Introduction
Overview
The option in entrepreneurship gives University of Waterloo engineering students an opportunity to pursue an innovative curriculum focused on two themes of entrepreneurship; venture creation and corporate entrepreneurship. While it is common to associate entrepreneurship with venture creation, increasingly there is demand for students who can act as 'entrepreneurs within organizations', sometimes referred to as corporate entrepreneurs, or intrapreneurs. Both aspects of entrepreneurship are critical to Canada's competitiveness in global markets.
The option in entrepreneurship is designed for students with a passion for entrepreneurship, who wish to leverage their technical background with the business skills required to move ideas from concept to commercial success. It is built upon a uniquely Waterloo approach to entrepreneurship education that recognizes the need to couple academic and experiential learning to develop an individual's entrepreneurial capabilities. This is achieved through a combination of co-operative or capstone project educational experiences and academic content tailored to the entrepreneur's stage of development. As the largest co-op education university in Canada, Engineering and the University of Waterloo are positioned to become a world leader in entrepreneurship development.
Option Objectives
- be able to create and grow new entrepreneurial businesses
- understand the process of commercializing new technologies
- manage the introduction and growth of new business opportunities within existing organizations
Specific Requirements
Academic Courses
All of the following courses
- ECON 220 (currently a List C complementary studies course)
- One complementary studies course from List B
- BET 300, 320 and 400
- One technical course in an area related to your entrepreneurial experience approved by the Option Co-ordinator.
Entrepreneurial Experience
The entrepreneurial experience component of the option can be earned using either of two paths. Both paths include the experiential component as well as a planning and execution course component.
- Venture Creation Emphasis. In this track students demonstrate the experience by earning credit for an E-coop term, Engineering Entrepreneurship Milestone, and BET 310
- Corporate Entrepreneurship Emphasis. For this track students demonstrate the experience through their capstone design project BET 410A/410B plus a pair of the following: (CHE 482/483 or CIVE 400/401 or ECE 498A/498B or ENVE 430/431 or GENE 403/404 or GEOE 400/401 or MSCI 401/402 or ME 481/482 or MTE 481/482 or NE 408/409 or SE 490/491 or SYDE 461/462