MBA Certificate in Entrepreneurship

Haas has expanded the number of in-depth academic areas from which Full-time Berkeley MBA students can choose to focus their studies. Students may now select from among eleven Areas of Emphasis that provide direction in achieving specific career goals through recommended courses, extracurricular activities, and internship opportunities, including Entrepreneurship.

Students graduating in December 2011 and May 2012 may still obtain the MBA Certificate in Entrepreneurship. After May 2012, the Certificate in Entrepreneurship will no longer be offered

Eligibility and Application:

The Lester Center offers a Certificate in Entrepreneurship to MBA students graduating in December 2011 and May 2012 who have focused their studies on entrepreneurial activities and skills. All students of the MBA program at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, are eligible to earn a Certificate in Entrepreneurship upon completion of their degree requirements.

Applications for December 2011 and May 2012 are due January 31, 2012. To download an application, click here.

Certificate Requirements:

Students must satisfy certain requirements to obtain the Certificate in Entrepreneurship. These requirements show that you have obtained skills in entrepreneurship that you can carry forward into your career starting your own companies, or leading entrepreneurship and innovation activities in the corporate setting. Applicants must complete BOTH course and field work requirements to satisfy the requirements for the Certificate.

In addition, the student must gain first-hand experience with a young company, observing how entrepreneurs confront and solve problems, by working on the creation of a new business enterprise or by taking a leadership role in one of the entrepreneurship programs at the Lester Center.

Courses. Applicant must complete one course from each area labeled A, B, and C below:

A. MBA 295A Entrepreneurship

B. Venture Finance:

MBA 295B Venture Capital and Private Equity
MBA 295D/EWMBA 295T New Venture Finance

C. Optional Courses. Complete one of the following entrepreneurship-related courses (offerings change each semester):

MBA 295C: Opportunity Recognition in High Technology
MBA 295E: Case Studies in Entrepreneurship
MBA 295F: Customer Development in the High-Tech Enterprise
MBA 295I: Entrepreneurship Workshop for Start-ups
MBA 295J: Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology
MBA 295T: Business Model Innovation & Entrepreneurial Strategy
MBA 290E: Marketing for Emerging Technologies (Formerly Marketing for High-Tech Entrepreneurs)
MBA 290I: Managing Innovation and Change
MBA 290N: Managing New Product Development
MBA 290T: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Telecommunications & Media
MBA 290T: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Wireless Services
MBA 290T: Strategy for the Information Technology Firm
MBA 290T: Innovation, Creativity and the Entrepreneur
MBA 292N: Social Entrepreneurship
MBA 264: High Technology Marketing Management
MBA 277: Managing the Legal Environment of Business (formerly Top Down Law)
Boalt 250.8: Lawyers and Entrepreneurship
Boalt 255: Venture Capital and IPO Law
Boalt 256: New Business Counseling Practicum
Other: Any other MBA 290, 292, 295 or entrepreneurial course not listed above with prior approval from the Lester Center

Field Studies and Experience. Applicant must satisfactory completion of either A, B or C below:

A. Qualifying Internship/Work Experience:

Work in an entrepreneurial venture or in a business that works directly with such venture(s) in an operational capacity (i.e. a venture capital firm). This requirement can be satisfied with a summer internship arranged through the Lester Center's Partnership in Entrepreneurial Leadership (PEL) Program, Haas Venture Fellows Program, Mayfield Fellowship or an International Program involved with Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial or investing experience inside the large corporation may also satisfy this requirement. Qualifying field experience must be documented by a write-up no longer than 500 words specifying scope and definition of the experience or exercise, and a summary of lessons learned.

B. Qualifying New Venture Development Exercise:

Work on your own new venture project. This project may be further development of a project undertaken as part of MBA 295A. Your efforts may be part of a for-credit independent study or part of the Workshop for Startups class. To qualify, your work will include significant field experience beyond writing a business plan.

C. Significant Involvement in an Entrepreneurship Program:

Leadership role in the Entrepreneurs Association, UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition, Global Social Venture Competition, or other activity sponsored by the Lester Center.

[top of page]