Entrepreneurship/Start-ups

If you plan on launching your own venture within a few years of graduation, you will need to study in depth business plan writing and venture implementation, as well as become knowledgeable in a breadth of topics in innovation, marketing, venture capital, and legal issues.

Central courses in this program include:

Private Equity/Investment Banking

To make wise investments in banking or private equity, students need to develop a solid understanding of how to assess a new business idea, recognize and analyze a sound business plan, and understand funding requirements and legal issues. Also recommended is additional coursework in finance, as well as in areas of particular interest to the student, for example, real estate, health care, or private wealth management.

Central courses in this program include:

Corporate Venturing/Intrapreneurship

Many corporations cultivate entrepreneurial-minded professionals to become actively engaged in creating new business opportunities within the firm, often called "corporate venturing" or "intrapraneurship". Knowledge of the start-up experience combined with coursework in venture capital and acquisitions will provide a solid background for students interested in positions in this career path after graduation.

Central courses in this program include:

Consulting

Successful consultants draw from knowledge in a range of areas. One unifying theme is often entrepreneurial approaches to problems and challenges. In the wide spectrum of consulting services offered by top firms, graduates with experience in entrepreneurial solutions will have an edge. The suggested courses offer students an opportunity to learn how to capitalize on innovations, to harness technologies, to market effectively, and to learn from the successes and failures of new ventures.

Central courses in this program include:

"How can entrepreneurship help me in my career?"

While students who plan to launch their own ventures after graduation understand the need to study entrepreneurship, other professionals - such as investment bankers, consultants and corporate executives - also need the skills of an entrepreneur to succeed. The following guide is intended to help Wharton undergraduate students prepare for specific professional fields by taking selected courses in entrepreneurship. Students are encouraged to explore the broad range of courses offered in entrepreneurship. Course lists are offered only as suggestions. Please note that these programs of study do not appear on the official transcript.

The secondary concentration in entrepreneurship requires a total of 4.0 credit units (cu). A primary concentration must be selected in another field of study.

The foundation course in entrepreneurship, MGMT230 (1.0 cu), is required for the secondary concentration. Students are encouraged to take MGMT230 at the end of the sophomore year or later, once the required courses in business foundation areas have been completed.

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