MBA Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Eligibility and Application:
The Lester Center is pleased to offer a Certificate in Entrepreneurship to students 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 the Certificate in Entrepreneurship are due January 31, 2010. Click here to download the application form. Please e-mail the application to lester@haas.berkeley.edu or drop it off at the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, F450 in the Haas School.
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.
1. 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 High-Tech
- MBA 295G: Investing in Entrepreneurial Opportunities
- MBA 295H: Managing the Legal Environment of Business (formerly Top Down Law)
- MBA 295I: Entrepreneurship Workshop for Start-ups
- MBA 295J: Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology
- MBA 295T: Business Model Innovation & Entrepreneurial Strategy
- MBA 290E: Marketing for High-Tech Entrepreneurs
- MBA 290I: Managing Innovation and Change
- MBA 290N: Managing New Product Development
- MBA 290V: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Telecommunications & Media
- MBA 290T: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Information Technology; Wireless Services
- MBA 290T: Innovation, Creativity and the Entrepreneur
- MBA 292N: Social Entrepreneurship
- MBA 292T: Achieving Social Impact
- MBA 264: High Technology Marketing Management
- 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
2. 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.
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