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Fields of Study

Entrepreneurship

Carson College of Business

Offered as:: Major; Minor

Overview

Entrepreneurship is the recognition, creation, evaluation, and pursuit of opportunities for individual and social gains through the application of creativity and the securing of resources. The entrepreneurship major at WSU is not just for students who want to start a business. The major will help develop a broader mindset about innovation, risk-taking, and action that is valuable to students who work in large companies, non-profits, and new commercial or social ventures.

The entrepreneurship minor is interdisciplinary in nature. The core of the curriculum provides a foundation in accounting, marketing, finance and other fundamentals of commercializing a product and creating a business. Students can select courses from other disciplines (e.g., engineering, communication, sciences), which allows students to tailor their program to their chosen discipline and career goals. The interdisciplinary nature of the minor also allows students to interact with other students and faculty from other colleges, providing more diverse perspectives and helping students learn to function in a multi-disciplinary environment that is similar to the professional environment many will encounter after graduation. Other benefits include the opportunity to participate in the Business Plan Competition, opportunities to work and network with industry experts, and opportunities to gain real world experience by working on real business challenges with real companies.

Strengths of the program

WSU hosts career fairs that bring recruiters to campus and the region each year to talk to students about internships and jobs.
Gain assistance from business professors who help with career decisions and four professional advisors who work full-time to guide students' academic course planning.
WSU helps build the strength and reputation of the entrepreneurship program by offering a "distinguished professorship" for master educators and researchers with strong ties to the industry.
The Carson College of Business is one of the few U.S. business schools with all business and accounting programs fully accredited by AACSB International.
Professors in the entrepreneurship program are committed to global outreach and share their experiences with students by organizing such offerings as the Sino-American Management Forum.
Engage in research projects and business feasibility studies for the WSU Economic Development Administration University Center, which is part of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Certification and signature courses

Certifying into the major

Students on all campuses must meet the following requirements to qualify for certification into a business major:

Complete the following certification courses with a GPA of 2.50 or better:
- Economics 101 and 102
- English 101
- Accounting 230 and 231
- Business Law 210
- Mgmt & Operations 215
- Math 201 and 202
- MIS 250
Have a cumulative WSU GPA of at least 2.5
Have earned at least 60 credits

On the Pullman campus, certifying as a business major is competitive and course enrollments are limited. Pullman campus students are required to apply online to be considered for certification. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements above are ranked by academic performance. The top students are then certified based on the number of spots available that semester.

On all campuses, transfer course grades will be used to calculate the certification GPA, but they are not included in the WSU cumulative GPA. Note: Certification is required for enrollment in all 300- and 400-level business courses.

Signature Courses

The entrepreneurship major starts with strong preparation in the fundamental skills and systems — management, communication, accounting, finance, information systems, and so on — that underpin all business endeavors.

To that foundation, you add courses that focus on the areas of entrepreneurship that are most relevant to you. An example of the specialized entrepreneurship courses you could take:

Entrp 426 - Entrepreneurial Finance
Entrp 441 - Global Electronic Commerce
Entrp 485 or 486 - Topics in New Venture Planning

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

Minor in entrepreneurship

You can add a minor in entrepreneurship to virtually any major by fulfilling these requirements.

Certifying into the minor

Students must be certified in a major and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

The Entrepreneurship minor requires 18 credits of course work, including an accounting course (ACCTG 230), and a course on entrepreneurial finance (ENTRP 426). Students must also take a management course (ENTRP 489 or ENG 401), and a marketing/communications course (ENTRP 490 or COMSTRAT 380. The program culminates in two semesters of business planning classes (ENTRP 485 and 486 or ENTRP 496 x 2).

Nine of the 18 credits must be taken in residence at WSU or through WSU-approved education abroad or educational exchange course.

Students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.5 in the required courses.

Transfer information

Plan ahead

To certify your major in the Carson College of Business, you will need to complete specific prerequisite courses. Use our list of transfer equivalencies to make sure you take the right transfer courses at your current college.

Also check out our transfer student guide for more information on transferring to WSU.

Scholarships and financial aid

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, start by doing these two things:

Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration.
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need.

Click here for more info about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For entrepreneurship students

In addition to general university scholarships and other financial aid, WSU offers scholarships specifically for students in the major.

The Carson College of Business and the Carson Center for Student Development offer many scholarships for students majoring in business. The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies has scholarships available for students declaring a major in entrepreneurship. Scholarships are awarded based on academic record and potential.

Click here for more about business scholarships

Campus organizations and activities: The active Entrepreneurship Club sponsors the WSU chapter of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE). Students working with SIFE have participated in tax seminars, helped at the local Community Action Center, partnered with a third graders at a local elementary school on a simulated stock market investment project, assisted Boy Scouts with merit badge efforts, and educated other students about the terms and use of credit—all in a single semester. WSU SIFE members also participate and place highly in regional and national SIFE competitions.

Careers in entrepreneurship

Career opportunities for entrepreneurship majors are virtually unlimited. They are as boundless as a student's creativity, imagination, work ethic, and personal character.

Entrepreneurship majors learn skills and attitudes that are valuable not only in the creation of new ventures, but also in reinvigorating established organizations. Many recruiters ask for students who have an entrepreneurial attitude.

Salaries can vary greatly, but depend largely on you. If you start your own business, the potential for wealth is unlimited.