Launch date – August 2020Priority applications accepted October 1, 2019 - November 30, 2019 through CSU Apply!
The Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MSEI) program is designed to offer students with business, technical or other non-business degrees a comprehensive education that prepares them to launch entrepreneurial ventures or new business ventures in large organizations.
The program is structured as a 16-24 month, 30-unit program for both business and non-business majors alike and utilizes primarily face-to-face courses but will also integrate hybrid instruction where appropriate. Through coursework and experiential learning activities, students will be exposed to the key concepts of entrepreneurship including creativity and ideation, evaluation and screening of business concepts, business model formulation, startup models and the entrepreneurial process, team formation, marshaling resources, planning techniques and launch strategies.
Increasingly, students are seeking specialized graduate programs rather than the traditional Masters in Business Administration (MBA), according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Whereas by design a generalist MBA has breadth requirement and discourages focus on a particular discipline, specialized masters programs are designed to allow and encourage such focus, and that such specialized degrees are increasingly offered at business schools around the country. The MSEI proposed program taps into that trend, offering students an immersive experience focused on the entrepreneurship specialization. According to the Kauffman Foundation, entrepreneurship is on the rise in the US and a recent survey of the field by Inc. magazine noted that the U.S. now has 27 million entrepreneurs. This is significant in that is encompasses nearly a fifth of all working adults.
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Tentative - pending final Chancellor's Office approval and publication in the CSUSB 2020-21 Catalog
Required Courses (21 units)
- ADMN 6020 - Advanced Managerial Communications
- ENTR 5410 - Commercializing Entrepreneurial Innovation
- ENTR 5450 - Resources for the Entrepreneur
- ENTR 6210 - Entrepreneurship and New Ventures
- ENTR 6230 - Exploring Entrepreneurial Opportunities
- MGMT 6850 - Strategic Management
- TA 5141 - Entrepreneurial Improvisation and Creativity
- ENTR 6980 - Reflective Essay (0 units)
Entrepreneurship Elective (3 units)
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Chose one (1) from the following:
- ENTR 5470 - Managing a Growing Business
- ENTR 5490 - Launching the Entrepreneurial Venture
- ENTR 5550 - Entrepreneurship in Action: Corporate, Social and Family Business Approaches
Custom Elective (3 units)
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Chose one (1) from the following or any 6000-level course chosen from the graduate business core in consultation with the MSEI faculty advisor:
- MGMT 6550 - Leadership as Art and Science
- MKTG 6400 - Advanced Marketing Research
Culminating Experience (3 units)
- ENTR 6961 - Entrepreneurial Immersion 1 (2 units)
- ENTR 6962 - Entrepreneurial Immersion 2 (1 unit)
Total Units - 30
Master of Science in Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MSEI)Admission and Requirements
Admission and Requirements
Tentative - pending Chancellor's Office approval and final publication in the CSUSB 2020-21 Catalog
Suitability for admission to the program will be based on an examination of the entire application package. In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:- Bachelor's Degree: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with required minimum GPA of 2.75 calculated using the entire degree or the last 90 quarter (60 semester) units, which may include post baccalaureate work. Applicants in the process of finishing an undergraduate degree may apply, with acceptance contingent on successful completion of the undergraduate degree.
- Personal Statement: A statement that provides insight on the student's motivation to join the program, how the student plans on using the degree to further his/her professional goals, and the personal qualifications that will contribute to successful completion of the program. This can be submitted in one of two possible formats: (a) a written statement of no more than 500 words; or (b) a short video, not more than 2 minutes in length.
- English Proficiency for International Students: All international applicants who have not completed three years of full-time study at the secondary or post-secondary level where English was the language of instruction must also achieve an acceptable score, as determined by the MSEI committee, ratified by the College Curriculum Committee, and in alignment with the Office of Graduate Studies requirements on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the IELTS exam or complete CSUSB's ESL program. The current minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 550/PBT, 213/CBT, 79-80/IBT taken within the past two years; IELTS score of 6.5 taken within the past two years; or complete level 6 of CSUSB's Intensive English Program;
- Resume: Submission of a current resume;
- Letters of Recommendation: One (1) letter of recommendation is required that attests to the applicant's intellectual and professional aptitude;
- Interview: Each applicant will be required to participate in a brief interview with the MSEI program director and/or faculty.
