Minor Requirements
The Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor consists of six courses: three required and three electives.
Three (3) INE core courses:
- INE 101 Introduction to Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- INE 201 New Venture Creation
- INE 975 The Practice of Entrepreneurship
One (1) business skill course:
- ACT 101 Financial Accounting*
- BUS 233 Operations & Information Systems*
- BUS 236 Management*
- BUS 239 Marketing*
- BUS 315 Management of Not-for-Profit Organizations*
- BUS 352 Small Business Management*
*INE 201 will count as a prerequisite for these courses
One (1) INE elective: Any course offered with INE prefix (special topic or catalog course) or course offered by another department with a specific entrepreneurial focus. Examples include:
- INE 285 - Arts Entrepreneurship
- INE 284 (special topics) - Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the Global Renewal and Sustainable Energy Sectors
- INE 286 - The Booze Business: Entrepreneurship in the Craft Beverage Sector
- INE 280 (special topics) - Designing Startup Schools
- SUS 405 Sustainable Solutions
One (1) Interdisciplinary Elective: Select from the following list, or propose another course with justification. Must be outside students major(s)/minor(s))]
- BUS 311 Arts Administration**
- BUS 315 Management of Not-for-Profit Organizations**
- BUS 263, 264 Sustainability in Business**
- CSI 109 Introduction to Data Analytics
- PSC 221 Government Regulation of Business*
- THR 161 Creativity & Collaboration*
- PHL 244, 245 Business Ethics*
- MTH 318 Operations Research
- MUS 233 Global Pop*
- SUS 350 Community Sustainability in Costa Rica*
- SUS 355 Climate Change & Sustainable Development in Bangladesh*
- COM 251 Introduction to Moviemaking*
- COM 349 Media Advocacy*
- COM 220, 221 Free Culture*
- COM 312 Media Industries*
- PSY 220 Social Psychology
- PSY 232 - Personality Psychology
- PSY 217 Cognitive Processes
- PSY 221 - Multicultural Psychology
- PSY 322 or 323 - Psychology of Women
- PSY 241 Interpersonal Psychology
- ENG 205 - Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing*
- ENG 373, 374 The Literary Marketplace*
*have no prerequisites
**INE 201 counts as a prerequisite
In addition to this list, there may be other courses that Muhlenberg offers, including special topics courses, that can be considered for this requirement, given the permission of the INE program director.
Course Descriptions:
INE 101 - Introduction to Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Students explore the basic concepts in the continuing processes of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Students will explore how entrepreneurs identify opportunities in the market and validate their ideas with customers using the business model canvas and lean methodologies. The course explores what it means to be an entrepreneur and how to develop the “entrepreneurial mindset” In the context of the entrepreneurial enterprise, some fundamental concepts from economics, accounting, budgeting, management, marketing, finance, and operations will be introduced. Students will also explore the role of teams and networks in venture creation. The course may include readings, speakers, videos, and case studies.
INE 201 - New Venture Creation
In this “entrepreneurial lab,” student teams will create a venture to produce a product or service that they deliver to the market. Students will investigate the competitive environment, conduct marketing analysis and surveys, develop requirements and/or prototypes, establish a supply chain and apply the components of successful strategies for marketing, production, finance, publicity, distribution, etc. The practical components in this course will be supplemented by case studies and readings. This course will enable students to gain a better understanding of team building and management through the creation of a functioning venture.
INE 4-- - The Practice of Entrepreneurship
As juniors or seniors, students will apply their knowledge and experience to fully develop a plan for a scalable venture opportunity. Topics covered will include advanced pitching, equity and ownership, legal structures and contracts, intellectual property, strategy and tactics, and financial statements and projections. Through the process of developing their venture plan students will subject their venture ideas to scrutiny and rigor to see if the business has a market and a niche, explore what short-, medium-, and longterm prospects for the business might be, discover, identify and contact appropriate allies and partners for the business’ success, and develop channels and customer development processes necessary for the success of the venture. Students will prepare a final portfolio showcasing their learning and plans for their venture.
Minor Requirements
The Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor consists of six courses: three required and three electives.
Required Courses:
INE 101 Introduction to Innovation & Entrepreneurship
INE 201 Business Plan Development
INE 975 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Project Workshop
The electives consist of one area of innovation course, one business skills course, and one outside Innovation & Entrepreneurship course. The area of innovation course can be any course that represents the primary area of interest and will often be a course in a student’s major or other minor. The outside Innovation & Entrepreneurship course provides perspectives or skills not part of a student’s major(s) or minor(s).
To declare the Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor, a student must submit a written proposal that describes their area(s) of interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, and how their three chosen electives will support these interests. The proposal may include a petition to include an outside Innovation & Entrepreneurship course that is not included in the list below. The proposal will be reviewed by the Director of the minor, in consultation with other faculty in the minor and the student’s area of interest.
