Entrepreneurship Certificate
Take Your Dreams Further
Master the skills needed to open new doors.
The Entrepreneurship Certificate will allow professionals and those interested in starting their own business to receive experiential training applicable to entrepreneurship and running a start-up company. The four-course graduate certificate program will guide students in a hands on approach towards the goal of developing entrepreneurial business ideas into logical business models, validating the hypotheses underlying those business models, launching the business via "Lean Launch" philosophies, and managing the business as it navigates initial growth away from the start-up phase. The certificate program of study is applicable for graduates from any undergraduate or graduate degree program. The program requires the completion of 12 credits of courses, all 12 of which are required. Required courses address a range of entrepreneurial topics and skills including: hands-on learning as an entrepreneur starting a business; methods to assess the industry, customers, and competitors of a new business; business models; lean start-up ideas, opportunity identification; management; human resources; creativity; problem solving; and ideas related to how to finance a new venture. The intention is for students completing the certificate to be in one of three categories: 1) owning and operating a new business, 2) prepared to start a new business, or 3) highly effective as an employee to existing or future employers that value an employee skilled in creativity, problem solving, and management of highly competitive businesses.
Admission Requirements
- Submission of a FGCU Post-Baccalaureate Non-Degree Certificate Application to the Office of Graduate Admissions prior to the established deadline.
- Baccalaureate degree or higher from an institution that maintains accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting body (https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html) or equivalent foreign institution, as documented by official transcripts.
- International graduate applicants are required to submit a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based test) or 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (internet-based test) or IELTS exam (minimum score of 6.5).
- Prior to admission to a graduate program, students may complete a maximum of 9 credits of graduate level courses on a non-degree seeking basis.
Applicants may apply for either Fall, Spring, or Summer admission.
Additional Graduation Requirements
- Earn a minimum of 12 credits with minimum of a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on all course work attempted at FGCU.
- Earn a grade of C or above in all required courses. A grade of C- does not satisfy the requirement of a minimum grade of C. Only one grade of C is allowed.
Program Requirements
Required Courses
ENT 6248 Opportunity and Lean Launch (3)
ENT 6415 New Venture Capital (3)
ENT 6441 New Venture Launch (3)
ENT 6628 Mindset and Differentiation (3)
Total Semester Hours Required: 12 Hours
