An article by Catherine Clifford at Entrepreneur describes a study showing “entrepreneurial intentions” can be cultivated in the right college environment: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272648
From the article:
“This study disrupts the position that higher education may not be conducive to fostering innovation by suggesting that both personality and structured higher education experiences contribute to cultivating innovation potential among college students.”
The article also describes the Thiel Fellowship’s take on college:
“College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new.”
What’s your opinion on the effectiveness of entrepreneurship programs? They seem to be springing up everywhere…
I’m not seeing the methodology, or the part where the premise follows from the study. It’s hard to comment on when the article just doesn’t give any details on what they tested and how.
However, based on personal opinion I’d say that university can only help. It’s strictly true that knowing more is better than knowing less, and while I’m not a fan of entrepreneurship programs (what they teach is generally the least important part of what you need to be a successful business founder), Thiel’s program’s view is just straight up wrong.
If you were accepted to the Entrepreneurship Program at U of Miami in Fl or the Leadership program at U of Richmond. Which do you believe offers the most opportunity for a budding entrepreneur? Would love the feedback.
Makes sense because there are infinite opportunities to network, gain capital, have access to databases with crap ton of noteworthy books and textbooks for free.
20 or 30 years ago, entrepreneurship classes focused on normal business skills, transactions, and business philosophies for small growth (management, hiring, yada-yada). I considered applying to a few college’s entrepreneurship programs, but once I looked at the curriculum, I was like “bro, wtf is this?”. The curriculum was bland and nothing new. An entrepreneurship program today needs to teach you the ropes of 21st century business building.
If an entrepreneurship program doesn’t mentor & teach you how to build pitches to banks and investors, you’re in the wrong program. Yes, you can go to a bank and get a loan, and sign and be done…but do you really need a degree for that?
Good solid entrepreneurship degrees help students build networks and skills for going from idea to pitch to money in the bank to work. That process takes time to understand and sometimes someone holding your hand. For young people, they need that. Mom and dad don’t know what a venture capitalist is. I think for people who want to play with “big money, big ideas” should probably consider an entrepreneurship program ( a good one, like Babson College). However, if you want a to start a franchise, you seriously don’t need a degree. An education will lay a foundation, discipline and expectations, but isn’t a must.
For those who want a START UP, not a BUSINESS, an entrepreneurship degree today will help (once a again, from a good school).
My son, currently a college junior, met up his business partner during scholarship sponsored summer . They have a pretty thriving business on their hands right now.