Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Are you eager to get your ideas off of the napkin and out into the world? Whether you envision founding your own company, making an impact in a startup, or taking on a pivotal role in an established organization, the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship provides a fast-paced, experiential environment to develop your skills as a founder alongside intensive mentoring and soft skills development.
During events like Mentor Weekend, teams benefit from nearly $50K in donated time from seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, industry experts, and specialists in business, tech, and law.
Designed to pair graduate students from business and non-business disciplines on teams together, the program provides a business incubation-like setting for exploring real business ideas and for connecting new technologies to market opportunities.
Interdisciplinary student teams come together to launch successful commercial or non-commercial ventures, create and market innovative products and processes, drive social impact, and become leaders and innovators within existing organizations.
To receive the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, students must complete 12 credit hours, including 9 required credit hours from the Walton College of Business and 3 elective credit hours as outlined in the graduate catalog. Students should meet with their degree program advisor to determine how certificate courses count towards their major M.S., M.A., or Ph.D. program.
Required Courses
| SEVI 52103 | Business Foundations for Entrepreneurs (Non-Business Students Only - Spring or Summer) |
| SEVI 53203 | New Venture Development I (Fall) |
| SEVI 53103 | Strategic Management for Entrepreneurs (Business Students Only - Spring) |
| SEVI 54103 | New Venture Development II (Spring) |
“I think the new venture development program is life changing for people, no matter if they decide to start a company or go work in industry, the things that you can learn that entrepreneurial thinking is applicable anywhere you go, whether you want to start a company or not.” – Amy Hopper Swan, EMBA with Entrepreneurial Track '22
Apply Today
Whether you are a degree-seeking student or pursuing non-degree education, the certificate is open to you.
Current UARK Graduate Students Add the Certificate to Your Current Academic Plan
A note about timing: practically speaking, many students find that the certificate fits best into the “all but dissertation” stage of a PhD, the second year of a professional Master’s program, or embedded into a full-time or Executive MBA. Others pursue it as a standalone program while working full-time.
Learn more by contacting Laura Moix at lmoix@uark.edu
Masters in Product Innovation
Interested in expanding upon your graduate certificate in entrepreneurship?
Tailored for early to mid-level working professionals, the newly introduced Master
of Science in Product Innovation (MSPI) equips students with the skills to conceive,
develop, and manage both physical and digital products through all stages of their
lifecycle, from creation to manufacturing and promotion.
Built upon the foundation of the graduate certificate in entrepreneurship curriculum, students learn to work cross-functionally, mastering frameworks and methodologies that drive product development and innovation. The curriculum is designed to build expertise in product management, fostering skills in leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate the complexities of today's dynamic market landscape.
A key focus of the program is ensuring that students understand and integrate customer needs, business goals, and technical requirements throughout the product development process. This holistic approach ensures that all aspects of successful product management are kept in mind, preparing graduates to deliver products that meet market demands and drive business success.
Learn More about the Master of Science in Product Innovation
Graduate Entrepreneurial Funding
Launched in 2021 with generous support from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the Kaneaster and Ruth Lindley Hodges Entrepreneurial Fellowship Award supports exceptional graduate students in the pursuit of deep entrepreneurial training, allowing them to bridge their academic research with the problems they care about in society and industry.
Two to three exceptional full-time graduate students will be selected as Kaneaster and Ruth Lindley Hodges Entrepreneurial Fellows and awarded $10,000 as they work toward the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship and collaborate on interdisciplinary teams to develop and validate business ideas to benefit a community of seasoned mentors, secure seed funding and compete in a range of international student business-plan and start-up competitions.
The fellows devote at least 20 hours per week to their entrepreneurial pursuits.
Please contact Laura Moix at lmoix@uark.edu for more information.