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The Curriculum

Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Students interested in the Shuford Program’s Minor in Entrepreneurship must apply, be accepted, and complete the following course work to graduate with a Minor in Entrepreneurship.

We recommend that students complete the five courses in the order listed below. Alternatively, students may apply to a Shuford Away study abroad program to fulfill their requirements.

ECON 101:

INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS

  • Introduction to fundamental issues in economics is a co-requisite of the Shuford Program that must be completed before the student’s graduation date.
  • This course focuses on economic issues including competition, scarcity, opportunity cost, and resource allocation.

OR

Econ 111:

THE ECONOMICS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

  • This course will present the fundamental concepts of economics necessary to the understanding of the theory and practice of entrepreneurship.
  • Told from an Entrepreneurial perspective, topics include supply and demand, consumer choice, profit maximization, and choice under uncertainty.
  • The presentation of these topics will be structured around a series of case studies of entrepreneurial innovation like Netflix, Uber, and other contemporary organizations.

ECON 125:

INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • This class will expose students to building the foundational skills to identify and develop innovative entrepreneurial venture ideas.
  • Students will learn about innovating, marshaling limited resources, inspiring teams, and persisting through challenges and uncertainty, often by trying, learning from what happens, and trying something better. Inherent in the process, students will be exposed to the skills, joys, and frustrations of being an entrepreneur.
  • The class employs experiential methods of teaching so students will be learning by doing as they develop the skills, tools, and mindsets that will help them in their entrepreneurial path both in organizations they start or join, as well as in their personal life.

ECON 325:

THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • With a solid idea of the basic entrepreneurial vernacular you acquired in ECON 125, you will have the foundation needed to be successful in ECON 325.
  • This course is divided into thematic modules centered around the design-thinking process.
  • Each mod is taught by different EIRs and Professors of the Practice and throughout the semester you will think
    critically about the successes and failures of different start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures.

Track Courses

  • Students are able to select one of nine tracks to complete this requirement of the program.
  • The track courses are designed to provide students with the opportunity to delve deeper into a particular application of entrepreneurship.
  • In these courses, students will work in teams to develop their own projects around the topics of the track.
  • This course will act as a springboard for students to make their ideas a reality through the careful mentorship and support of our expert EIRs
  • Students may choose from one of the following courses to satisfy this portion of the program:
    • COMP 325 – How to Build a Software Startup
    • ECON 327.001 – Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Intersection of Media, Entertainment, and Technology
    • ECON 327.002 – Scientific Ventures
    • ECON 327.003 – Arts and Entrepreneurship
    • ECON 327.004 – Commercial Ventures:  The Art of Creating a Plan and Pitch
      • Develop a for-profit product or service idea through the business-building journey from concept to pitching your business.
      • The class culminates in your team pitching your validated business to real angel investors.
      • Whether you already have an idea you’d like to develop or you want the experience of being part of a startup team, this class will develop your entrepreneurial skillset.
    • ECON 327.005 – Sports Ventures
    • PLCY 326/326H – Social Entrepreneurship
    • MEJO 592 – Workroom FashionMash Product Design
    • SOCI 302 – Field Work in Entrepreneurship
    • SOCI 427 – Labor Force Issues
    • SPHG 428H – Public Health Entrepreneurship
      • Addressing “wicked” public health problems using an entrepreneurial toolbox
      • Open to graduate and undergraduate (including non-Honors) students
  • We will be adding courses periodically to this list. Please check with Amo Makhubele (amak@ad.unc.edu) if you have a question.

The Internship Component

  • We believe that learning in the classroom is only one part of the learning process in entrepreneurship.
  • The internship component allows students to experience real-life scenarios outside the comfort of our courses to implement what they have learned. Includes traditional businesses and mission-driven social ventures
  • Students are able to identify their own internships through their networks or work with our Internship Manager to connect with internship opportunities that would be a good fit.
  • Internships must be 320 hours and provide students with experiences that allow them to apply what they have learned in the classroom to their projects or jobs.
  • We recommend students complete internships over the summer, as it gives students the appropriate amount of time to complete this requirement.
  • For the internship to be approved for the program students must complete a learning contract that can be found here. Learning contracts are due by mid-April before the internship begins.

ECON 393:

THE PRACTICUM IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • The final course of the program is our capstone course. This course has been designed to enlighten students on the tools and skills required to be an outstanding entrepreneur, founder, investor, or employee. We believe that life skills coupled with consumer-facing skills are the perfect elixir needed to be successful after graduation.
  • We introduce students to the experiences of founders, start-up executives, and seasoned corporate professionals across a range of disciplines that allow them to better understand the entrepreneurial and business ecosystem. We add professional development and networking activities. Our goal is in this class is to provide students with a curriculum that takes the design-thinking model and challenges them to apply it to their own life.
  • We believe this practicum course is best taken in a students’ senior year as it sets them up for success in choosing the next steps after graduation.