The Center for Entrepreneurship

The Simon Graduate School of Business, well known for its cross-functional approach to management education, is particularly well positioned to offer its MBA students an Entrepreneurship concentration for those interested in the area of startup ventures or managing small businesses. Recognizing the need for innovative business education, the School offers this concentration to teach students the skills needed in entrepreneurial start-up situations and small businesses: writing a business plan, financing a new venture, deciding whether to incorporate, and protecting intellectual property. The University of Rochester Center for Entrepreneurship works with the Simon School to identify partnerships with alumni, local businesses, and nonprofit organizations, and to develop new ways to teach entrepreneurship. Our innovative Kauffman Internship Program offers an opportunity for selected students to work with senior management in entrepreneurial firms in the Rochester area.

In addition to the full-time MBA program that allows students to concentrate in entrepreneurship, the Simon Executive MBA (EMBA) Program has introduced a number of changes that add a strong entrepreneurial component to the program. Starting in September 2007 (for the incoming Class of 2009), changes included a new alternating week format (every other Friday/Saturday instead of every Friday); a 19-month completion option (usual program length of 22 months); adding a capstone business plan course to enhance the entrepreneurial nature of the program; offering two electives during the second year of study; and continuing to offer two more electives tuition-free after graduation enabling students to specialize in a particular area of study (four courses in a specific concentration, e.g., marketing, entrepreneurship, computers and information systems, strategy, or health sciences management). Simon is partnering with The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) of Upstate New York to enhance the experience for students. The capstone business plan course, culminating in a competition for the best business plan,  enabled the winning team to have free access to The Entrepreneurs Network’s extensive entrepreneurial training, education, and networking for their own business or will allow work on an intrapreneurial project for a sponsoring company.

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