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Entrepreneurship Minor

Open to all non-business undergraduate students, the Foster School’s competitive Entrepreneurship Minor offers students the opportunity to leverage their unique talents, as well as their new-found business knowledge, to achieve their start-up goals.

Deadlines

Winter admission: October 25

Spring admission: January 25

Fall admission: April 25

The application opens on the 5th of the month ahead of the deadline

Apply Now

Students can choose one of two tracks to complete the minor.  One track includes two accounting prerequisites and less entrepreneurship coursework.  The other track includes one accounting course as a prerequisite and more entrepreneurship coursework.

Total 29-31 credits

  • ENTRE 370 Intro to Entrepreneurship (4)
  • ENTRE 472 Creating a Company I (4)
  • ENTRE 473 Creating a Company II (4)
  • ENTRE Electives (4 cr. required for students who take ACCTG 215 & 225; 8 cr. required for students who take ACCTG 219)
    • ENTRE 432 Software Entrepreneurship (4)
    • ENTRE 372 Grand Challenges in Entrepreneurship (4)
    • ENTRE 440 Business Plan Practicum (2)
    • ENTRE 443 Environmental Innovation Practicum (2)
    • ENTRE 455 Entrepreneurial Marketing (4)
    • ENTRE 459 Venture Investing (4)
      **ENTRE 457 Entrepreneurial Finance is NOT available for minor students
  • A declared major (only non-business majors are eligible)
  • A minimum of 45 credits completed
  • A minimum of a 2.0 cumulative and prerequisite GPA
  • Prerequisite Courses
    • ECON 200 Microeconomics (5)
    • ACCTG 215 Financial Accounting (5) & ACCTG 225 Managerial Accounting (5)
      OR
    • ACCTG 219 Essentials of Accounting (4)

Application and Admission FAQs

Can I apply to the minor with the prerequisites in progress?
Yes, you can apply to the minor with prerequisites in progress. We do need at least one graded prerequisite on your transcript. You also need to pass the prerequisites in order to stay in the minor if admitted.

What grades do I need in the prerequisite courses? Is there a minimum GPA?
Students need a 2.0 minimum cumulative prerequisite GPA as well as an overall minimum GPA of 2.0.

Can I use transfer credits from other institutions for the prerequisite courses?
Yes. We have no preference on where prerequisite courses are taken. Courses taken in state at a community college can be reviewed on the Equivalency Guide.

Can I take a prerequisite class for the minor as S/NS?
No. If you have already taken a class as S/NS, you will need to petition the Registrar’s office and request to have it converted back into a grade.

What if I took Macroeconomics instead of Microeconomics? Would that be accepted for the Economics prerequisite?
No, students must take Microeconomics to be admitted to the minor.

What if I am a Lavin student?
Lavin students do not need to apply to the minor, but still need to complete all the prerequisite coursework and meet the minimum requirements. You also must be in good standing in the Lavin program.

Declaring the Minor FAQs

How do I declare the minor?
As part of the application to the minor, you will be required to get approval from your major advisor. Your major advisor’s signature confirms their approval to add the minor and that you can finish the minor alongside your major within the University of Washington’s Satisfactory Progress policies. Once admitted to the minor, the Entre Minor advisor will declare the minor for you. If you are a Lavin student, you should contact the Buerk Center to declare the minor.

How do I drop the minor?
You can submit a new Change of Major/Minor form with your major advisor. Email [email protected] to let us know you plan to drop the minor.

Curriculum

How many credits is the Entrepreneurship minor?
29-31 credits (6-7 courses) depending on the track you choose. Track one is 31 credits for students who choose to take ACCTG 215: Financial Accounting and ACCTG 225: Managerial Accounting as their Accounting prerequisite. Track two is 29 credits for students who choose to only take ACCTG 219: Essentials of Accounting as their Accounting prerequisite.

Why is accounting a prerequisite for the minor?
Every entrepreneur needs to know where your money comes from, where it goes, and how to use the numbers to tell the financial story of the start-up.

What is the difference in course content between taking ACCTG 215 & 225 and just taking ACCTG 219?
In ACCTG 215, you will practice the art of creating balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements from underlying transactions. In ACCTG 225, you will learn to analyze and evaluate accounting information as part of the managerial process of planning, decision making and control. In ACCTG 219, you will learn accounting essentials that include a hybrid of information from both 215 and 225.

How long will it take me to complete the minor?
Students should plan on 4-5 quarters to complete the minor requirements including the application prerequisite courses (Microeconomics and Accounting). Following the application prerequisite courses, there is a 3 quarter sequence of required courses: ENTRE 370-Intro to Entrepreneurship, ENTRE 472- Creating a Company I, and ENTRE 473- Creating a Company II. The remaining electives required for the minor can be taken in the same quarter as one of the other ENTRE classes.
Sample:

Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter 5
ECON 200 ACCTG 219 ENTRE 370 ENTRE 472 ENTRE 473
ENTRE ELECTIVE ENTRE ELECTIVE
Apply to Minor

OR

Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter 5
ECON 200 ACCTG 225 ENTRE 370 ENTRE 472 ENTRE 473
ACCTG 215 ENTRE ELECTIVE ENTRE ELECTIVE
Apply to Minor

Registration

When can I register for ENTRE classes once accepted into the minor?
Upon admission to the minor, students can register for ENTRE minor courses at the beginning of Period II registration.

ENTRE 455-Entrepreneurial Marketing has MKTG 301 listed as a prerequisite; can I take this course if I haven’t taken Marketing?
Yes, we waive this prerequisite for students in the minor. The Entre minor advisor can enroll you in ENTRE 455, bypassing the system requirements.

Can I get credit for an internship and use it to meet the elective requirement of the minor?
No, you should plan on completing one of the listed ENTRE elective course options. If you have a special circumstance, you may contact the Entre minor advisor to discuss.

Resources

Can I use Foster’s Career Services if I have been accepted into the minor?
Unfortunately, no. Foster Career Services are restricted to students admitted to the major. However, you can go to the University of Washington Career Center in Mary Gates Hall and receive many of the same resources. There is a UW Startup Job Fair in spring quarter each year to which Entre Minor students are invited. It’s a great way to find opportunities to work with earl-stage companies.

Are there opportunities outside of coursework to get involved for Entre minor students?
Yes! The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship offers many resources and opportunities for engagement including entrepreneurship competitions, entrepreneur events, resources for startups, and programs specifically for undergraduate students. Check out their website or contact ([email protected]) to learn more. You can also join the Startup UW student organization.

Other questions

Contact [email protected]

  1. Meet with your assigned adviser to confirm that the entrepreneurship minor coursework fits within your academic plan. On the application you will submit the email address of your assigned adviser, they will be prompted to confirm that you’ve met with them and they agree that you’re able to complete the coursework. You must submit their direct email address, you cannot submit a departmental email.
  2. Prepare to write one essay describing why you are interested in the Entrepreneurship Minor and what your prior entrepreneurial background is.
  3. Complete the online application.

Contact us

Send an email to [email protected].

Learn more about the Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship.