INSIDE THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP MINOR
Written by #WakeEntrepreneur, Elise Jones
The entrepreneurship minor is one of the most versatile minors and a great way to gain entrepreneurship acumen through a variety of courses in varying disciplines. Unlike some minors that are heavily focused on a particular subject, the entrepreneurship minor allows for electives to be earned in disciplines ranging from philosophy and anthropology, to accounting and business & enterprise management.
The minor is a great way for students to complement their major with valuable skills in networking, innovation, management, creativity, and business. Some of the most popular major/minor combinations include business & enterprise management/entrepreneurship, communication/entrepreneurship, and psychology/entrepreneurship, however, there are over 25 majors represented in the entrepreneurship minor.
Whether you have an idea for an entrepreneurial venture or are just interested in how entrepreneurship is related to your major, I highly recommend the entrepreneurship minor. You can test out the minor through the ENT 105 course, The Entrepreneurial Experience: From Mindset to Entrepreneurial Identity. This 1- credit course is a speaker-based lecture series where students hear from entrepreneurs in various industries. This was one of my favorite classes because you got to hear from entrepreneurs including former Wake students. The entrepreneurs were all very open in sharing their journey and answering any questions you had about their venture or becoming an entrepreneur yourself.
To give some insight into the minor, and potentially help with registering for ENT minor courses or seeing how your current major fits in, I asked a few students in the minor to share one or two of their favorite ENT minor elective classes. The students that shared their favorite courses are Business & Enterprise Management, Psychology, Communication, Politics & International Affairs, and Computer Science majors. I also asked the professors that teach these courses to share why they recommend their course for entrepreneurship students.
More information about the minor can be found here: http://entrepreneurship.wfu.edu/courses/
MINOR COURSES
POL 238 Comparative Economic Development and Political Change with Professor Rahim Mohamed
“Consistent and interesting changes in subject material – assignments were always relevant to the course” – Alexa
“POL 238 is heavily focused on economic development and political transitions in the Global South. We cover a number of topics of relevance to young entrepreneurs, such as microcredit, trade, and diversification. Ideally, taking this course will help ENT minors view entrepreneurship through a more humanistic lens.” – Professor Rahim Mohamed
PHI 161 Introduction to Bioethics with Professor Adam Kadlac
“Active and lively discussion” – Alexa
ACC 111 Introductory Financial Accounting with Professor Jennifer Hudson
“Really important material to know as an entrepreneur” – Maria
“Accounting is often referred to as “the language of business” which is so very true. Whether you hope to start your own company or pursue a career on Wall Street, having fundamental accounting knowledge provides a solid foundation for understanding any business. Accounting skills not only help you decipher and analyze financial data, but also enable you to make informed decisions that are critical to a successful business. As an alumna of the Wake Forest accounting program myself, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share and apply my personal experiences in the business world while teaching a topic I truly enjoy.” – Professor Jennifer Hudson
CSC 111 Introduction to Computer Science with Professor Paul Pauca
“Great introduction to computer programming and problem solving that is especially relevant if you are interested in building your own website or app” – Elise
“I like teaching CSC 111 because it shows students new and creative ways to think about how to solve problems. It challenges students to exercise their brains and have fun in the process. Invariably, someone every semester discovers a passion for computing that they didn’t know they had before. Knowing how to solve problems with a computer (or at least be familiar with the process) is essential to any entrepreneur in this day and age. Learning to program is the first step in understanding the power of tools such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics.” – Professor Paul Pauca
ENT 384/BEM 384 Design-Thinking and High Performance Teams with Professor Christopher Mumford
“Students should take design thinking because it will allow you to understand the various aspects, especially the ones least considered, about solving a problem with entrepreneurship” – Swaran
“The fall ENT/BEM 384 and spring ENT 301 classes cover the following: content that will change your life (artificial intelligence, gene editing, autonomous vehicles, etc.), a process to solve wicked problems (design thinking) and skills that will prepare you for the 21st century (digital storytelling, video editing, website development etc.). This is my favorite class because the students are all in. As it is an elective, the class has only students that really want to be there. They get that these skills and knowledge can change the trajectories of their lives.” – Professor Christopher Mumford