The undergraduate certificate in entrepreneurship is one of the most popular certificates at UW–Madison. It offers opportunities for non-business undergraduates interested in learning the skills for entrepreneurial thinking. These skills are critical both now and in the future if you are starting a new venture, working for a startup, or tackling new ventures within existing organizations. Modern businesses rely heavily on the ability to recognize and seize opportunities. Cutting-edge technologies, innovative business models, and ever-changing market landscapes determine which firms thrive and which do not. Taking initiative, thinking entrepreneurially, and acting upon opportunities are key ingredients of success in this environment.
This certificate program offers a distinct array of courses that combine business entrepreneurship classes with the curricula of several colleges and schools at UW–Madison. Classes in entrepreneurship and related topics provide the skills necessary to succeed throughout a student's career. Student projects outside the classroom with local firms or student ventures provide students with hands-on business experience. This certificate program helps prepare students for roles such as business founder, product manager, engineer/scientist, new product designer, marketing or finance professional, nonprofit administrator, or consultant.
How to Get in
The Certificate in Entrepreneurship is open to undergraduate students declared in a major outside of the School of Business. Students declared in a major in the School of Business are not eligible for the certificate and should explore the Business: Entrepreneurship, BBA.
To declare the Certificate in Entrepreneurship, complete the declaration form linked within the Contact Information box.
Requirements
To be eligible to declare students must meet the following requirements:
- Good academic standing
- Currently enrolled UW–Madison student
- Undergraduate, degree-seeking student (non-business)
- Must be declared in a major at UW Madison
Requirements
The Certificate in Entrepreneurship consists of 15 credits (a foundation course, advanced entrepreneurship coursework, and 9 credits of electives). Students are also responsible for any pre-requisite courses needed for advanced entrepreneurship or elective courses. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in related non-credit entrepreneurship immersion experiences such as competitions and student organizations.
Foundation Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| M H R 322 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 3 |
Advanced Entrepreneurship Coursework
Select 3 credits from the following list. Some courses may have pre-requisites, so please make sure those are satisfied before selecting a course.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FINANCE 457 | Entrepreneurial Finance | 3 |
| GEN BUS 310 | Fundamentals of Accounting and Finance for Non-Business Majors (Recommended) | 3 |
| or ACCT I S 100 | Introductory Financial Accounting | |
| or ACCT I S 300 | Accounting Principles | |
| M H R 415 | Strategic Management of Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| M H R 422 | Advanced Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| M H R 434 | Venture Creation | 3 |
| M H R 438 | Wisconsin Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) | 3 |
| M H R 441 | Technology Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| M H R 640 | Creative Destruction Lab I | 1 |
| M H R 641 | Creative Destruction Lab II | 2 |
Elective Coursework
Select 9 credits of other elective coursework either from the list below or courses from the advanced entrepreneurship course list above.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E/INTL ST 373 | Globalization, Poverty and Development | 3 |
| A A E/M H R 540 | Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Technology | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST/URB R PL 671 | Energy Economics | 3 |
| ART 338 | Service Learning in Art | 2 |
| CNSR SCI 250 | Consumer Marketplace Leadership Symposium | 1 |
| CNSR SCI 257 | Introduction to Retail | 2 |
| CNSR SCI 555 | Consumer Strategy Consulting Practicum | 3 |
| CNSR SCI 561 | Consumer Engagement Strategies | 3 |
| CNSR SCI 567 | Product Development Strategies in Retailing | 3 |
| CNSR SCI 665 | Household Risk Management | 3 |
