About the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor

This interdisciplinary minor uses problem-based learning to prepare students in any major to create value (including new products) and be agents of positive change. The world needs new innovative products, services and solutions in all disciplines: arts, business, engineering, science, agriculture, healthcare, communication, education.

The ENTI courses develop skills in problem solving, opportunity recognition, self-efficacy (your belief in your ability to succeed), leadership, communications and learning from failure. Your major at Penn State ensures you have specific skills and knowledge. The ENTI Minor broadens your education and Penn State experiences, so you see challenges as opportunities, and you can thrive in a job, class or activity that includes unknowns, deadlines and ambiguities.

Innovative and entrepreneurial people working in established organizations are called intrapreneurs and are valuable in every type of organization. Innovative and entrepreneurial people also freelance, assembling their careers around their unique skills. The ENTI Minor can prepare you to be an intrapreneur, free-lancer, or entrepreneur.

To meet students' wide range of entrepreneurship and innovation interests, the ENTI Minor is structured in two parts:

1. All students take the three core courses (9 credits) establish foundational knowledge:

2. The New Venture Cluster is offered at Penn State Berks. Students may not use a required course from their major in the ENTI minor. Other courses, such as technical electives, out-of-college electives, and general education courses may be able to be used to meet requirements in major as well as the ENTI minor. Students may substitute up to 3 credits of research topics, internship or independent studies courses focused on relevant entrepreneurship or innovation topics in consultation with an adviser. The New Ventures Cluster offers the following courses:

  • BA 243 - Social, Legal, and Ethical Environment of Business
  • BA 250 - Small Business Management
  • MGMT 427 - Managing an Entrepreneurial Start-Up Company

 

New Venture Cluster Diagram

At least six credits of a minor must be unique from any other degree or minor earned by the student. A grade of C or better is required for all courses in a minor. Please talk to the program chair to map this minor in your academic plan.

To add the ENTI Minor, first login to LionPath and then, select “Degree Planning and Progress” from the right side of the webpage, next, click on “Update Academics” from the left side menu and then continue. In the Minors section, switch No to Yes in the “Add Minor” field. Select Minor by Plan (College): “Entrprnership & Innov (UMNR)- Intercollege.” Please “Confirm and Submit” your changes, and you will receive an email confirmation about this change.