UW College of Business Introduces New Major and Redesigned Minor in Entrepreneurship

The University of Wyoming College of Business will launch a new major in entrepreneurship as part of the Bachelor of Science in business and a redesigned business minor in entrepreneurship this fall.

These two entrepreneurship programs offer a variety of rich developmental experiences that include applied learning, case analysis, research projects, team-based active-learning projects and guest speakers, in addition to traditional classroom lectures and discussions designed to develop and encourage the entrepreneurial mindset. In both programs, there is a strong emphasis on written and oral communication skills, teamwork, ethics and personal initiative.

The major in entrepreneurship serves students wishing to learn and apply theories of entrepreneurship. The major is designed to assist students to start and/or run their own ventures or bring innovation to an existing organization by providing them with exposure to the development and testing of business concepts; analyzing the potential success of their concepts using a variety of tools and methodologies; being flexible in developing new ventures and innovative ideas; and formulating and implementing value propositions that will assist in the establishment and growth of new ventures.

The major in entrepreneurship also provides students with skills related to how to enact creative solutions, innovative ideas and strategic change in existing organizations. Thus, students will be prepared to start new ventures and/or act entrepreneurially within existing businesses.

“The new major in entrepreneurship is designed to provide students with an in-depth exposure to all things related to entrepreneurship. The focus of the major is on helping students to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, which can then be used to create a new venture or contribute outside-the-box thinking within an existing company,” says Patrick Kreiser, Rile Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship and Leadership in the College of Business. “Further, a core component of the coursework is to engage students in experiential learning projects so that students can learn by doing. Whether it’s through creating new businesses that change the marketplace, identifying frame-breaking new business models within existing companies or harnessing creativity in their everyday lives, the new major in entrepreneurship will support students in creating and enacting careers tailored to their own dreams and aspirations.”

The redesigned minor in entrepreneurship provides flexibility and interdisciplinary appeal to non-business majors while incorporating core entrepreneurship coursework. The College of Business is partnering with other colleges at UW and with Wyoming community colleges to identify coursework that satisfies both the respective colleges’ and the UW entrepreneurship minor program requirements.

The minor in entrepreneurship is designed to include a list of approved entrepreneurship elective coursework from partnering colleges. For example, approved electives from the College of Engineering and Applied Science or the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will apply toward the 15 hours of entrepreneurship minor program requirements.

“The College of Engineering and Applied Science is excited to further strengthen our partnership and collaboration with the College of Business through the new interdisciplinary entrepreneurship minor,” says Cameron Wright, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. “The College of Engineering and Applied Science has offered several entrepreneur-related courses in the past, but this new minor will allow our students to greatly deepen their knowledge of entrepreneurship. With this greater skill set, we expect more students will feel ready to start companies that, in turn, can support the Wyoming economy.”

Students seeking additional information on the entrepreneurship program can email the program adviser, Denise Sheen, at dhsheen@uwyo.edu. Entrepreneurial organizations wishing to know more about the entrepreneurship programs can email Josie Voight at voight@uwyo.edu or call (307) 766-4197.

To view program requirements, visit www.uwyo.edu/business/entrepreneurship.