SOM Gateway: Courses & Registration

Entrepreneurship Certificate

The Elizabeth J. McCandless Professor of Entrepreneurship

Professor Teresa Nelson is the SOM's Elizabeth J. McCandless professor of entrepreneurship. Nelson leads the SOM's efforts to expand the entrepreneurship curriculum for MBA and undergraduate students; develop educational programs for women business owners; bring leading entrepreneurs to Simmons to interact with students, alumnae, and members of the community; and undertake cutting-edge research on women in entrepreneurship.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CERTIFICATE 2008 Registration and Admissions Overview


The graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship at the Simmons College School of Management is an innovative and intensive program designed to teach, mentor and network women as they plan and launch new ventures. First delivered in 2004, the program is comprised of a sequenced set of four graduate level business courses including an Entrepreneurship Practicum integrated with a strong set of co-curricular activities, for example, the Leading Women Entrepreneur annual speaker series, the Silverman Business Plan Competition, Entrepreneur and Visiting Entrepreneurial Scholar in Residence programs, and the Simmons School of Management Mentor Network. The four course sequence runs January through November and is carefully designed to lead you from idea generation and evaluation (course 1) to business plan (course 2), then post-launch management (course 3) integrated with an intensive field experience working with an entrepreneur CEO (course 4). 

Who Can Apply and When?

 The process of applying to the Certificate program varies by category: Simmons MBA applicants and students may reserve their seat for the Entrepreneurship Certificate courses (three and four) scheduled for the semester immediately following their MBA graduation for a $500 non-refundable but tuition applicable fee, assuming successful completion of GSM 600 and 601 and the status of being in good standing with the MBA program. To qualify for this early admission process, a letter of intent and the $500 deposit must be received with the MBA application or anytime up to December 1st of the year proceeding the intended Certificate program year. SOM MBA students and alumnae may also choose to apply competitively by April 1st of the Certificate year near completion of GSM 600. As of 2008, non-Simmons MBA graduates from AACSB accredited schools may apply for the four course sequence Certificate by December 1st for enrollment in the following calendar year. For information contact Darla Pires-DeGrace (darla.pires-degrace@simmons.edu).

Please note: SOM students and alumnae may enroll in courses one and two as MBA electives without enrolling in the Certificate program.

Co-Curricular Activities

 Throughout the year there are events and opportunities to connect your coursework to the practice of entrepreneurship including the Leading Women Entrepreneur speaker series in March; the Silverman Business Plan Competition in October; and Take It To the Next Step, a business plan presentation workshop in July. The program is supported by a wide range of practicing entrepreneurs and other working in the entrepreneurial ecosystem including lawyers, angel and venture investors, and experts in women and work. Our Entrepreneurship Advisory Board is actively involved working with students in groups and one-on-one to help them achieve their new venture ambitions.

Stipends, Fellowships and Scholarships

Students may negotiate to receive stipends for their practicum work (often ~$5,000). In addition, there are fellowships and scholarships, including tuition waivers, available to support Simmons MBA students and alumnae earning the Certificate in Entrepreneurship, courses three and four only, including The Class of 2007 Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund, Bright Horizons Entrepreneurship Certificate Fellowship, EILEEN FISHER Entrepreneurship Certificate Fellowship, The Will J. Reid Foundation Scholarship, and The John Hancock Fellowship to Support Entrepreneur Women of Ethnic Diversity. The deadline for fellowship/scholarship applications is April 1st. Applications will be available January 15th through Darla Pires-DeGrace (darla.pires-degrace@simmons.edu ).

Sample Entrepreneurship Practicum

Hosts Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Causemedia, Concert Pharmaceuticals, Cottonfield USA, Eileen Fisher, Fox Relocation Management Corporation, Greenfuel Technologies, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (Inner City Economic Forum), Isis Maternity, Pinck and Company, Partners HealthCare, Reebok, Social Fusion, Whole Foods Market

Graduate Entrepreneurship Certificate Course Descriptions for 2008

Course One. Entrepreneurship: Feasibility Assessment –GSM 600 (spring semester)
No pre-requisites; open to all SOM MBA students and alumnae, and Entrepreneurship Certificate students
In this course you will assess yourself and your interests, learn how to gauge opportunities in terms of market potential and examine the strategic, operational, financial and marketing viability of a business idea as part of a team. Attend the spring Leading Women Entrepreneurship series as part of the class.

Course Two: Entrepreneurship: Business Plans and Proposals – GSM 601(summer semester) 
Pre-requisites – GSM 600, and Marketing,, and either Finance or Managerial Accounting; open to all SOM MBA students and alumnae, and Entrepreneurship Certificate students.
In this course you will develop a comprehensive business plan on your own idea using financial forecasting and in-depth market research. In addition you will discover the multiple ways of legally establishing a for-profit business or social venture, chart growth options and their implications, and learn the costs and benefits of various financing options (e.g., self, profit stream, bank, angel, friends and family, venture). 

 Course Three: Managing a High Growth Firm – GSM 602 (fall semester)
Pre-requisites – GSM 601 plus con-current registration in GSM 603; requires acceptance into the Entrepreneurship Certificate Program and MBA graduation
Launching a business is exciting, but growing (and staying in) business is the true mark of a successful entrepreneur.  In course three, you will discover the unique resources required during each life cycle stage of a new venture: funding a start-up, building market awareness, growing relationships with customers, employees and suppliers. You will also learn about "company killers" and how to safeguard against common pitfalls. 

Course Four: The Entrepreneurship Practicum – GSM 603 (fall semester)
Pre-requisites: GSM 601 and con-current registration in GSM 602; requires acceptance into the Entrepreneurship Certificate Program and MBA graduation
The Entrepreneurship Practicum is an immersive, hands-on experiential learning experience that partners students one-to-one with a successful entrepreneur or entrepreneurial leader to complete a professional post-MBA style, strategic consulting project. The practicum is "entrepreneurship in action" -- allowing students to bridge theory and practice while they further experience and knowledge to launch their own venture.

What Our Students Have to Say:

"I enrolled in the first entrepreneurship class because I needed the elective credits toward my MBA, and the course schedule worked well with my work and family commitments. I had no idea what I was about to experience. After the first class—I was hooked.   I have always been entrepreneurial but during those first few hours the seed to DO SOMETHING was watered and took root.  All the ideas that I thought about, talked about, and dreamed about finally seemed possible and even, realistic”. - Janine Daily, part-time MBA program; completed GSM 600 and 601 in 2007

“I can see how the practical aspects of the Entrepreneurship Certificate program exposed me to the real life challenges of starting a business, including self- examination to determine what type of entrepreneurship would be the right path for me. Designing and writing a business plan made me much more confident in my ability to successfully solve any problem--even if the situation was completely new to me.” Sandra Pomerantz, MBA ’06 and EC ‘07

"Through my practicum at GreenFuel Technologies, an early stage company that develops algae bioreactor systems, I learned how to measure company performance not only as it relates to profit and return but also in terms of the impact a company has on society.”  Amanda Thomas, MBA’06 and EC ‘07

“Besides being a nationally recognized leader in entrepreneurship, the Entrepreneurship Certificate at Simmons does an extraordinary job at connecting current female entrepreneurs with future entrepreneurs. This was extremely valuable to me in terms of role modeling and learning how each entrepreneur found their path to success.  The high level of interaction with female entrepreneurs also made me more comfortable with the risk aspect of starting my own venture.” Kelley Crowley, MBA ’07 and EC candidate ‘08

 

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