Entrepreneurship Minor Requirements
The three areas in which students must take fundamental courses for the minor are:
- Core Principles,
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and
- New Venture Mechanics.
These establish the foundation for more specialized studies. The Specializing Elective and Experiential Practicum round out the requirements with more focused, hands-on learning. Students must also follow GPA and hours requirements listed at the bottom of this page.
Core Principles
Establish core humanities, communication, and economic principles. Students are required to complete one (1) of the following courses:
ACC 310F: Foundations of Accounting
Prerequisite: Restricted to non-McCombs School of Business majors.
Description: An introduction to financial and managerial accounting, with emphasis on the content, interpretation, and uses of accounting reports. Discussion of the determination and reporting of net income and financial position, and the theories underlying business financial statements; consideration of managerial accounting topics designed to extend the student’s knowledge to the planning and controlling of the operations of the firm.
ACC 311: Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the McCombs School of Business. 24 semester hours of college credit, including Economics 304K.
Description: Concepts and their application in transaction analysis and financial statement preparation; analysis of financial statements.
ACC 311H: Fundamentals of Financial Accounting (Honors)
Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the McCombs School of Business Honors Program. 24 semester hours of college credit including Economics 304K, Management Information Systems 301, 301H, or 302F, and credit or registration for Business Administration 324H.
Description: An exploration of concepts and their application in transaction analysis and financial statement preparation; and analysis of financial statements.
ECO 3XX
(Any 3-hour lower- or upper-division Economics course)
Prerequisite: Varies based on course availability. Check the course catalog to verify specific course prerequisites.
Description: Analysis in the field of Economics.
HDO 301: Introduction to the Human Dimensions of Organizations
Prerequisite: None
Description: Introduction to organizations and how the liberal arts can examine, analyze, and change them. Defines organizations from a liberal arts standpoint; survey of career opportunities related to the human dimensions of organizations.
SOC 302: Introduction to the Study of Society
Prerequisite: None
Description: The nature of human societies, social processes, social interaction, and the sociological approach.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Explore innovation and entrepreneurship theory and research. Students are required to complete one (1) of the following courses:
MAN 327: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Must have the Entrepreneurship Minor attached to degree plan. 24 semester hours of college credit completed.
Description: Explores the theoretical foundations and research evidence underlying innovation and entrepreneurship. Subjects include discovering and creating new sources of value, recognizing and evaluating opportunities, generating business models, engaging stakeholders, shaping markets, and competing against larger competitors and entrenched institutions.
MAN 327H: Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Honors)
Prerequisites: Restricted to students admitted to the McCombs School of Business Honors Program. Mathematics 408D, 408L, or 408S and credit or registration for Business Administration 324H.
Description: Examines the knowledge and skills used to discover and create new sources of value, develop ideas into viable businesses, recognize and shape opportunities, generate new business models, engage with the ecosystem of new ventures, launch new businesses, and manage an innovation portfolio. Draws on various theoretical foundations, research evidence, and business cases to develop an understanding of effectiveness in entrepreneurship and innovation.
New Venture Mechanics
Acquire tools and develop processes for business foundation. Students are required to complete the following course (1):
MAN 327E: New Venture Mechanics
Prerequisite: Must have the Entrepreneurship Minor attached to degree plan. Management 327 or 327H; 24 semester hours of college credit.
Description: Starting up a new venture involves a wide range of decisions, activities, and processes such as those involved in identifying the potential of an idea, developing and protecting an idea, building a new venture team, creating a business plan, obtaining resources, and establishing a business entity. Covers the basic analytical tools and processes involved in all these aspects of founding a new business.
Specializing Elective
Supplement your learning with a specialization of your choice. Students are required to complete one (1) of the following courses:
ADV 332: Technology Marketing & Advertising
Prerequisite: None
Description: Explores case histories, interviews with leading technology advertising and marketing executives, and latest trends in digital advertising, both mobile and social, as well as its impact across marketing segments and industries.
ADV 332C: New Media Entrepreneurialism
Prerequisite: None
Description: Covers real life experience/exposure with a series of interviews with real-life practitioners from social media, venture capital, and others with expertise in the field. Explores important trends in digital content and digital business models; a primer for those who wish to learn about entrepreneurialism, technology, and it’s intersection with media.
AFR 351E (Topic 2): History of Black Entrepreneurship in the US
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in history.
Description: Lectures, discussion, reading, and research on selected topics in the field of United States history.
AFR 374D (Topic 2): History of Black Entrepreneurship in the US
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in history.
