE 400 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship. Such courses count as advanced EEE courses.

Note: Students are eligible to apply for D’Aniello Entrepreneurial Internships, which can be taken for up to 3 credits.

Note: A major in Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises requires 12 credits of EEE courses and 6 credits of management electives. The senior capstone course, EEE 457, does not count as part of the EEE major.