Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option for Graduate Students at the University of Calgary
In support of the University's mission to encourage and support academic entrepreneurship,
technology transfer and innovation, the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at
the Haskayne School of Business and the Faculty of Graduate Studies are leading a pilot project
to allow graduate students from the University of Calgary an opportunity to complete graduate
level business coursework in entrepreneurship and innovation at the Haskayne School of
Business.
The goal of the pilot program is to equip graduate student innovators at the University of
Calgary with basic knowledge and skills to support the development of nascent product or
process innovations and in doing so, increase awareness about start up and other types of
entrepreneurial opportunities.
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option is comprised of three elements:
1. August - Business Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs – [non-credit] required
2. Fall - Entrepreneurship and Innovation 781 [3 credits] - required
3. Winter - Elective courses in Entrepreneurship and Innovation [3 credits each] - optional
courses may be chosen from the following list:
 ENTI 793 – Technology and Innovation Management
 FNCE 785 – New Venture Finance
 MKTG 785 – New Venture Marketing
See below for more details.
All courses taken for credit towards the Graduate Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option will
be listed on the transcript included in your overall GPA. Successful completion of the courses
will requires receiving a minimum grade of B- or higher, as per the Faculty of Graduate Studies
Calendar Policy on Academic Standing. It is also required that a student has a cumulative GPA of
at least 3.00 in order to graduate.
Eligibility
The Option is open to registered graduate students at the University of Calgary from any
academic discipline, with support from the student’s supervisor and the Graduate Program
Director.
This is an in-class experiential program and unfortunately, there is no option for remote or
online participation.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Option Details
1. Business Bootcamp
Business Bootcamp is a comprehensive 4-day program designed to introduce students to some
of the key concepts in business that will provide both a context and language for subsequent
course(s) in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option.
Dates: August 25-28, 2014
Location: Scurfield Hall Room 257
Fees: $325.00 CAD
Credit: This is a non-credit program and will not appear on your transcript. Students will receive
a certificate following completion of the Business Bootcamp.
This is a required component of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option.
2. Entrepreneurship and Innovation 781 (ENTI 781) – an Introduction to Entrepreneurship
An experiential graduate course covering the pre-startup stage of business development
through group projects and case studies designed to provide experience based skill
development in creativity, idea generation, and feasibility analysis. This section of ENTI 781 has
been specifically designed for students in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Option.
Dates: Fall Term - Tuesdays, 18:30 – 21:20
Location: Scurfield Hall Room 157
Fees: Students in research-based programs with faculty approval are exempt from
additional fees for this course. Students in course-based graduate programs who pay
tuition on a per-course basis will pay the standard fee rate for this course. Note that
MBA differential fees and the market modifier fees have been waived for all students
selected to participate in this option.
Credit: 3 credits
This is a required component of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option.
3. Electives in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
In the Winter 2015 term, the Haskayne School of Business offers the following elective courses
to build on ENTI 781, which may be of interest to students in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Option. Traditional prerequisites will be waived for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Option
students, however, note that some courses will assume subject-matter specific understanding
beyond what may have been covered in the Business Bootcamp. Students interested in these
elective courses should contact the Hunter Centre directly to discuss eligibility and preparation
for each course. Decisions to permit registration in the Winter term elective courses listed above
will be made by the relevant instructor or Area Chair, after a review of each applicant’s
academic preparation and experience.
Fees: The standard MBA elective course fee applies for any optional electives taken
from the MBA program offerings. Please see:
http://grad.ucalgary.ca/sites/grad.ucalgary.ca/files/grad_may_2014_april_2015_tuition
_fees.pdf for the most up to date information on fees. Limited scholarship funding
through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship
and Innovation is available, however, full funding for the additional fees associated with
the MBA courses is unlikely.
ENTI 793 – Technology and Innovation Management
The dynamics of innovation as the primary driving force within firms and modern industrialized
economies. Potential concepts are: incremental versus radical innovations, market-pull versus
technology-push theories, dominant designs, technological trajectories, key factors for
successful innovation. The emergence of new technologies; the importance of national and
regional innovation systems; the role of science, regulations and social pressure in innovations
dynamics; knowledge management; and implications for firms in rapidly changing industrial
settings may be discussed.
Dates: Winter Term – Mondays 18:30-21:20
Location: Scurfield Hall, Room 288
FNCE 785 – New Venture Finance
Problems of valuing and financing new ventures. Emphasis on financial theory, best practices
and modeling of new ventures. Case studies and opportunities to develop detailed financial plan
for live new venture.
Dates: Winter Term – Wednesdays 18:30-21:20
Location: Scurfield Hall Room 202
MKTG 785 – New Venture Marketing
Within the context of high-potential, high growth ventures, examines four pillars of new
product/new business opportunity. How to create value for the customer, solve significant
problems through product and service design, measure sustainable financial value, and assess fit
of new ideas with entrepreneur/organization. Emphasis on discovering market opportunities
and exploring product or service feasibility.
Dates: Winter Term – Thursdays 17:30-20:20
Location: Downtown Campus Room 330
Application & Selection
Students who are interested and willing to fully commit to this option should complete the
following and ensure that all relevant signatures are obtained:
1. Entrepreneurship & Innovation Option Application Form (attached)
2. University of Calgary Change of Course Registration Form
3. Current Resume
The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Option Admissions Committee will review all complete
applications. Applicants may be asked to interview with the Admissions Committee. Following
interviews, a maximum of 40 students will be selected to participate. Students are required to
complete the Bootcamp and the Fall Term ENTI 781 elective. Registration in a winter term
elective in entrepreneurship and innovation is entirely optional and not required. Admission
decisions are expected by late July. Selection will be considered confirmed once the Business
Bootcamp fee has been paid. Details on registration and payment will be provided to all
successful applicants.
Completed applications should be sent in a single PDF to the Hunter Centre for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation at hunter.centre@haskayne.ucalgary.ca by Thursday July 17,
2014 at 4:30pm MST.
All inquiries should also be directed to Kimberley Neutens, Director, Hunter Centre for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation at kneutens@ucalgary.ca. Please do not contact the Haskayne
MBA Office directly about this Option– send all inquiries through the Hunter Centre.