Entrepreneurship Certificate
Chart your course with Harper's entrepreneurship program
Program facts 
- Credit hours: 21
- Stackable to degree: Yes
- Potential job outcomes: Small business owner, franchisee, product developer, analyst
Take the first step toward a successful career in entrepreneurship by completing this 21-credit-hour certificate program. This is an ideal program for individuals exploring entrepreneurial ventures, looking to start small business or wanting to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to their careers. Throughout the program, you’ll focus on leadership, creativity, innovation and funding sources.
Classes include accounting, business organization, entrepreneurship, leadership, entrepreneurial
financing, global business, financial statements interpretation and analysis,
marketing and more. Instructors are a mix of full-time faculty and professional business
leaders working in the field. This program is available in an accelerated Fast Track format, giving you added flexibility. Through additional coursework, you can continue toward an AAS degree in Business Administration.
Harper College is an ideal place to study entrepreneurship. In 2017, the College was a NACCE Presidential Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award Finalist. You may qualify for Harper’s Educational Foundation’s Dream Big - Angel Grant program, which supports emerging and active student and community entrepreneurs. Harper has an advisory board of regional entrepreneurs and business leaders who infuse real-world perspectives and opportunities into the academic curriculum. You can also get additional experience by participating in the active business and entrepreneurship clubs.
Certificate program requirements
This 21 credit-hour certificate is designed for those individuals who are exploring entrepreneurial ventures, want to apply the entrepreneurial mindset to their careers and/or want to start small businesses. Focus will be on leadership, creativity, innovation and funding sources. The Associate in Applied Science in Business Administration includes a specialized study area for Entrepreneurship. Please refer to Business Administration in this section of the catalog if you are interested in pursuing a degree in this discipline.
Required:
| Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 100 | Introductory Accounting or | |
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Description: Provides students with a foundation in fundamental accounting procedures using the accounting cycle for both service and merchandising businesses, including adjustments, preparation of financial statements and closing procedures. Also included are reconciliation of bank statements, petty cash and examination of fraud and internal controls. This non-transfer course is intended for those students planning to take only one semester of accounting or for those who need preparation before enrolling in ACC 101. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| ACC 101 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 3-4 |
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Description: Presents accounting as an information system that produces summary financial statements primarily for users external to a business. Emphasizes the reporting of the effect of transactions and other economic events on the financial condition and operating results of a business. Topics include: basic accounting concepts, financial statements, accrual and cash basis, the accounting cycle, monetary assets, inventories, fixed assets, current and long-term liabilities, and owner’s equity. The course assumes a corporate form of organization. NOTE: High school algebra is recommended. IAI BUS 903 Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| ARC 116 | Architectural CAD I1 | 3 |
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Description: Introduces computer hardware and state-of-the-art software as applied to applications in architecture, interior design and other related fields. Develops understanding of basic parameters for design and drafting technologies: entity creating and editing, printing and plotting, and file/data management. Projects are correlated primarily to architectural design issues. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 154 | Entrepreneurship | 3 |
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Description: Investigates positives and negatives of entrepreneurship and the process of concept to new venture. Analyzes typical venture errors and focuses on strategic management. Evaluates business ownership and franchising, pricing strategies, financing, location selection and human capital management. Discovers personal leadership traits. Assesses the personal entrepreneurial mindset. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 254 | Applied Entrepreneurship | 3 |
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Description: Investigates the importance of promoting and managing innovation and creativity in start-ups and existing firms. Explores successful frameworks, strategies, risks, profit-making and barriers when introducing break-through products and services. Masters the techniques for improving creativity, intellectual flexibility and leadership approaches used by managers and organizations to create and sustain innovation. Evaluates innovations and ideas for profit-making possibilities. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 255 | Entrepreneurial Financing | 3 |
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Description: Investigates a variety of available resources for new venture and growth funding. Examines opportunities for capital including options of debt, equity, crowdsourcing, angel investors, friends, family plans, and grants. Designs the start-up pitch for funding. Creates the financial statements for a business canvas or plan. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 257 | Makerspace: 2D and 3D Prototyping | 3 |
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Description: Uses current technologies in 2D and 3D design. Students will create and execute entrepreneurial product ideas. Products will be developed and fabricated from ideation to consumer prototypes. Prerequisite: ARC 116 with a grade of C or better. EGR 120 or FAS 208 may be substituted. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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Electives: Select a minimum of three credit hours from the following courses:
| Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 215 | Financial Statements Interpretation and Analysis | 3 |
|
Description: Explores the characteristics of financial statements and financial statements analysis. Emphasis is on the income statement, balance sheet, and sources and uses of funds statement. Effects of reserves, inventory valuations, depreciation, depletion, amortization, subsidiaries and affiliates are studied. Addresses cash flow, reported earnings, taxable earnings and interpretation of the financial data by means of ratio analysis. Prerequisite: ACC 101 with a grade of C or better. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 165 | Global Business | 3 |
|
Description: Provides concepts, principles and practices of the international business environment. Includes the nature of international business; international organizations and monetary systems; comparative management techniques, and environmental business factors. Focuses on international organizational functioning to help the student gain a diversity of views. Prerequisite: MGT 111 or MGT 154 with a grade of C or better. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 205 | Leadership | 3 |
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Description: Investigates leadership styles and the influences of leadership styles within organizations from start-ups to global corporations. Explores the empirical science and evidence of leadership styles, motivation, communication, conflict resolution, negotiations, creativity and innovation. Examines leadership styles as they relate to culture, diversity and globalization. Evaluates the performance of successful leaders. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MGT 211 | Internship in Small Business | 3 |
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Description: Provides cooperative work experience working in a small business. Credit is given for participation in a supervised work experience. The work must take place in a College-approved workstation. Prerequisite: MGT 154 and 3 credit hours in MGT or MKT course work,or consent of program coordinator. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MKT 180 | Strategic Communication for a Digital World | 3 |
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Description: Introduces the fundamental skills needed to develop Web-appropriate written content that can be leveraged for strategic marketing purposes on multiple digital platforms. Evaluates platform requirements and explains the nuances of multimedia writing. Presents techniques to identify success metrics, assess and report content performance and make data-driven recommendations. Recommended preparation: ENG 101 or placement options into ENG 101. ENG_Placement_Grid.pdf Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MKT 245 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
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Description: Focuses on marketing activities that will cover product planning, pricing strategies and promotional efforts including advertising, selling and sales promotions and distribution channel effectiveness. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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| MKT 252 | Internet Marketing | 3 |
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Description: Presents techniques on how to design, maintain, and market effective digital storefronts. Focuses on communicating, selling, and providing content to Web-based stores and other Internet businesses. Class Schedule: Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
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1 - EGR 120 or FAS 208 may be substituted for ARC 116.
Related programs
Students interested in business may also be interested in:
- Business Administration Sample Transfer Plan
- Business Administration AAS Degree
- eMarketing Certificate
- Financial Management Certificate
- Human Resource Management Certificate
- Insurance Certificate
- Management Certificate
- Retail Merchandising Certificate
- Social Commerce and Sales Certificate
Resources
- Gainful Employment Disclosure (required by the U.S. Department of Education)
- Harper Career Paths: Business Administration
Next steps
For more information about the Entrepreneurship Certificate program, contact Admission Outreach at 847.925.6700, or submit a request information form. You can also apply online.