Entrepreneurship Major

Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Major

Visionaries, pull up a chair.

Spend your senior year at Eller adding an invaluable Entrepreneurship double-major to your degree.

It starts at our McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship—and ends anywhere you can dream up. 


Entrepreneurship Major Overview

One of the country's few research university-based undergraduate majors in entrepreneurship, the University of Arizona's award-winning New Venture Development Program at the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship offers a one-year interdisciplinary curriculum designed to prepare selected students for success as entrepreneurs and business leaders. Ranked in the nation's top 10 programs, the McGuire Entrepreneurship Program integrates theory and application. This is a senior-year program and interested students must complete an application and interview during the winter of their junior year. It is a fall-start program only; courses are not available in the summer.  

Students in the program focus on analysis, decision making and business planning, and benefit from the perspectives of both academic and adjunct faculty, working together to provide integrated and relevant curriculum including the latest business trends and techniques.

Please note that you cannot select this major at the time you apply for Professional Admission. You need to select your primary major at that time, then later apply for Entrepreneurship.  Watch for applications to be admitted to the Entrepreneurship Major through the New Venture Development Program.  

New Venture Development Program

Apply to this year-long, team-based Entrepreneurship Major through the NVD program and work with fellow students, experienced entrepreneurs and mentors to build a new venture from the ground up. You’ll emerge with the skills to hit the ground running in any field of business.

Explore the Entrepreneurship Major/New Venture Development Program

McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship

The Entrepreneurship major falls within the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, a top-ranked center where Eller students truly hone their chops and develop an innovative, entrepreneurial mindset—with the skills and experience to back it up. Students complete the Entrepreuenrship major requirements by participating in the New Venture Development Program.

Explore the McGuire Center


Entrepreneurship Sample Coursework Plan

How your Eller Entrepreneurship experience can play out:

This sample plan is based on 14-17 credits per semester, but each student and their academic plan is unique. Please meet with your Academic Advisor to create a custom plan for you.  Please note that your General Education requirements, including second language, are determined by when you were admitted to the university.  Your Academic Advisor can help you navigate the requirements relevant for you. For a full list of official degree requirements, check out the University General Catalog

All students enter as Foundational Business Management students and must go through a competitive and selective Professional Admission process to gain entry to the upper-division professional majors. To pursue the Entrepreneurship major (also known as "New Venture Development" or "NVD"), students must also go through an additional admission process that typically begins in the fall semester of a student’s junior year. 

The following plan assumes that a student is able to test into College Algebra on the ALEKS Math Placement Exam. Students who test lower than college algebra should refer to the Foundational Business Managment Five-Semester Plan and work with their academic advisor to learn how they can adjust their schedule to meet their educational goals. 

First Year

1st Semester
Course Units
ENGL 101* First Year Composition  
MIS 111* Computers and Internetworked Society 
MIS 112* Computers and Internetworked Society Lab  
MATH 112 College Algebra Concepts and Applications  
General Education and/or Second Language  
    
Attend Eller Career Expo and UA Fall Career Days
3
3
1
3
3
Total 13-17    
2nd Semester
Course Units
ENGL 102* First Year Composition  
MATH 116* Calculus Concepts for Business Majors
General Education  
General Education and/or Second Language 
BNAD 100 Language and Context of Business  
   
Attend Career Showcase and UA Spring Career Days 
3
3
3
3-7
1
Total 13-17
Summer
Use summer to catch up on math if behind in sequencing based on placement results prior to your first year.

Sophomore Year

1st Semester
Course Units
BNAN 276* Statistical Inference in Management 
ACCT 200* Introduction to Financial Accounting  
ECON 200* Basic Economic Issues  
General Education  
General Education or Ethics**
BNAD 200 Career Management in Business  
    
Attend Eller Career Expo and UA Fall Career Days
3
3
3
3
3
1
Total 16
2nd Semester
Course Units
ACCT 210* Introduction to Managerial Accounting  
BNAN 277* Analytical Methods for Business 
BCOM 214* Fundamentals of Business Communication  
General Education  
General Education or Ethics**  
   
Attend Career Showcase and apply for Professional Admissions in February, and attend UA Spring Career Days
3
4
3
3
3
Total 16
Summer
We highly recommend that students participate in a study abroad and career-related experience.

In order to take the following upper-division courses, students must be admitted to the major through a competitive and selective Professional Admission process.  

Junior Year

1st Semester
Course Units

MGMT 310A Organization Behavior and Management  
MKTG 361 Introduction to Marketing  
BCOM 314R Business Communication  
FIN 311 Introduction to Finance/FIN 360 Quantitative Finance Management
General Education

Attend Eller Career Expo and UA Fall Career Days

3
3
3
3
3
 
Total 15
2nd Semester
Course Units
ECON 300 Microeconomic Analysis for Business Decisions  
OSCM 373 Basic Operations Management  
MIS 304 Using and Managing Information Systems  
300 or 400-level Minor or General Elective 
General Education 
   
Attend Career Showcase and UA Spring Career Days
3
3
3
3
3
 
Total 15
Summer
Use summer to gain career-related experience through internships, study abroad, or volunteering.

Senior Year

1st Semester
Course Units

MGMT 402 Integrating Business Fundamentals with Ethics and Law in Management  
FIN 480 Finance for New Ventures 
ENTR 487 New Venture Development and Industry Analysis 
MKTG 480 Marketing Research for Entrepreneurs 

  
Attend Eller Career Expo and UA Fall Career Days

3
4
4
3
 
Total 14
2nd Semester
Course Units

ECON 330 Macroeconomic and Global Institution Policy 
ENTR 484 Development of New Venture Plans
Ethics
Minor, Electives, or remaining General Education requirements

Attend Career Showcase and UA Spring Career Days, and Graduation in May

3
4
3
3-6
Total 13-16
Summer
Enjoy your summer and continue the job search if necessary!

Note: This is only a sample plan and requirements are subject to change and may vary based on catalog year, placement tests, AP/CLEP credit, transfer work, summer school, etc.

All students enter as Foundational Business Managements majors, and must go through a competitive and selective Professional Admission process to gain entry to the upper-division professional majors. The above plan is designed on the assumption that a student tests into College Algebra on the PPL Math Placement Exam; students who test lower than College Algebra should refer to the Five-Semester Plan and work with their academic advisor to learn how they can adjust their schedule to meet their educational goals.

* Eller Foundation Courses: You need to take these classes before you apply for admission into the professional program. Professional Admission is required before enrolling in 300- and 400-level core and major courses. Students transferring directly into the upper division who do not have a BCOM 214 equivalent completed will be required to take BCOM 315 before graduation instead.

** Business Emphasis Areas: You must take one ethics course to complete your degree. This class does not need to be completed before applying for Professional Admission.

Students can meet the Second Language requirement by demonstrating second semester proficiency through examination or taking any of a variety of second semester language courses. Each student needs to meet a minimum of 120 total credits. Students are strongly encouraged to take BNAD 100 and BNAD 200 to develop their professional knowledge and competencies required for success in the upper division. Please consult with your Advisement Report and your academic advisor.


Entrepreneurship Career Resources

See where an Entrepreneurship major can take you.

To summarize, the possibilities are endless. With the skills and experience you’ll gain in a program well recognized among business recruiters, you can step right in to a business leadership role or even launch your own startup.

View Entrepreneurship Career Possibilities