| COM ARTS 355 | Introduction to Film and TV Production | 4 |
| COMP SCI/E C E 506 | Software Engineering | 3 |
| COMP SCI 571 | Building User Interfaces | 3 |
| COMP SCI 620 | Computer Sciences Capstone | 3 |
| ECON/A A E/ENVIR ST/URB R PL 671 | Energy Economics | 3 |
| GEN BUS 311 | Fundamentals of Management and Marketing for Non-Business Majors | 3 |
| I SY E 313 | Engineering Economic Analysis | 3 |
| I SY E/PSYCH 653 | Organization and Job Design | 3 |
| I SY E/B M E 662 | Design and Human Disability and Aging | 3 |
| INTL ST/A A E 373 | Globalization, Poverty and Development | 3 |
| JOURN 447 | Strategic Media Planning | 4 |
| KINES 312 | Technology for Physical Activity and Health Professionals | 2 |
| LSC 250 | Research Methods in the Communication Industry | 3 |
| LSC 270 | Marketing Communication for the Sciences | 3 |
| LSC 350 | Visualizing Science and Technology | 3 |
| LSC 432 | Social Media for the Sciences | 3 |
| LSC 435 | Brand Strategy for the Sciences | 3 |
| LSC 440 | Digital Media and Science Communication | 3 |
| LSC 625 | Risk Communication | 3 |
| LSC 640 | Case Studies in the Communication of Science and Technology | 3 |
| M E 349 | Engineering Design Projects | 3 |
| M E 351 | Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects I | 3 |
| M E 352 | Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects II | 3 |
| M E 549 | Product Design | 3 |
| M H R 300 | Managing Organizations | 3 |
| M H R 305 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| M H R 320 | New Ventures in Business, the Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (restricted to students in the StartUp Learning Community) | 3 |
| M H R 321 | Social Entrepreneurship (restricted to students in the StartUp Learning Community) | 1 |
| M H R/A A E 540 | Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Technology | 3 |
| M H R 628 | Negotiations | 3 |
| M H R/INTEGART 632 | Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| M H R/INTEGART 636 | Entrepreneurship in Arts & Cultural Organizations | 3 |
| M H R 640 | Creative Destruction Lab I | 1 |
| M H R 641 | Creative Destruction Lab II | 2 |
| MARKETNG 300 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| MARKETNG 340 | Technology Product Marketing | 3 |
| MARKETNG 355 | Marketing in a Digital Age | 3 |
| MARKETNG 426 | Strategic Retailing | 3 |
| MARKETNG 437 | New Product Innovation | 3 |
| MUSIC 608 | Music Community Engagement | 2-3 |
| PHILOS 243 | Ethics in Business | 3-4 |
| R M I 300 | Principles of Risk Management | 3 |
| R M I 650 | Sustainability, Environmental and Social Risk Management | 3 |
| REAL EST/A A E/ECON/URB R PL 306 | The Real Estate Process | 3 |
| REAL EST 415 | Valuation of Real Estate | 3 |
| STS 201 | Where Science Meets Society | 3 |
| THEATRE 260 | Producing Theatre | 3 |
| THEATRE 501 | The Business of Acting | 3 |
Residency and Quality of Work
- Students must take at least 9 of the 15 required credits in residence at UW–Madison. Study abroad courses taken through a UW–Madison-sponsored program will count toward the number of credits in residence.
- To successfully complete the Certificate in Entrepreneurship program, students must earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or higher across all courses applied to the certificate.
- While students must pass each required course, there is no minimum GPA requirement for individual courses. The cumulative GPA is calculated based on all courses that count toward the certificate.
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Correctly demonstrate knowledge of basic market discovery techniques and apply basic market discovery techniques.
- Demonstrate proficiency in knowing the basic steps taken to start a new venture.
- Demonstrate knowledge of career paths in entrepreneurship.
Advising and Careers
Academic Advising
Certificate students will be assigned to the Business Certificate Advising Committee.
Drop-in advising and scheduled appointments are available to students who are declared in the certificate. Students can schedule their appointments via Starfish.
For more information on accessing academic advising, please see the Academic Advising page.
Please note enrollment in required courses is subject to availability. As a result, completion of the certificate within an individual student's intended graduation timeline cannot always be guaranteed.