Entrepreneurial Studies

Small business is the mighty engine of the U.S. economy, providing a substantial number of employment opportunities and unlimited potential for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is a people-oriented career that requires excellent communication skills and the ability to work well with others. The entrepreneurial studies program at St. Mary's is designed to prepare an individual seeking career fulfillment through the establishment of his or her own business rather than being a part of a corporate or institutional staff.

Students in the entrepreneurial studies program gain the knowledge and skills necessary to launch their own venture, analyze the market, and solve real-life problems in business. Students gain valuable organizational tools in order to focus on good project management, and to identify and capture new markets and start-up companies.

Individuals who are interested in starting a new business or purchasing an existing one should consider this major. Career opportunities in entrepreneurship include:

• Small business ownership
• Family business management
• Small-business consulting

Entrepreneurial studies graduates have gone on to work for organizations including Walt Disney Company, Rackspace Managed Hosting, Bromley Communications, State Farm Insurance, and Frost Bank.

Courses

BA4350 Exploring Entrepreneurship 3 semester hours
Students enrolled in this class have the rare popportunity to hear autobiographical presentations from nationally known entrepreneurs and senior executies about their "road maps" to success. Students will read biographies of well-known entrepreneurs and senior executives, analyze prospective success patters, and contribute to the class through verbal and written projects

EP4320 Management Consulting(Same as BA4320) 3 semester hours
Student teams act as consultants to businesses to analyze the various functions of business as they pertain to endeavors. Managerial awareness and analytical skills in business problem solving are developed. (Fall; Spring) Prerequisites: Senior standing and consent of instructor. Open only to students pursuing a B.B.A. degree.

EP 4391 Business Plan Development and New Venture Creation 3 semester hours
Students learn how to initiate a new business venture by developing business plans, analyzing case studies, lectures, and guest speakers. Each student will develop a unique and comprehensive business plan. Prerequisites: AC2320, EC2301, EC2303, FN3310, BA3325W, MK3310.

EP 4396 Small Business Growth and Management 3 semester hours
Students learn how to grow and manage businesses from the day they open until they are relatively mature. The business plan developed in EP 4391 can be applied in this course to discuss issues such as succession management to illustrate the principles of growth, adaptation, and change. Lectures, case studies, and speakers will be utilized. Prerequisite: AC2320, EC2301, EC2303, FN3310, BA3325W, MK3310.

EP 4397 Building World Class Ideas and Organizations 3 semester hours
Students learn how to apply their natural strengths and interests toward creating new ventures. Sources of innovation are discussed as well as forms of capital. Each student develops a product/service idea and then learns how to build an organization around it. There is an emphasis on social entrepreneurship, which carries over into other E-Scholar classes and activities. Students will take a best practices tour and begin the mentoring component of the program. Prerequisite: Admittance into the E-Scholar Program.

EP4398 Global Entrepreneurship 3 semester hours
This course is designed to prepare students in the E-Scholar Program at St. Mary's University to acquire the necessary tools to conduct international business successfully. Specifically, this course focuses on the skills and knowledge useful for developing a new global business. Using the perspectives of a startup entrepreneur we will examine the key success factors in creating a new business in one or more non-US countries, as well as understand the differences and similarities between global entrepreneurs. The emphasis of the course is on analyzing how markets and competition (the economic dimension), power (the political dimension), and culture (the social dimension) influence start up decisions around the world. Prerequisite: Admission into the E- Scholar Program, EP 4397.

EP4375 Internship in Entrepreneurial Studies 3 semester hours
The opportunity to gain knowledge through experiential activities in entrepreneurial businesses. Cooperation with entrepreneurs in monitoring and gaining work experience aimed at supplementing the learning process. Prerequisites: Minimum overall GPA of 2.8. Pass/No Pass credit is given. (Fall; Spring; Summer)

Degree Plan

Freshman Year

Fall	Spring
EN1311 Rhet and Comp	SMC1314W Founda. Of Reflection: God
MT1305 Finite Math	MT1306 Calculus For Business
SMC1301 Foundations for Civilizations	SMC1313 Founda. Of Reflection: Others
SMC1311 Foundations of Reflection: Self	SMC1312 Found. Of Reflection: Nature
BA1310 Introduction of Business	EC2303 Micro Economics

Sophomore Year

Fall	Spring
SMC2304W Foundations of Pactice: Literature	EN2000 Literature or Comp
SMC2303 Foundations of Pract: Fine Arts	MC3320 Communications for Mgmt
EC2301 Macro Economics	AC2320 Introduction to Accounting II
SMC2302 Found. Of Pract: Civic Engagement	SMC2301W Found. Of Pract: Ethics
AC2310 Introduction to Accounting I	Theology 3000 or 4000

Junior Year

Fall	Spring
Exploring Entrep	Manage Change & Innov.
Corporate Finance	Business Elective
Organization Beh.	U.S.Bus.in Interdep.World
Principles of Marketing	Management Info. Sys.
Business Statistics	Legal Environ. of Bus.

Senior Year

Fall	Spring
Bus. Plan Devel. & New Venture Creation	Sm. Bus. Growth & Mgmt.
Management Consulting	Operations Management
Capstone Course	Business Policy
Ethics	Business Elective
Manage Econ & DM	Social Entrepreneurship

Faculty