Entrepreneurship and Innovation, MBA
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation major provides MBA students with skills, analytical tools, perspectives, and experiences that prepare them for careers as autonomous entrepreneurs, family-business entrepreneurs, or entrepreneurs in corporate settings. Whether a student wants to start a business while in school, join an emerging business, or set the groundwork to launch a new firm later in his or her career, the program aims to provide preparation for all of these exciting options. Entrepreneurial skills and thinking are actively sought by more competitive and profitable growing businesses. The special strength of this program is that it combines theory with practice, providing students the opportunity to test the theories, models, and strategies learned in the classroom by creating real business plans, working on other field projects, and gaining access and insight from leaders in the entrepreneurial business community. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation major and related co-curricular activities are supported in part by the Goergen Entrepreneurial Management Program at the Wharton School’s Venture Lab.
For more information: https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/programs/mba/entrepreneurial-management/
Curriculum
A minimum of 19 course units is required for graduation.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation Major Requirements | ||
| The Entrepreneurship & Innovation major requires four course units beyond the required Management core requirements. | ||
| Management Core Requirements: | ||
| Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership | ||
| Managing Established Enterprises | ||
or MGMT 6120 | Management of Emerging Enterprises | |
| MGMT 8010 | Entrepreneurship 1 | 0.5 |
| Select 3.5 course units from the following: 2 | 3.5 | |
| Venture Capital and the Finance of Innovation | ||
| The Finance of Buyouts and Acquisitions | ||
| Health Care Entrepreneurship | ||
| Legal and Transactional Aspects of Entrepreneurship | ||
| Negotiations 3 | ||
| Advanced Topics Negotiation 3 | ||
| Corporate Development: Mergers and Acquisitions | ||
| Intellectual Property Strategy for the Innovation-Driven Enterprise | ||
| Technology Strategy | ||
| Change, Innovation & Entrepreneurship | ||
| Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Management | ||
| Private Equity in Emerging Markets | ||
| Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Search Fund Entrepreneurship | ||
| Building Human Assets in Entrepreneurial Ventures | ||
| Entrepreneurship Launchpad | ||
| Strategies and Practices of Family-controlled Companies | ||
| Venture Acceleration Lab | ||
| Analytics and AI in Digital Marketing and Social Media | ||
| Idea Generation and the Systematic Approach for Creativity | ||
| Product Design 4 | ||
| Innovation | ||
| Scaling Operations: Linking Strategy and Execution | ||
| Product Management 4 | ||
| Enabling Technologies | ||
| Negotiations | ||
| Advanced Topics Negotiation | ||
| Real Estate Entrepreneurship | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 5.5 course units of electives | 5.5 | |
| MBA Core Requirements | 9.5 | |
| Total Course Units | 19 | |
- 1
No waivers or substitutions. Students are advised (but not required) to take this foundation course before the subsequent elective courses listed.
- 2
Students may petition to substitute up to 1 cu of other coursework toward the requirements of the major, such as Global Modular Courses, Global Virtual Courses, Independent Study Projects or Advanced Student Projects, or MKTG 8900 (Global Consulting Practicum). Petitions are expected to demonstrate that the student is pursuing a coherent plan of entrepreneurship and innovation studies at Wharton, and should be directed to the faculty advisor.
- 3
Students may not count both MGMT 6910 and MGMT 6920 for credit towards the major.
- 4
Students may not count all of the following courses for credit towards the major: OIDD 5150, OIDD 6520, OIDD 6540. To count more than one of these courses towards the major, students need pre-approval from the faculty advisor.
