Innovation & Entrepreneurship Minor

Students majoring in a discipline but interested in creating or launching an innovative idea or venture related to that discipline are well suited for this minor. Students will develop a holistic stakeholder view of how different parties both contribute to and alleviate social problems, learn how to conduct field research, develop novel insights and reframe innovation challenges to enable creative solutioning. Students learn to identify the key elements and conditions that can amplify or inhibit the individual and collective creative process. Through experiential learning, students will take creative risks and lead ideation processes, learn how to mobilize & influence others to take collective action and learn how to transition an idea into a communicable concept that can gain support from others to become viable and create either social or economic impact.

The Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor is available to all undergraduate students at BU and supported by a University-wide initiative: Innovate@BU.

No this is a minor available to all undergraduate students at BU and supported by a university wide initiative: Innovate@BU.

The only required class is QST SI 250 (which will be cross-listed as SO 251 2020-2021).

This class is also approved for Hub units in Social Inquiry 1, The Individual in Community and Creativity/Innovation.

1 Entrepreneurship course chosen from a list of several options and three electives (in either Entrepreneurship, Creating Impact, or Innovator’s Tool-Kit courses).

No, students must take one Entrepreneurship course.

The three additional electives can be chosen from any of the categories.

Electives can be chosen from three different categories: Entrepreneurship, Creating Impact, and Innovator’s Tool-Kit. You can take 0, 1, 2 or 3 courses from each category (but one Entrepreneurship course is required). Entrepreneurship courses cover topics such as developing and scaling new ventures. Creating Impact courses cover topics such as social impact, sustainability, global development, and social justice. Innovator’s Tool-Kit courses cover topics such as field research, networks/organization, leadership, communication, digital tools, law, PR/advertising. There is a limit (0 or 1) to the number of COM classes that can be applied toward the Innovator’s Tool-Kit category.

The electives chosen do not have to be outside of the student’s home school although it is our hope that the minor helps open up relevant classes in other schools to students across campus.

As is the case for all minors at BU, students can “double count” up to two classes or 8 credits for both the minor and their major. At schools and colleges that have a concentration (such as ENG or Questrom) there are no restrictions against double-counting classes for a concentration and a minor.

No, Questrom students do not have to take their Entrepreneurship elective from Questrom but may do so if they choose. Entrepreneurship classes are also offered by ENG, SHA and CAS.

Yes, we will review petitions for course substitutions on a case by case basis and consider relevant courses from Study Abroad that might fit the criteria for the required Entrepreneurship class and the electives. It is unlikely that a Study Abroad class could replace the required class: QST SI 250: Ideas2Impact. Petitions for course substitutions should be submitted through the petition process at your home school or college and reviewed by the faculty curriculum director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor.

QST SI 250 is the required core for the minor and there are no substitutes. There may be a small overlap with content presented in the BUild co-curricular or summer accelerator on design thinking but these skills will be applied differently for the minor. As there are many ways to incorporate design thinking into innovation, this overlap is by design rather than by accident.

Interested students should declare their interest in pursuing the I&E minor on this form.

By completing this form, you are not officially declaring the I & E minor. Please follow the process of your home school or college to officially declare the minor.

If the course is in session, students should proceed to add the class using a drop/add form in advance of the add deadline.

Prior to the start of the semester: students should follow the guidelines of their respective school or college’s advising office with respect to registering for a course.

If the class is completely full, please seek out a different elective to take that semester.

The classes listed for the minor have agreed to permit students declaring the I&E minor to take enroll without the listed prerequisites. However, please keep in mind that any prerequisites listed are designed to provide adequate preparation for the class. It is the responsibility of the student to identify electives that both meet the I&E minor requirements and fit with their abilities.

Please check in with your home school advising office.