Entrepreneurship at Mason

Entrepreneurial Education

The picture is not often clear when deciding on your entrepreneurial future. A degree from George Mason University will help you bring focus to your ideas, and help you formulate a plan to launch your idea into reality. It is always important to find a place of learning that will support the growth and development of ideas. At George Mason, you will find a diverse student body and a network of professional support to help you enrich your entrepreneurial ideas.

If you are interested in studying the phenomenon of entrepreneurism, we offer a Ph.D. concentration in Entrepreneurship at the School of Public Policy. This multidisciplinary program examines entrepreneurship policy from the perspective of the agent, business, economy and society. Relying less on the state for wealth creation, distribution and ownership, an entrepreneurial society looks to individual initiative to propel the economy and the society. Increasingly, the concept of entrepreneurship is being adjusted and applied to the public and nonprofit sectors. Building on and expanding existing strengths in SPP in regional economic development and in science and technology policy, the concentration in entrepreneurship policy prepares students to understand the role of entrepreneurship in society and help create entrepreneurial economies.

The School of Management offers many opportunities for students to study entrepreneurship first hand, both in and out of the classroom.  The MBA concentration in Entrepreneurship builds on concepts and knowledge of creating a start-up company, and introduces processes and strategies required to become a significant player in an industry segment. Using the central concepts of innovation, strategic opportunities, and globalization, students in the undergraduate program learn to evaluate new venture opportunities and gain a greater understanding of entrepreneurial concepts by developing business plans in which they address issues critical to starting a firm, including management composition and structure, effective business and functional strategies, operational logistics, legal issues, financial projections, and financing options.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts offers the Arts Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate. The Master of Arts in Arts Management Program at George Mason University represents a unique approach in educating the next generation of Arts Managers. Launched in January 2007, the Arts Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate program will augment students existing knowledge by examining innovative case studies, studying advanced practices and processes, and the actual execution of business models. Certificate courses will address areas of business idea generation, arts business and revenue modeling, PR and marketing strategies, budgeting, finance fundriasing, and understanding public policy and developing government relations. Learning together in a cohort modeled certificate program, students will develop strong interpersonal skills, public communication expertise, and team-based problem-solving strategies.