Emerson College is adding another option to the large batch of entrepreneurship programs in Boston. The school, which is well-known for its focus on journalism and communications, is launching a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship that combines in-class and online learning, meant to accommodate the flexibility needs of working postgraduates.
To obtain a Graduate Entrepreneurship Certificate, students need to attend two on-campus sessions scheduled for Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9. During the sessions, students will gain knowledge of problem-solving, design thinking and funding options.
After the two days on campus, students need to complete five online courses on building business models, scalability and legal matters for entrepreneurs, as well as marketing and PR, finance and fundraising, social entrepreneurship and networking. Each class has a final exam or project. As a final step, students submit a business plan and a presentation as if they were pitching to potential investors.
According to the school, the program - which is supposed to be completed in nine months - is designed for budding entrepreneurs, team members at a startup and working professionals with an idea to launch a business.
“We’re excited about the new program featuring a hybrid learning model that fits with our students’ busy schedules,” Lu Ann Ree, Program Director and Director of Business and Entrepreneurship at Emerson College, said in a statement. “It’s ideal to meet the students at the beginning of the program and then they can continue to learn with the online courses to complete their certificate.”
The graduate certificate at Emerson is not the only option for postgraduates looking to expand their entrepreneurial skills. Boston University offers a similar 16-credit program. Harvard offers an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate, composed by four online classes, to be completed in less than three years. If you don’t want to study online, but you can invest only a limited amount of time, Babson College organizes a 5-day entrepreneurial bootcamp in January.
The complete schedule of the courses for Emerson Graduate Certificate Program is available here.
