WPWP Programs to be phased out by 2013. Download a PDF with more information.
Overview
The six-course Entrepreneurship Certificate Program offers a top-level introduction to the fundamentals of management and entrepreneurship to those who own and run small- to medium-sized businesses, as well as to managers responsible for innovation and new product or service development.
This program, which can be completed in one year of study, is offered in partnership with Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs (WEP). Part of Wharton’s Management Department, WEP is widely considered one of the most influential centers for entrepreneurship in the world.
The Entrepreneurship Certificate helps individuals who are creating or building new businesses learn the essentials of business and venture initiation. Students will study management essentials and additional coursework in marketing, human resource management, accounting, and finance.
In the program’s capstone course, Formation and Implementation of Entrepreneurial Ventures, students are challenged to conceptualize and develop a comprehensive business plan, and deliver a professional presentation of the plan to the entire class. Students in this certificate program also have special access to workshops offered through the Wharton Small Business Development Center.
Designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals who have not formally studied business, this program emphasizes the application of classroom concepts to practical decision making in the workplace.
Curriculum Structure
The Entrepreneurship Certificate Program consists of six courses that span the business disciplines and focus on new product management and successful entrepreneurship:
- MGMT 411: Introduction to Management
- ACCT 412: Managerial Accounting
- FNCE 412: Corporate Finance
- MKTG 411: Introduction to Marketing
- MKTG 453: New Product Management (.5 cu)
- MGMT 406: Formation and Implementation of Entrepreneurial Ventures
Optional Workshops: In addition to the listed courses, the program includes two workshops at the WEP’s Wharton Small Business Development Center, which provides consulting services and educational workshops to entrepreneurs. These action-oriented, supplemental workshops are taught in the evenings and offered at no charge to students enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. With WPWP’s year-round course schedule, the Entrepreneurship Certificate can be completed in as little as three regular semesters or in two regular semesters and two summer sessions. All courses earn graded, post-baccalaureate credits from the University of Pennsylvania. Courses are taught by Wharton professors and industry executives who are appointed for their subject expertise, teaching skills, and ability to offer networking opportunities to participants.
Who Should Attend
- Professionals with non-business degrees who wish to advance by enhancing their management skills
- Small to medium-sized business owners who want to professionalize or grow their companies
- Managers within companies who have responsibility for the development and initiation of new products and services
- Entrepreneurs who need a better understanding of core management concepts to increase their capacity to run the business
Benefits
- As a student of entrepreneurship at Wharton, you are tapping into the resources of one of the first and most widely recognized centers of entrepreneurial research, education, and outreach
- Faculty members emphasize the application of classroom concepts such as investment analysis, new product marketing, and business planning to practical decision making and management
- Unique entrepreneurship workshops are offered in collaboration with Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs, the hub of entrepreneurial activity across Wharton and Penn
- Classmates become a strong collaborative network, offering insights and perspectives across a range of industries
- Small class sizes promote in-class discussion and interaction
- You can begin to apply new strategies and concepts at work immediately, analyzing and refining your approach with feedback from faculty and fellow classmates
- Wharton’s Jon M. Huntsman Hall offers state-of-the-art classrooms, a networked campus environment, and high-tech group study facilities to maximize your learning experience
- Earning your certificate from one of the world’s leading business schools brings increased professional credibility and confidence, both now and into the future
Requirements, Deadlines, and Fees
For applicant requirements, application deadlines, and program fees, please view the Admissions and Tuition Information page.