Description: Lectures, discussion, reading, and research on selected topics in the field of United States history.
CHE 379 (Topic 43): Entrepreneurship
Prerequisite: Consent of the department.
Description: Special topics of current interest.
CMS 346C: The Cultural Impact of Innovation
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Description: Examine the fundamentals of humanistic thought for both critiquing and creating innovation.
CMS 353C: Communication for Innovation
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Description: Examines the critical role that communication and communicative processes play in developing innovative ideas, products, and ways of approaching problems. Analyze behavioral theories and empirical studies to understand the challenges associated with facilitating innovation in organizations and learn strategies for improving work effectiveness. Subjects include motivation, decision making, organizational culture, information sharing, and idea generation.
ECO 352R: Economics of Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Economics 341K or 441K, and 420K with a grade of at least C- in each.
Description: Explore the application of economics to the practice of starting or expanding a business. Examine evaluation of the market; strategic decisions, including pricing, advertising, location, and deterring competitors; raising capital; and employee compensation.
F A 355: Women in Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing. Application to the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute.
Description: Advanced studies in integrated design.
FIN 374S: Entrepreneurial Finance
Prerequisites: Restricted to students in a business major. Finance 357 or 357H.
Description: Development, implementation, and control of financial plans, strategies, and policies by owner-managers of small and medium-sized firms; analysis of alternatives and decision making.
HEB 346: Technology and Innovation in Israel
Prerequisite: Hebrew 320L
HEB 346C: Technology and Innovation in Israel
Prerequisite: Hebrew 320L
HIS 350R (Topic 12): History of Black Entrepreneurship in the US
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and 6 semester hours of coursework in history.
Description: Lectures, discussion, reading, and research on selected topics in the field of United States history.
I B 372 (Topic 10): Exporting for Entrepreneurs
Retired course
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: Practicum-based course exploring the challenges associated with developing an export strategy for an existing start-up and/or small business. Covers topics surrounding export management as well as how business functions are impacted by a desire to export.
I B 372 (Topic 11): Global Entrepreneurship
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: A practical guide to starting, managing and exiting a business in a global context. Aspects of global entrepreneurship including opportunity analysis, business planning, fundraising, competing in a global marketplace, and managing through crisis explored through practical experience and real-world examples.
J 331M: Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: For journalism majors, Journalism 310F with a grade of at least B-; for others, six semester hours of upper-division coursework.
Description: Learn how the digital revolution has disrupted the media industry, creating opportunities for entrepreneurial, innovative initiatives. Study cases of successful media startups, and develop a startup project, using digital technologies and human-centered design.
MAN 372T.10: Women in Entrepreneurship
(fka MAN 337 Women in Entrepreneurship)
Prerequisite: Application to the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute.
Description: Analysis of selected management problems.
MAN 372T.7: Entrepreneurial LeadHERship
(fka MAN 337 Entrepreneurial LeadHERship)
Description: Guides student leaders on a journey during which they will discover their personal values, strengths and authentic leadership style through a gender-informed perspective. The experience will equip the next generation of leaders with the skills they need to thrive and flourish as a leader and entrepreneur through a gender-informed perspective.
MAN 372T.5: Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship
(fka MAN 337 (Topic 5) Tech Transfer/Entrepreneurship)
Prerequisite: Restricted to students in a business major.
Description: Explores creating wealth from scientific discovery, which is the core of any business enterprise. Flight, computers, automobiles cell phones and petroleum enterprises all start with science. Divided into teams which design a business model for wealth creation around a patent (science), this activity is grounded in the entrepreneurial process, which includes business models, eco-systems, funding the enterprise, and business plans. Teams present their “big idea” that is grounded in patents at the end of the class period.
MIS 372T.1: Open Innovation
(fka MIS 373 (Topic 21) Open Innovation)
Prerequisite: Restricted to students in a business major.
Description: Provides in-depth treatment of business data processing concerns such as database management, telecommunications, and development of commercial systems.
MKT 372T.5: Design Thinking for Business Innovation
(fka MKT 372 (Topic 5) Design Thinking for Business Innovation)
Prerequisites: Restricted to students in a business major. Marketing 337 or 337H.
Description: Focuses on gaining a theoretical understanding of design thinking, including: Customer-focus, cross-functional collaboration, and an iterative process for refining products and services. Intended for budding entrepreneurs and those interested in understanding the processes involved in taking a new product/service idea to market.
MKT 372 (Topic 6): Marketing for Entrepreneurs
Retired course
Prerequisites: Restricted to students in a business major. Marketing 337 or 337H.