Business Skills Courses (choose 1)
- ACT 101 Financial Accounting
- ACT 201 Accounting Information Systems
- BUS 125, 126 Business & Society
- BUS 233 Operations & Information Systems
- BUS 236 Management
- BUS 239 Marketing
- BUS 263, 264 Sustainability in Business
- BUS 304 Electronic Commerce & the Internet
- BUS 311 Arts Administration
- BUS 315 Management of Not-for-Profit Organizations
- BUS 345, 346 Marketing Management
- BUS 352 Small Business Management
- ECN 245, 246 Environmental Economics
- ECN 251, 252 Development Economics
- FIN 237 Corporation Finance
Outside Innovation & Entrepreneurship Courses (choose 1)
- ARH 223 African American Art
- ARH 230 History of Photography
- ATH 262 Historical Ecology
- BIO 106 The Biotech Century
- BIO 107 From DNA to Cancer
- BIO 108 Plants & People
- BIO 109 Bubonic Plague to AIDS
- BIO 111 Crisis Earth
- BIO 114 Humanity & the Biological World
- BIO 115 Drugs & Drug Abuse
- BIO 118 Genes, Genomes, & Society
- BIO 120 Emerging Infectious Diseases
- CHM 101 Chemistry of the Environment
- COM 208 Communication in the Global Community
- COM 212 New Information Technologies
- COM 220, 221 Free Culture
- COM 251 Fundamentals of Visual Communication
- COM 312 Media Industries
- COM 341 Social Media & the Self
- COM 351 Video Production
- COM 361 Radio Production
- COM 467 CUE: Advanced Video Production
- CSI 102 Computer Science I: Introduction to Game Programming
- CSI 104 Computer Science I: Introduction to Robotics
- CSI 106 Computer Science I: Introduction to Multimedia Computing
- CSI 210 Software Engineering
- CSI 345 Web Software Development
- DNC 170 Dance & Society
- EDU 101 History & Politics of American Education
- ENG 373, 374 The Literary Marketplace
- ESC 113 Environmental Science I
- ESC 114 Environmental Science II
- FLM 201 Film History I: 1895-1950
- FLM 202, 204 Film History II: 1950-Present
- FRN 310 French for the Professions
- HST 325, 326 American Economic History
- HST 341 Environmental History of the United States
- HST 345 Disease & Medicine in American History
- HST 347 History of Public Health in America
- MTH 314 Applied Mathematics & Modeling
- MTH 318 Operations Research
- MUS 140 Introduction to Electroacoustic Music
- MUS 229 World Music
- MUS 233 Global Pop
- PHL 241 Biomedical Ethics
- PHL 245 Business Ethics
- PHL 246 Environmental Philosophy
- PSC 213 Public Health Policy
- PSC 216 Environmental Politics & Policymaking
- PSC 221 Government Regulation of Business
- REL 108 Mystical Encounters
- SPN 310 Spanish for the Professions
- SUS 350 Community Sustainability in Costa Rica
- SUS 355 Climate Change & Sustainable Development in Bangladesh
- SUS 365 Local Sustainability
- SUS 405 Sustainable Solutions
- THR 161 Creativity & Collaboration
- THR 164 State Management
COURSES
101. Introduction to Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Students explore the basic concepts in the continuing processes of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In the context of the entrepreneurship. In the context of the entrepreneurial enterprise, some fundamental concepts from economics, accounting, budgeting, management, marketing, finance, and operations will be introduced, and students will investigate new opportunities, including client needs, sources of funding, and intellectual property. The course may include readings, speakers, videos, and entrepreneurial enterprise software simulations. Students will develop a feasibility study for a new product or service.
Meets general academic requirement SL.
201. Business Plan Development
Student teams will identify an entrepreneurial opportunity, select a concept and develop it through the creation of a formal business plan. Students will investigate the competitive environment, conduct marketing analysis and surveys, develop requirements and/or prototypes, and consider the components of successful strategies for marketing, production, finance, publicity, distribution, etc. As a result of the business planning project, students will gain a better understanding of team building and management. The teams will formally present their plans to a panel of potential “investors”.
Prerequisite: INE 101 Introduction to Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Meets general academic requirement SL.
965. Innovation & Entrepreneurship Practicum
As juniors or seniors, students will apply their knowledge and experience in a venture of their own, or work of in the community. The experiential components of the Practicum will be augmented by lectures, presentations, and in-depth interactions between students and Practicum faculty. At completion of the Practicum, students will document and critically reflect on their Practicum experience and present these results to students, faculty, and the community.
Prerequisite: Completion of all other courses for the Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor