SYRACUSE University is committed to entrepreneurship as a flagship program both within the Whitman School of Management and throughout the campus entirely. Grounded in the belief that every student is rich in entrepreneurial potential, the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises allows students to engage in a wide range of classroom and experiential opportunities to discover and act on the entrepreneurs that lie within.
Entrepreneurial Degree Programs
The Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises, located in the Whitman School, oversees an undergraduate major as well as a MBA concentration, a master’s program in entrepreneurship and a PhD field of focus. The entrepreneurship faculty—consisting of both high caliber researchers and practicing entrepreneurs—has led the department to national recognitions since its inception in the late 1990s. Most recently, US News & World Report ranked Whitman’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program as 8th in the nation and graduate entrepreneurship program as 15th in the nation.
Undergraduate Degrees
Entrepreneurship majors follow a logical curriculum structure in entrepreneurship including a number of innovative courses. Students first take the Introduction to Entrepreneurship course, followed by three elective courses in entrepreneurship, culminating in the capstone course: Strategic and Entrepreneurial Management.
Students also take two general electives within the Whitman School of Management, and are encouraged to pursue electives that complement the pursuit of entrepreneurship.
Many students outside the Whitman School of Management find the minor in entrepreneurship is an excellent complement to their major area. The minor is intended to help students bring an entrepreneurial perspective to their major field of study, ranging from the arts and sciences, engineering, and education, to the health professions, communications, and the visual and performing arts.
Student Entrepreneurial Outreach
At Syracuse, students are given a wealth of opportunities to put their classroom knowledge into practice through the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, housed in the Whitman School. The Falcone Center works closely with the entrepreneurial community and is focused on programs that foster venture creation and growth. Through the Couri Hatchery, the Falcone Center also helps students grow their own businesses providing cost-effective space and support, prototype production facilities, product realization and development services, and business consultation. Businesses that have ‘hatched’ from the Couri Hatchery include Funk ’n Waffles, Wholesale Jewelry Liquidators, and BrandYourself.com.
A select group of students are also selected each year to be D'Aniello Entrepreneurial Interns, giving students the opportunity to work directly with an entrepreneur, president, or senior executive in a high-growth, innovative company located in the greater-Syracuse metropolitan area.
Student Entrepreneurship Club
The E Club is dedicated to encouraging the spirit of entrepreneurship among the Syracuse University student body and to support the needs of students who are interested in entrepreneurship. E Club members team up with local entrepreneurs and businesses for entrepreneurship projects, host guest speakers throughout the semester, and, most recently, manage revenue for their services.
Entrepreneurship Competitions
The Panasci Business Plan Competition annually invites students from across the SU campus to submit ideas for new ventures representing the best potential for growth and for attracting outside financing. The top three teams win $40,000 in prize money. One thousand dollars is also awarded for Best Technology.
