Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Students must complete a minimum 12.00 credits of elective courses with a minimum of:
3.00 credits of Required Courses,
3.00 credits from the list of Recommended ENTR Courses
Remaining credits, if applicable, from the list of other Electives.

Minimum 3.00 credits from the following required courses:

• ENTR 6500 3.00 STARTUP LAB: THE TOGETHER MISSION

  This course offers a hands-on Work Integrated Learning opportunity for MBA students to learn startup and venture capital strategies, software/hardware product design and planning and mentor/mentee relationship frameworks. Students then apply those learnings by advising 20 + top Indian Student Startups through the Schulich ‘Together Program’ (in partnership with Startup India and the Government of India).1. Part I: Seven Class Sessions; 2. Part II: Work Integrated Learning Program with Startup India.
  NOTE: This is a mandatory year-1 course for students enrolled in the MBA in India Program.
  Course Credit Exclusion: MGMT 6905 3.00

• ENTR 6605 3.00 ENTREPRENEURSHIP & NEW FIRM CREATION

  This course explores various dimensions of the creation of new ventures, including family enterprises. It is concerned with content and process questions as well as with formulation and implementation issues that relate to conceptualizing, developing and managing successful new ventures. The course examines the nature of entrepreneurs and what they do. It identifies the nature of opportunities and considers how new venture ideas can successfully be screened. The course provides the opportunity to develop a cohesive and effective business plan for a start-up venture.

• ENTR 6910 3.00 VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY

  This course is primarily geared to students interested in working in venture capital or other private equity organizations at some point in the their careers. It is also valuable for those who intend to work alongside venture capitalists as managers of firms being financed by such investors and for students interested in applying aspects of private equity investing to established organizations. The course is divided into four modules focusing on the venture capital cycle including fundraising, investing, and exiting. In the final module the course explores new frontiers in venture capital including corporate venturing. Throughout the course we touch on career issues with respect to private equity.

  Prerequisites: ACTG 5210 1.50 Management Accounting or FINE 5200 3.00 Managerial Finance.

Minimum 3.00 credits from the following ENTR courses:

• ENTR 6400 3.00 FIELD STUDY: INNOVATING WITH ENTREPRENEURS, UNLOCKING NEW VENTURE POTENTIAL

  This course provides students with firsthand experience of the opportunities and challenges growing organizations face. Student groups are paired with an entrepreneurial firm to research an opportunity or project for the firm. Students’ firsthand experience will be supported by four scheduled classes emphasizing consulting, market research and presentation skills.
  Those admitted must supply the instructor with a current resume so that the instructor can effectively assign students to projects.

• ENTR 6905 3.00 INTELLIGENT INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM DESIGN

  Intelligent Innovation Ecosystem Design is a two-week intensive course that unlocks the strategies behind creating a thriving Tech & Innovation Ecosystem — leveraging the incredible story of Toronto’s rapid rise to global prominence.

  In 2021, Toronto was ranked as North America’s fastest growing tech market, with 80,000 tech jobs created. This development followed Toronto winning the 3-year bid to host Collision Conference, North America’s largest tech conference with 33,000 attendees, in 2019. In the last decade, Toronto has moved from a local presence into an international one: an ecosystem that nurtures and powers up high-growth startups, scaleups and unicorns (1B or higher valuations). What sparks and drives this next-generation innovation ecosystem?

  In this hands-on course taught by Guest Lecturers from the most influential ecosystem design minds in Toronto, students will learn the frameworks and strategies behind sparking, scaling, and sustaining Tech & Innovation. This course focuses on real-life application, following the startup journey from early-stage to exit across several verticals (e.g. fintech), and examining the crucial role played by ecosystem design.
  Furthermore, this MBA offering is enhanced by site visits to strategic locations, experiential learning opportunities, and facetime with leading innovators. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and practical application, in order for students to supercharge their careers and infuse key learnings into their local tech ecosystems.

• ENTR 6960 6.00 MENTORSHIP MATCH: LEARNING TO INNOVATE WITH VENTURE LEADERS

  This experiential learning course offers the opportunity for MBA/IMBA students to accelerate their understanding of entrepreneurship and earn credit for gaining relevant work experience – under the direct on-site mentorship and guidance of a handpicked Innovation Sector Founder or Venture Investment Leader.

Remaining credits, if applicable, from the following elective courses:

• MGMT 6800 3.00 INNOVATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

  Managing innovation, technology and design is key to success. This cross-functional course provides students with understanding and hands-on "innovation lab" experience applying the latest thinking in technology and design to innovation strategies. Suitable for all students, the course emphasizes the balancing of 21st century management skills of creativity, rigor and intuition in the end-to-end management of customer experience.

• MGMT 6810 3.00 CREATIVITY & INNOVATION: TECHNIQUES FOR A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD

  Creativity and innovation are essential leadership skills in this ever changing environment. This applied-learning course arms MBA graduates with the right mix of creativity-enhancing tools and techniques to explore innovation in contemporary business contexts. These techniques include lenses of human understanding, creativity, visual thinking and holistic visioning. Bridging a necessary gap, the outcomes are applied to practical business issues.

• MKTG 6440 3.00 NEW PRODUCTS

  This course is designed to answer the question “What do I need to know and do in order to develop a successful new product or service?” It will provide you with a firm understanding of the steps you need to follow in order to bring a new product or service successfully from an idea to a product that is ready to launch.
  Prerequisite: MKTG 5200 3.00

• MHIA 6180 3.00 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE

  This course examines the role of the private health sector through the lens of businesses providing technology and services (e.g., pharma), and startups across the healthcare continuum as an engine for new products (e.g., digital health solutions) techniques and insights. How has private sector entrepreneurship and innovation contributed to and continues to accelerate efforts towards improving the healthcare system.

• SUST 6152 3.00 SCALING CLIMATE INNOVATIONS

  This course explores how new technologies and practices intended to tackle climate change can be adopted and scaled. Primarily a project based-course course focused on learning how to map out existing socio-technical systems and landscapes, identify barriers to adoption and formulate a strategy for overcoming barriers. It is an experiential education opportunity in partnership with prominent outside organizations in the climate space.

• SUST 6350 3.00 ORCHESTRATING SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

  This purpose of this course is to ensure students develop the skills necessary to successfully design and implement sustainability initiatives. This begins with developing a deep understanding of critical sustainability issues including the climate crisis, DEI, indigenous reconciliation, inequality/poverty, technology. Complementing this, students will develop the practical skills needed to drive change within organizations.

  Admission to this course requires the successful completion of SUST 5200 as a prerequisite, or special approval of the instructor.