Degree Minor

Entrepreneurship Minor: A minor in Entrepreneurship requires ELE 3010 and 12 additional credits selected from ECON (ELE) 3210, ELE 3990, ELE 4010, ELE 4020, ELE 4030, ELE 4040, ELE 4050, ELE 4060, ELE 4070, ELE 4080, MGT 4220, MGT 4400 and MGT 4970

Required course:

ELE 3010 Entrepreneurial Foundations 3 (3) - This course provides a broad overview of the entrepreneurial process, including identifying and evaluating opportunities, forming a founding team, raising capital, and launching and managing new ventures. It is intended for anyone interested in entrepreneurship as a career path or as a set of skills that can be employed in corporate or nonprofit organizations. Students who take this course are usually interested in starting a business, working for an entrepreneurial company, joining a family business or learning how to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset.

Twelve credit hours may be completed from the following courses:

ECON (ELE) 3210 Economics of Innovation 3 (3) - Examines the nature of entrepreneurship and the contribution of innovation to economic growth. Investigates the organizational and institutional sources of innovation in different firms and different countries, as well as the work of economic theorists concerning the role entrepreneurs, play in bringing new products to market. Prereq: ECON 3060 or ECON 3140.

ELE 3990 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship 3 (3) - This course provides an examination of selected topics in entrepreneurship based on developments in the field and faculty interests. Emphasis is on the application of topics to entrepreneurial thinking, behavior and success. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits, but only if different topics are covered. Preq: Junior standing

ELE 4010 Venture Concept Testing 3 (3) - This course is structured around a semester-long entrepreneurial challenge project, where student teams identify a new business concept to test and pursue within the semester timeframe. Key activities include developing a website, establishing a social and multi-media presence, pursuing customers and reporting financials. There is a heavy emphasis on learning by doing, with an early semester Trade Show and end-of-semester Investor Presentations bracketing the project. The course is designed to allow students to gain experience in directly applying key principles and concepts from ELE 3010. Preq: ELE 3010.

ELE 4020 Venture Planning 3 (3) - This course focuses on developing a business plan for creating an organization capable of effectively exploiting a viable opportunity. Topics include organization strategy and design, start-up capital, operations and sourcing issues, leadership, team building and management of rapid growth. Preq: ELE 3010.

ELE 4030 Venture Growth 3 (3) - This course provides a platform through which students learn and apply key aspects of managing, leading and growing entrepreneurial ventures. Attention is given to the functional and relational interdependencies that entrepreneurial leaders must account for and manage in their organizations, which students experience directly through extensive use of a computer-based simulation. Preq: ELE 3010.

ELE 4040 Entrepreneurial Resource Acquisition 3 (3) - This course introduces students to core topics of entrepreneurial resource acquisition, including funding sources, timing considerations, and deal structures. The focal perspective is that of an entrepreneur looking to secure financing for a venture pursuit. Preq. ELE 3010.

ELE 4050 Venture Development 3 (3) - This course provides a platform for teams of students to work together to advance an existing business concept while leveraging the various resources of Clemson's entrepreneurial ecosystem. ELE 3010.

ELE 4060 Venture Consulting 3 (3) - This course provides students with hands-on experience tackling entrepreneurial challenges while honing their analytical and problem-solving skills through a consulting project with a start-up, family business or small business. Student teams find and recruit a client venture, develop an understanding of the venture's environment, and formalize a consulting proposal based on relevant analytical frameworks and gathered supporting evidence. Preq. ELE 3010.

ELE 4070 Technology Entrepreneurship 3 (3) - This course introduces students to technology entrepreneurship, emphasizing ideation, opportunity assessment, market and technology forecasting, intellectual property protection, financial modeling and business valuation, project management and cross-functional team building for technology-related ventures. Preq. ELE 3010.

ELE 4080 Family Business 3 (3) - This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the unique aspects of a family business, including the lifecycles and development stages, distinctive advantages, unique challenges and specific tensions that family firms face that non-family firms typically do not. Preq, ELE 3010.

MGT 4220 Small Business Management 3 (3) - Study of management of the small independently owned and operated business. Emphasizes analyzing new business opportunities, planning and establishing a growing concern and managing the contemporary small business. Field experience in consulting with small businesses enhances students' understanding of the unique opportunities and problems of small business organizations. Prereq: MKT 3010.

MGT (IE) 4400 Negotiations 3 (3) - Focuses on principles and practice in business negotiations. Topics include negotiating concepts, strategies, situational applications and practice in applied techniques. Situations include negotiation in sales, customer relations, global nuances in negotiation situations, employee management and career development. Prereq: Senior standing.

MGT 4970 Creative Inquiry - Management 1-3 (1-3) - Students plan, develop, execute and direct a research project related to the field of management and present their findings. The project includes lectures about research design, conduct, and data analysis. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. Includes Honors sections.