MBA Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | ||
| Fundamentals of Financial and Managerial Accounting | ||
| Finance 1 | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Corporate Finance (Half CU) | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Macroeconomics and the Global Economic Environment | ||
| Macroeconomics and The Global Economic Environment (Half CU) | ||
| Legal Studies | ||
| LGST 6110 | Responsibility in Global Management | 0.5 |
| or LGST 6120 | Responsibility in Business | |
| or LGST 6130 | Business, Social Responsibility, and the Environment | |
| Microeconomics | ||
| BEPP 6110 | Microeconomics for Managers: Foundations | 0.5 |
| BEPP 6120 | Microeconomics for Managers: Advanced Applications | 0.5 |
| Management | ||
| MGMT 6100 | Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership | 0.5 |
| MGMT 6110 | Managing Established Enterprises | 1 |
| or MGMT 6120 | Management of Emerging Enterprises | |
| Marketing | ||
| MKTG 6110 | Marketing Management | 0.5 |
| MKTG 6120 | Dynamic Marketing Strategy | 0.5 |
| or MKTG 6130 | Strategic Marketing Simulation | |
| OIDD | ||
| Select one unit of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Quality and Productivity | ||
| Business Analytics | ||
| Online Business Models and the Information-Based Firm | ||
| Innovation | ||
| Operations Strategy | ||
| Enabling Technologies | ||
| Managerial Decision Making | ||
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 6130 | Regression Analysis for Business 2 | 1 |
| or STAT 6210 | Accelerated Regression Analysis for Business | |
| Management Communication | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 0.5 | |
| Management Communication 3 | ||
or WHCP 6180 | Entrepreneurial Communication | |
| Second Year Requirement: | ||
| Students must satisfy the following requirements during their second year in the program: (1) maintain a Wharton GPA that is greater than 2.33 in each semester of their second year, and (2) have no more than 4 CU of Wharton courses with a grade less than or equal to 2.33 (C+ or lower) in their second year. | ||
| Total Course Units | 9.5 | |
- 1
- 2
STAT 6210 is by placement only.
- 3
Enrollment in WHCP 6180 requires pre-approval.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
The Global Experience Concentration facilitates MBA student participation in a study abroad program. Students must complete two full credit units in an approved International Exchange Program at the partner university’s location. In addition, students must take one full credit unit of internationally focused MBA electives to satisfy the concentration requirement.
Curriculum
Students must complete two full credit units in an approved International Exchange Program at the partner university’s location. Approved International Exchange Programs include:
- Australia – AGSM, Sydney
- Brazil – COPPEAD, Rio de Janeiro
- Chile – Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago
- China – CEIBS, Shanghai
- China – Peking University, Beijing
- France – HEC/ISA, Paris
- France – INSEAD, Fontainebleau
- Hong Kong – HKUST, Kowloon
- India – ISB, Hyderabad
- Israel – IDC, Herzliya
- Israel – Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
- Italy – SDA Bocconi, Milan
- Japan – Keio University, Tokyo
- Netherlands – RSM, Rotterdam
- Philippines – AIM, Makati City
- Singapore – INSEAD, Singapore
- Spain – IESE, Barcelona
- Sweden – Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm
- Thailand – Sasin, Bangkok
- United Kingdom – LBS, London
In addition to two full credit units taken in an approved study-abroad program, students must take one full credit unit of internationally focused MBA electives to satisfy the concentration requirement. The electives should be selected from the list below and cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Global Experience Concentration | ||
| Students must complete 2 CU in WHG 5000-level or above | 2 | |
| Select at least 1 CU from the following: 1 | 1 | |
| Accounting | ||
| Taxes and Business Strategy | ||
| Business Economics and Public Policy | ||
| Energy Markets & Policy | ||
| Climate and Financial Markets | ||
| Economic Globalization: Policy, History and Contemporary Issues | ||
| Finance | ||
| International Financial Markets and Cryptocurrencies | ||
| Global Valuation and Risk Analysis | ||
| International Banking | ||
| Central Banks, Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets | ||
| ESG and Impact Investing | ||
| Energy Finance | ||
| Health Care Management | ||
| Comparative Health Care Systems | ||
| Private Sector Role in Global Health | ||
| Legal Studies and Business Ethics | ||
| Law of Corporate Management and Finance | ||
| Management | ||
| Political Environment of the Multinational Firm | ||
| Corporate Diplomacy | ||
| Strategy and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Global Management of Digital Businesses | ||
| Managing and Competing in China | ||
| Private Equity in Emerging Markets | ||
| Global Growth of Emerging Firms | ||
| Advanced Global Strategy | ||
| Comparative Capitalism | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Operations, Information, and Decisions | ||
| Global Supply Chain Mgmt. | ||
| Risk Analysis and Environmental Management | ||
| Environmental Sustainability and Value Creation | ||
| Real Estate | ||
| Global Real Estate: Risk, Politics and Culture | ||
| International Housing Comparisons | ||
| Total Course Units | 3 | |
- 1
Global Modular Courses (0.5 CU) offered in a foreign location also count.
Other courses with substantive international content may be counted upon approval of the concentration adviser.
Concentration advisor: Alyssa Swanson