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Minor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The minor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship is open to all undergraduates and is designed to enable students to develop their own ideas, regardless of their field of expertise; to learn how to assess both the risk and potential of their ideas; and to develop their ideas in a way that creates economic or social impact.

A total of 20 units, the minor is structured as one required course (QST SI 250 Ideas to Impact), which provides a conceptual framework to guide innovation, and four electives chosen from the areas of Entrepreneurship, Creating Impact, and the Innovator’s Toolkit.

At least 12 units of minor coursework must be unique to the minor and cannot overlap with any courses that complete major or other minor requirements.

All students enrolled in the minor will have access to the many resources of Innovate@BU, including the ability to further progress on their own innovation programs. This includes engaging with a mentor, the innovation pathway program, or participating in one of the cocurricular activities.

Through the minor, students will be exposed to the following learning principles:

  1. Developing Insight—Learning how to observe and conduct field research (which may be quantitative or qualitative) on a particular problem or challenge, develop novel insights, and reframe problems to enable creative solutions.
  2. Creativity & Innovation—Understanding key elements and conditions that can amplify or inhibit the individual and collective creative process; understanding frameworks for ideation, experimentation, and prototyping and how to engage others in this process.
  3. Understanding Social Challenges—Learning the systemic nature of social and global problems; developing a holistic stakeholder view of how different parties both contribute to and alleviate social or business problems; identifying the root cause rather than surface solutions to systemic problems.
  4. Leadership & Risk Taking—Learning how to take creative risks and lead collaborative ideation processes; learning how to mobilize others to take action; learning how to manage the risks associated with introducing novel ideas.
  5. Creating Impact—Learning the tools to transition an idea into an economically viable and communicable concept that can gain support (financial and otherwise) from other stakeholders such as investors, suppliers, customers, regulators, donors, and supporters.

The requirements for the Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor are as follows:

Required (1 course, 4 units):

  • QST SI 250 Ideas to Impact

Electives (4 courses, 16 units):

To ensure that all students declaring this minor have equal exposure to innovation and entrepreneurship skills, students will be required to take four electives drawing from three areas.

  1. Entrepreneurship—must pick 1 and up to 3
    These courses teach students how to identify and scope a viable idea or concept that addresses a genuine need and obtain resources to responsibly nurture, support, and grow its development. All students must pick one entrepreneurship course.
  2. Creating Impact: Domains of Interest—can pick 0, 1, 2, or up to 3
    These courses teach students in-depth knowledge of a subject domain where students aim to apply their idea to achieve impact (e.g., social innovation, arts, environment, global development).
  3. Innovator’s Toolkit—can pick 0, 1, 2, or up to 3 (can pick no more than 1 in Communication)
    These courses teach students the skills needed to execute on their idea by researching, managing, developing, leading, communicating, and technically or legally launching their idea into the world.

Entrepreneurship
(must pick 1, can pick up to 3)

General Entrepreneurship

  • CAS EC 332 Market Structure and Economic Performance
  • QST FE 455 Financing New Ventures
  • QST SI 344 Entrepreneurship: Solving Problems in a Dynamic World
  • QST SI 445 Managing the Growing Enterprise
  • QST SI 464 Intellectual Property Strategy
  • QST SI 471 International Entrepreneurship

Flavors of Entrepreneurship

  • COM FT 552 Video Games
  • COM FT 591 Media Business Entrepreneurship
  • ENG ME 502 Invention: Technology Creation
  • HUB XC 433 B1 Concept to Cart (C2C): Starting a Consumer Products Business
  • QST MO 356 Leadership & Management of Social Enterprises
  • QST SI 340 Family Business Management
  • QST SI 348 The Fundamentals of Selling
  • QST SI 480 Business of Technology Innovation
  • QST SI 482 Strategy for Tech-Based Firms
  • SHA HF 150 Experience Management
  • SHA HF 303 Hospitality Innovation and Disruption
  • SHA HF 307 Hospitality Entrepreneurship

Creating Impact: Domains of Interest (can pick 0, 1, 2, or up to 3)

  • CAS AN 348 Investigating Contemporary Globalization
  • CAS EC 320 Economics of Less Developed Regions
  • CAS EC 387 Introduction to Health Economics
  • CAS EE 150 Sustainable Energy: Technology, Resources, Society, and Environment
  • CAS EE 519 Energy, Society & the Environment
  • CAS EE 524 Environmental Justice
  • CAS HI 291 Politics of the American Environment
  • CAS HI 292 Capitalism in America: Economic History of the US
  • CAS HI 316 American Urban History
  • CAS IR 304 Sustainable Development
  • CAS IR 593 Technology and Economic Inclusion in the Developing World
  • CAS IR 594 Global Environmental Negotiation & Policy
  • CAS IR 599 Science, Politics & Climate Change
  • CAS SO 215 Sociology of Healthcare
  • CFA FA 510 Arts Leaders Forum
  • CFA FA 520 Career Development in the Arts
  • HUB XC 410 A1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (WIN) (Justice Media Computational Journalism Co-Lab)
  • HUB XC 410 B1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (WIN)
  • HUB XC 410 C1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (WIN) (Back to the Past: Gaming and Design for Immersive Role Play)
  • HUB XC 420 A1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (DME)
  • HUB XC 420 B1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (DME)
  • HUB XC 422 Exploring Walkability in Boston
  • HUB XC 433 A1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (OSC) (Spirit of Wonder: Cross-Cultural Storytelling)
  • HUB XC 433 B1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (OSC) (Environmental Equality & Urban Tree Canopies)
  • HUB XC 433 C1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (OSC) (Marketing in the Cannabis Industry)
  • QST BE 325 Introduction to the Health Sector: Issues & Opportunities (formerly PL 325)
  • QST SI 430 Cleantech Venture Consulting Practicum
  • QST SI 453 Strategies for Environmental Sustainability

Innovator’s Toolkit (can pick 0, 1, 2, or up to 3)

  • CAS CS 103 Introduction to Internet Technologies and Web Programming
  • CAS CS 501 Computer Science Practicum
  • CAS EC 323 Behavioral Economics
  • CAS WR 318 Public Speaking
  • CFA FA 369 Art, Community, and Social Engagement
  • COM CM 215 Principles & Practice of Public Relations
  • COM CM 217 Introduction to Advertising
  • HUB IC 203 Pitching Ideas for Success
  • HUB XC 433 D1 BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (OSC) (The Art and Science of Technology Consulting)
  • HUB XC 475 A1 Spark! Technology Innovation Fellowship
  • QST IS 474 Platform Strategy & Design
  • QST LA 245 Business Law, Contracts & Regulation
  • QST MO 460 The Leadership Challenge
  • QST SI 348 The Fundamentals of Selling: The Tactics and Strategies for a Career in Sales
  • QST SI 451 Organizing for Design and Innovation
  • QST SM 275 Critical & Analytic Thinking for Business

Communication (can pick 0 or 1)

  • COM CM 211 Professional Presentations
  • COM CO 101 The World of Communication: The Human Storyteller
  • COM CO 201 Intro to Communication Writing
  • COM JO 205 Visual Storytelling

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