Business schools throughout the nation are beginning to offer more entrepreneurship programs for mostly M.B.A. students, according to an article in The US News & World Report.
These programs will be implemented to help students develop entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. Typically, one professor will seemingly act as an entrepreneurial tutor for a small group of students, or on an individual basis.
The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business will launch its “Discovery to Market” entrepreneurship program in Spring 2011. This two-semester program will be open to a small group of students, and it will help them look for profitable opportunities in the university scientists’ work.
Also, employees at the Johns Hopkins Office of Technology Transfer will help students acquire a patent for their entrepreneurial concepts.
"The students will have the option of being part of that team to start a company and take this thing to the next stage of development," said Philip Phan, the John Hopkins Business School’s vice dean for faculty.
Babson College F. W. Olin School of Business has had the top-ranked entrepreneurship program for 17 years running, and it now plans to extend its program past graduation. Entrepreneurship Division Chair Candida Brush described Babson College’s entrepreneurship as both a “brand” and “strategy.” This program boasts 52 faculty members and 100 unique classes, ranging from alternative energy innovation in Norway to educating high school students in Rwanda about launching their own companies.
The Pace University Lubin School of Business encourages students to explore international entrepreneurship opportunities. Professor Bruce Bachenheimer’s course "Special Topics in International Entrepreneurship: Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Israel," will take a handful of students to Israel for a week in spring 2011. Students will study and examine entrepreneurship opportunities in Israel’s immature technology infrastructure.
Bachenheimer has also taken students to Tanzania and India for entrepreneurship programs.
Bachenheimer said that entrepreneurship programs are becoming more ubiquitous. He said that students from many different academic backgrounds are becoming increasingly interested in these programs. Some of his students have already begun careers working for other companies; however, they wanted to explore personal business opportunities.
"They're all [saying], 'I want to be more entrepreneurial. I don't want to just work in an office or count on a job, especially when the economy is bad," Bachenheimer told The US News & World Report. "[They say], 'I want to have more control of my destiny."
Many believe that layoffs and a tougher job climate, caused by the economic downturn, has increased entrepreneurial spirit. Generation Y (ages 16-33) are believed to be more attracted to entrepreneurial opportunities than previous generations were at similar ages.