Description: Focuses on the issues facing smaller and start-up businesses, including introduction to entrepreneurship, differentiation of the offering, mass markets versus selective markets, guerilla marketing, the business model and business plan, and capital markets.
NSC 324: Intellectual Property Law for Technologists
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
O M 372T.7: New Product Development
(fka O M 337 (Topic 7) New Product Development)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: The integration of supply chain management into the product design and development process. Focuses on skills and knowledge involving product development and incorporating supply chain considerations. Emphasis on designing products that optimize the supply chain while maintaining the products vision from concept to customer.
P R 332: Technology Marketing & Advertising
Prerequisite: None
Description: Explores case histories, interviews with leading technology advertising and marketing executives, and latest trends in digital advertising, both mobile and social, as well as its impact across marketing segments and industries.
P R 332C: New Media Entrepreneurialism
Prerequisite: None
Description: Covers real life experience/exposure with a series of interviews with real-life practitioners from social media, venture capital, and others with expertise in the field. Explores important trends in digital content and digital business models; a primer for those who wish to learn about entrepreneurialism, technology, and it’s intersection with media.
RHE 328 (Topic 4): Writing for Entrepreneurs
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and one of the following: English 303C, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, or Tutorial Course 303C.
Description: Studies the genres and rhetorical strategies that entrepreneurs use to persuade stakeholders, including heuristics for developing business models, market reports, and pitches.
RTF 365 (Topic 9): Media Industries and Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing
Description: Examination of the social, political, and economic contexts in which media and culture are produced, distributed, and monetized. Emphasis on new media and communication technologies.
SOC 322C: Sociology of Creativity
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: Introduction to varying aspects of creative insights, human consciousness, social processes, and the ‘invention of reality.’ Use of the elements of mindfulness, intuition, and creativity at individual, organizational, societal, and environmental levels, drawing on lectures, group discussions, books, articles, artistic films, and documentaries in order to better understand and appreciate the interconnectedness and interrelationship between ‘inner’ (personal) reality and ‘other’ (social) reality.
SOC 352E: Media Industries and Entrepreneurship
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: Examination of the social, political, and economic contexts in which media and culture are produced, distributed, and monetized. Emphasis on new media and communication technologies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
T C 358: Innovation in Life Sciences
Prerequisites: Restricted to students in the Plan II Honors Program. Upper-division standing.
Description: The subjects vary, but in each the attempt is made through careful reading, discussion, and written work to analyze and compare varied approaches to topics of lasting importance.
Experiential Practicum
Apply learned skills and knowledge in a startup accelerator or incubator. Students are required to complete one (1) of the following courses:
ADV 332D: Entrepreneurialism in Communication
Prerequisite: None
Description: Project-oriented exercise where small teams conceptualize a business idea in communications, curate the insights and opinions of fellow team members, and ultimately develop a business plan around their new endeavor. A panel of local entrepreneurs will provide feedback and critique.
BGS 370S: Social and Cultural Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Restricted to students accepted to the Maymester Abroad Program. Consent of instructor.
Description: Create a business to address social problems, using social and creative means to design market-based approaches to aid a specific cultural group.
BME 362E: Medical Device Innovation
Prerequisite: Restricted to Biomedical Engineering major students.
Description: Money, markets, and entrepreneurship with particular focus on medical and health markets.
C S 374L: Longhorn Startup
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing, Computer Science 429 or 429H with a grade of at least C-, and consent of instructor. Application to Longhorn Startup Lab.
Description: Focus on skill development and mentoring in startup formation, technology development, market validation, marketing, sales, operations, human resources, program management, and finance. Emphasis on written and oral presentation of startup activities.
EDC 350: Education/Innovation/Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: None
Description: Analysis of selected topics and problems in education.
E E 364E / ECE 364E: Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Credit with a grade of at least C- in Aerospace Engineering 333T, Biomedical Engineering 333T, Chemical Engineering 333T, Civil Engineering 333T, Electrical Engineering 333T, Mechanical Engineering 333T, or Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering 333T; credit with a grade of at least C- or registration for Electrical Engineering 438, 440, 445L, 445S, 460J, 461L, 462L, or 471C; and consent of instructor
Description: Teams of students starting companies focus on skill development and mentoring in start-up formation, technology development, market validation, marketing, sales, operations, human resources, program management, and finance. Includes discussion of the role of intellectual property, the social issues in design, as well as ethical and safety considerations. Emphasis on written and oral presentation of start-up activities.
E S 377E: Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Restricted to engineering students. Consent of instructor. Application to Longhorn Startup Lab.
