Entrepreneurship Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

An Entrepreneurship major teaches you to start, fund and grow a new business or venture. Entrepreneurship majors learn to spot opportunities, test ideas, write business plans, raise money and manage a small business.

An Entrepreneurship major includes coursework in new venture creation, small business management, entrepreneurial finance, marketing for startups, and innovation and design thinking and more. You build skills such as opportunity analysis, business planning, budgeting, and sales and negotiation. Typical degrees: associate and bachelor's degrees.

Typical courses include new venture creation, small business management, entrepreneurial finance, marketing for startups, innovation and design thinking, and business planning. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Entrepreneurship is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, and a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s. Part-time study takes longer.

Associate and bachelor's degrees. In the latest federal data, 409 colleges reported certificate awards, 135 colleges reported associate awards, 254 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, and 59 colleges reported master’s awards.

Career paths connected to entrepreneurship include general and operations manager, chief executive, retail store manager, restaurant manager, property manager, sales manager, and bookkeeper. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include general and operations manager (typical training: 5+ years of experience), chief executive (typical training: 15+ years of experience), retail store manager (typical training: 2–5 years of retail experience), restaurant manager (typical training: 2–5 years of restaurant experience), property manager (typical training: 1–3 years of experience), and sales manager (typical training: 4 years plus 3–5 years in sales).

Entrepreneurship majors build skills such as opportunity analysis, business planning, budgeting, sales and negotiation, and resilience and initiative.

Good pairings include Marketing (helps you find and win your first customers), Accounting (lets you manage your own books and cash flow), Digital Media (helps you build a brand online), and Legal Studies (covers contracts, liability and business formation).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as general and operations manager, chief executive, and retail store manager, and enjoy subjects like new venture creation and small business management. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes new venture creation, small business management, and entrepreneurial finance; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

713 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

California (83), Florida (43), Illinois (39), New York (38), and Ohio (32), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

646 of the colleges that offer entrepreneurship also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Entrepreneurship teaches you to start, fund and grow a new business or venture. Business Administration is a broad business major that covers management, finance, marketing and operations. Entrepreneurship leads to careers such as general and operations manager and chief executive, while Business Administration leads to careers such as general and operations manager and administrative services manager.

Entrepreneurship teaches you to start, fund and grow a new business or venture. Marketing studies how organizations understand customers and promote products and services. Entrepreneurship leads to careers such as general and operations manager and chief executive, while Marketing leads to careers such as marketing manager and digital marketing specialist.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to entrepreneurship, such as General and Operations Manager Training.