Guest speaker and former alum Doug Fernaays talks to students.
We have completely revamped our curriculum. In order to ensure that our graduates have the
tools necessary to compete in today's global economy, we have developed a course sequence and
related events that expose students to real-time knowledge and hands-on experience in a start-up
environment. The new curriculum consists of a five-course sequence that includes four core courses
plus one entrepreneurship elective. Furthermore, this course sequence is now formally recognized as a
major within the management department. It will be the first time that the UNL College of Business
Administration has offered an undergraduate major in management with an entrepreneurship and
innovation track. The new course sequence
is as follows: ENTR321, ENTR421, ENTR422, ENTR423 and one elective.
ENTR321 Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Organizations
This course introduces students to the many facets of entrepreneurship. From the spark of a new
idea to business start-up and growth, students are exposed to the entrepreneurial process. This
course addresses the concepts, skills, know-how, information, attitudes, and alternatives that are
relevant for identifying and evaluating ideas that can serve as an exploitable business opportunity.
Students are exposed to a variety of concepts to initiate creative problem-solving abilities. The course
is designed to lay the foundation for other entrepreneurial focused courses by exposing students to the
importance of opportunity identification and evaluation. The skills practiced and learned can be applied
to students' own business opportunities or to their work within any entrepreneurial or high-change
business. Lastly, students learn about the ways entrepreneurship and innovation play out not only in
small firms but in larger organizations and how this trend toward high innovation is affecting business
globally. The business and personal challenges of entrepreneurship in addition to the career potential
of all the forms of entrepreneurial business are examined.
ENTR421/821 Initiating and Managing Entrepreneurial Growth
This course focuses on initiating the entrepreneurial process. Students are exposed to a variety of
tactics aimed to increase their ability to recognize or create opportunities for entrepreneurial
endeavors. The course teaches students how to formulate an argument to support their idea and how to
critically analyze the ideas of others. Students learn through a variety of hands-on methods designed
to enhance their critical thinking and practical business skills. Case study analysis and exposure to
thought leadership in the field are part of the core learning methods.
ENTR422/822 Managing Rapid Growth and Change in Organizations
This course addresses financial, human resource, operations and marketing issues that face entrepreneurs
whose businesses are confronted with significant growth. In addition, the students will learn change
management concepts that are targeted towards managing an organization in extremely turbulent times.
Students taking this course will be prepared to work in fast-growth firms, whether they are interested
in starting their own business or joining an already established fast-growth firm. This course will be
helpful to students interested in fast-growth industries such as life science and high technology.
ENTR423/823 Business Plan Development and Decision Making
In this class, students learn how to put together a business plan; they move their ideas from concept to
business by using a variety of tools. In order to help students learn about the business building process,
we have them engage in numerous exercises that help them think critically and in a non-linear way about their
business idea. For example, students build their own marketing web sites; this exercises requires they understand
their competition, analyze which prospects they are targeting and learn how to hone in on their key messages.
Students also use mind mapping and story boarding to work through their ideas. Through the semester, students
evolve and change their ideas, and that's what we want. The goal is to teach them a process that can be used
to build a new business or to help an existing organization launch a new idea, service or product line.
MRKT345 Market Research
Introduction to methods and principles of investigation and analysis used in making marketing
decisions, from product development to channel decisions, to advertising decisions. Planning
studies, proposing studies, conducting data gathering, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting
results.
MNGT365 Managing Diversity in Organizations
Challenges and opportunities for maximizing the power of a diverse workforce. Contemporary response
to the issues of effective management of pluralistic perspectives and the impact of diversity on
organizational climate and productivity. Introduction to diversity competence skill development techniques,
strategies, and best practices for organizational effectiveness.
MNGT412 Negotiating and Conflict Management
Management in organizational settings requires skillful negotiation. This course will help develop a set
of useful negotiation skills and strategies. Course uses a series of negotiation simulations and debriefings
that help students learn to identify different types of conflict situations; learn to employ appropriate,
purposeful negotiation techniques; and learn to evaluate negotiated outcomes.
MNGT464 Talent Acquisition and Staffing
This course will explain the process by which organizations forecast employment needs, recruit potential
employees, select high potential candidates from applicant pools, assess job performance levels, give feedback,
train and develop existing employees, and deal with voluntary and involuntary turnover. Students will be
provided with examples of tools used by HR professionals in the staffing process. Students will also be
expected to evaluate and suggest improvements to real HR recruiting and selection systems based on the
information learned in the classroom.
The University of Nebraska ENACTUS team (formerly SIFE) is truly a world class student organization.
The organization was founded in 1988 with only eight members. Since then it has
experienced exponential growth. Currently, we have 60 active members from 8 different
countries and 20+ majors. UNL Enactus has won more than 30 regional and national awards
recognizing our dedication to lifelong learning, practicing, and teaching of free
enterprise and entrepreneurship.
They are now ranked in the top 40 of over 600 teams in the United States. Please
check out their web site and video for more information involving UNL ENACTUS.
Many success stories for business start-up begin with the advice and assistance
of a key individual - somebody who "knows the ropes" and is willing to provide guidance
to the new business owner, based on actual and successful experience. A mentor relationship
can be one of the most valuable assets an entrepreneur can have. Through the
Center for Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program, you will be matched with a successful
entrepreneur who has business interests similar to yours.
The Center for Entrepreneurship has cultivated mutually beneficial relationships
with business leaders, corporations, professional societies, organizations, and
private funding sources from around the world. As a result, the Center is plugged
into a network of potential funders who will provide venture capital for student-generated
businesses. As a student in the program, you'll be eligible to compete for start-up
funding to launch your new business venture. We'll also work with you to strategize
what other opportunities you have and how to go about converting prospective leads
into business backers.
There's no better teacher than experience. At the Center for Entrepreneurship,
graduate students design and complete applied research projects which focus on improving
the success of Nebraska entrepreneurs. By finding real solutions to real problems,
students prepare for their own "real life" after graduation and significantly broaden
the career opportunities open to them.