Description: Focus on skill development and mentoring in start-up formation, technology development, market validation, marketing, sales, operations, human resources, program management, and finance. Includes discussion of intellectual property, social issues in design, as well as ethical and safety considerations. Emphasis on written and oral presentation of start-up activities.
J 363D: Digital Innovations Capstone
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; and Journalism 310F and 311F with a grade of at least B- in each.
Description: Development of cutting-edge media products. Working in groups or individually; conceive, pitch, plan, design, and create projects under the guidance of a professor, graduate students, and professional mentors.
MAN 337: Forty Acres Founders Practicum
Prerequisite: Application to the Forty Acres Founders program.
Description: Students will learn to vet their ideas, develop skills for researching and understanding customer needs, and develop tools for building a product/service that appropriately fits a market need.
MAN 372T.2: Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Restricted to students in a business major. Consent of instructor. Application to Longhorn Startup Lab.
Description: Focus on skill development and mentoring in start-up formation, technology development, market validation, marketing, sales, operations, human resources, program management, and finance. Includes discussion of intellectual property, social issues in design, as well as ethical and safety considerations. Emphasis on written and oral presentation of start-up activities.
MAN 347P: Entrepreneurship Practicum
Prerequisites: Restricted to Entrepreneurship Minor students. Upper-division standing.
Description: Application of entrepreneurship skills and focus on additional project management skills through individual or group assignments conducted in an entrepreneurial setting, focusing on new business development either within existing companies (corporate entrepreneurship) or as stand-alone ventures (entrepreneurship).
MAN 366P: Management Practicum: Social Entrepreneurship I
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; and Management 320F, 336, or 336H.
Description: Focuses on developing business plans through a semester-long project. Explores non-profit, for-profit, and hybrid organizations and how they deal with corporate social responsibility.
MAN 367P: Social Entrepreneurship II
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: Apply skills and focus on readying chosen projects to increase awareness and understanding of business and economics issues, and prepare presentation teams for regional and national competitions based on criteria set by the international Enactus organization.
MAN 369P: Social Innovation Practicum
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing. Restricted to business majors.
Description: Explores a broad overview of the field of social innovation, and examines concepts and tools that support the creation of social ventures. Includes creating a social venture, articulating its vision, creating a business plan, choosing an organizational form, and assessing the venture’s financial and social impact.
M E 365E: Engineering Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing. Restricted to Mechanical Engineering majors.
Description: Focus on developing a basic understanding for the assessment of emerging technologies including the analysis of the status and future development issues, establish a comprehension of what ‘market’ means in terms of potential technology applications, and of how that market is identified and characterized. Create new knowledge about the potential match of an emerging technology with a defined market as a member of a multidisciplinary team, establish a basic understanding of IP rights, assessment and strategy related to emerging technology, and assess the course and participate in discussions about how it can be evolved for future offerings. Exploration the innovation and technology commercialization process especially as it relates to individual expertise and career goals.
NSC 325: Inventors Program Practicum
Prerequisite: None
Description: Design, research, prototype, and test a STEM-related product or solution. Learn more about the Inventors Program.
P R 332D: Entrepreneurialism in Communication
Prerequisite: None
Description: Project-oriented exercise where small teams conceptualize a business idea in communications, curate the insights and opinions of fellow team members, and ultimately develop a business plan around their new endeavor. A panel of local entrepreneurs will provide feedback and critique.
TXA 341E: Accessory Design, Product Development and Merchandising
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing
Description: An experiential class partnered with executives at Kendra Scott that guides students through the design and product development process through the brand’s commercial lens.
TXA 365: Accessory Design, Development and Merchandising
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing. Application to the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute.
Description: The semester-long course will provide insight into designing a jewelry collection while working with development and merchandising to create a line plan.
GPA & Hours Requirements
- Prerequisites: Registration for any course requires that existing prerequisite course requirements are adequately met.
- Course listing: The number, topic and title of a course must be identical to a course listed above in order to count toward the minor. If a course number has been updated please verify the change by emailing entminor@utexas.edu
- GPA: All classes must be taken on a letter-grade basis. A GPA of at least 2.00 for all courses taken in the minor (combined) is required.
- Residency: At least half of the coursework must be completed in residence at The University of Texas at Austin.
- Major overlap: At least nine (9) semester hours of the minor must not be used to satisfy major requirements.
- Course updates: Information for specific courses may change on a semester basis. For the most up to date information on a specific course please check the current catalog or reach out to the offering department directly.