Online MBA With Entrepreneurship Specialization

MBA@Syracuse, the online MBA program from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, gives students the flexibility to earn an MBA from a top-ranked program while maintaining their other commitments. The online MBA program was ranked in the top 20 by The Princeton Review in 2020.1

Why Specialize Your Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship?

In the online MBA Entrepreneurship specialization, students gain a business background with expertise in corporate innovation and new product development. The program prepares students to innovate and lead within a startup, nonprofit, family business or established organization.

Online Entrepreneurship Curriculum

All MBA students will take 36 credits of core coursework, which includes the Global Entrepreneurial Management course.

To fulfill the Entrepreneurship specialization, students take three elective courses. They must take Foundations of Entrepreneurship and choose two other courses from the following:

  • Corporate Entrepreneurship
  • Venture Capital
  • Managing New Product Development

The online business master’s degree program with an Entrepreneurship specialization can be completed in as few as 24 months.

Entrepreneurship Learning Outcomes

After completing the Entrepreneurship specialization courses, students will develop:

  • skills in recognizing opportunities and generating innovative, creative ideas;
  • methods of conducting feasibility analyses for new products or businesses;
  • expertise in developing sustainable business models for profit and the common good; and
  • command of entrepreneurial management of a business for innovation and growth.

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Ready to help grow your new venture or established business? Request information today to see how MBA@Syracuse can help you reach your career goals.

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Admissions

The Whitman School invites motivated, creative professionals to apply to the online MBA program. GMAT scores are not required to apply. See upcoming application deadlines.

#1

Private School for Veterans Ranked by The Military Times in 20202

Top 20

Best Online MBAs Ranked by The Princeton Review in 20201

Studying Entrepreneurship at Whitman

The Whitman School is a leader in entrepreneurial education. Whitman’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) received the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award in 2018 from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). Named the USASBE Model Program, the EEE department was recognized for providing comprehensive, bold educational programs that train future entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurial Resources for Students

Whitman’s Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship is a centralized location designed to stimulate creativity and entrepreneurial endeavors. Online students are welcome to utilize these resources.

One of these resources is the Panasci Business Plan Competition, an annual schoolwide competition in which contenders submit a business plan to compete for startup funding for a business or idea.

Entrepreneurship MBA vs. M.S. in Entrepreneurship

In addition to the MBA with an Entrepreneurship specialization, the Whitman School also offers a full online master’s program in entrepreneurship.

MBA With Entrepreneurship Specialization

  • Curriculum: Provides a well-rounded business background with a focus on funding acquisition, commercial innovation, and product development
  • Career path: Applies to business owners but is also focused on helping professionals become more creative leaders in a corporate or nonprofit setting
  • Time to complete: As few as 24 months

Master of Science in Entrepreneurship

  • Curriculum: Comprises strategically selected courses that focus on the skills that entrepreneurs need, including finance, marketing, strategy, and idea viability
  • Career path: Designed for current and soon-to-be business owners, especially of startups, who want to build and grow a venture
  • Time to complete: As few as 15 months

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Featured Whitman Faculty

Whitman faculty members share their professional and academic experience to prepare business leaders across a range of fields. Meet some of our faculty members who teach in the Entrepreneurship specialization.

Alexander McKelvie

Chair of the EEE Department, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Full-Time Master’s Education

Professor McKelvie has taught an array of courses dealing with aspects of entrepreneurship, including strategic planning, growth, family business and corporate entrepreneurship. He has worked with many startups, and his scholarly research is on how and why firms grow as well as how entrepreneurs make decisions about opportunities.

Kenneth Walsleben

Professor of Entrepreneurial Practice

Professor Walsleben is an alumnus of Syracuse University and has launched a number of startups throughout his career. He has been twice awarded the Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) Department Chair citation for entrepreneurial excellence and, in 2018, was recognized with the prestigious Meredith Teaching Recognition Award.

See what Professor McKelvie has to say about the Entrepreneurship specialization.

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Online and In-Person Learning

Syracuse’s online MBA program merges live online classes, interactive coursework and in-person learning to help students acquire new skills and business acumen. Students complete weekly multimedia assignments, which are the basis of classroom discussions on trends and innovation in the workplace.

MBA students also attend three in-person residencies, which are structured like business conferences. At these immersive events, students network with fellow classmates and professors in major cities around the world.

Recent residency topics have included social entrepreneurship as well as accounting for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Career Services

Through Syracuse’s Career Services, students are able to take advantage of one-on-one career coaching, interview preparation and resume review. Our team of experts is committed to preparing students to reach their professional goals.

“The education I received from MBA@Syracuse will help me grow my small business and allow me to teach additional courses at the college level. The material is very helpful as I work with small and medium organizations on strategic HR issues.”

Matthew W. Burr, MBA@Syracuse Graduate
Human Resources Consultant at Burr Consulting LLC, Associate Professor at Elmira College,Mediator for New York Public Employment Relations Board

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Entrepreneurial Careers and Roles

At their core, entrepreneurs are people whose vision is focused on what is possible rather than what currently exists. An MBA with a specialization in Entrepreneurship can help aspiring entrepreneurs better understand the many factors that influence the success of a company or idea.

Below are some examples of entrepreneurial positions that can benefit from an innovation-focused business education:

Founders

Founders are the most well-known type of entrepreneur. A founder brings a business idea to life. Founders have a hand in all areas of a company, including prototyping, manufacturing, marketing, raising capital, conducting operations and incorporating technology.

Corporate innovators

Corporate innovators are professionals who innovate within medium to large corporations, identifying new and better ways to do business. This may include finding new markets, creating more efficient best practices and pushing innovative ideas through a product’s life cycle.

Executives

Executives at the beginning of their leadership careers can benefit from approaching their roles through an entrepreneurial lens. They can help startup companies improve efficiencies or gain greater insight into starting their own businesses in the future.

Funders

Funders work with an investment team to seek out small or new organizations with high growth potential. Also called venture capitalists, they will analyze the company’s accomplishments, goals and business models and advise them as they develop and grow.

Take the Next Step

Ready to improve your entrepreneurial skills and make a difference for your organization? Request information about the online MBA with an Entrepreneurship specialization today.

1The Princeton Review, Top 25 Online MBAs 2020 (Retrieved July 2020) Return to footnote reference
2The Military Times, Best for Vets: Colleges 2020 4-Year Schools (Retrieved July 2020) Return to footnote reference