Entrepreneurship
What is Entrepreneurship?
At LMU we are dedicated to instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in all our students, whether they are pursuing a startup or planning to join a large organization. All we ask is that they change the world for the better!
LMU's Entrepreneurship major teaches students how to identify problems, design innovative solutions, and translate ideas into action. Students learn how to validate their ideas, create prototypes, and launch their products in the real world. They also learn how to incorporate their knowledge of marketing, finance, technology, and operations into a robust business plan. Most importantly, students acquire an entrepreneurial mindset that will empower them to be more proactive, innovative, and resilient in everything they do in their careers and their lives.
LMU was one of the first universities in the U.S. to offer an Entrepreneurship program when we started to offer courses in 1972. We are also considered one of the best – having been ranked among the top programs in the nation by such publications as The Princeton Review, Entrepreneur, Bloomberg Businessweek, U.S. News & World Report, and Inc. magazine. We are proud of our track record of developing successful entrepreneurs who are ethical and socially responsible and make a positive impact on the world.
What do Entrepreneurship majors do?
The LMU Entrepreneurship Program offers a state-of-the-art curriculum combined with innovative co-curricular activities. The courses are designed to challenge students and expand their entrepreneurial capacity. Unlike most universities, LMU’s Entrepreneurship curriculum starts in the first year allowing our students 4 years to enhance their entrepreneurial competence.
LMU’s co-curricular program provided by our world-famous Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship provides students with the resources and guidance to prepare themselves and their businesses for the real world. The Center hosts a number of experiential learning opportunities, including the Hilton Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture Series, Dinner with a Winner, New Idea Pitch Competition, POWER Summit for Women Entrepreneurs, Startup Weekend, and Wall of Honor Awards, all of which allow students to develop as powerful entrepreneurs and professionals.
We are fortunate to be located in the center of one of the most vibrant entrepreneurship communities in the world, Silicon Beach. This new mecca for tech and innovation has served our students well - offering an abundance of connections, internships and job opportunities.
Is this major right for you?
You might be an Entrepreneurship major if you:
- Dream about making a positive impact on the world
- Have a “fire in the belly”
- Have a passion for new ideas
- Believe in your own endless capability
- Enjoy being your own boss
- Look forward to hard work
- Don’t mind taking on responsibility
About our faculty
Our faculty members are passionate entrepreneurs and dedicated teachers. Our faculty members include serial entrepreneurs and public company CEOs as well as top-notch researchers and award-winning teachers. Like true entrepreneurs, they constantly innovate and experiment with their courses. They work long hours to advise students on their careers and startups, and celebrate students’ success like their own.
Our faculty members are experts in fields such as entrepreneurial mindset, new venture creation, venture capital, social entrepreneurship, technology management, growth marketing, and business incubation, to name a few. They have been quoted or featured in numerous media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Inc. magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and The Los Angeles Business Journal.
About our students and graduates
LMU’s College of Business Administration has more than 300 students pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurship. Many of our new students join the Entrepreneurship Society and immediately immerse themselves in many of the programs and activities offered, including guest lectures, visits to innovative companies, and intercollegiate competitions. High-achieving students may be invited to join Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
After graduation, our graduates pursue a wide range of career paths. Some land jobs in large established corporations. Others join promising startups – especially those in Silicon Beach, a hotbed for new technology companies surrounding the LMU campus. A number of our graduates have been quite successful in building the companies they founded while in school.
Representative courses
Our curriculum includes the following innovative courses:
- Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
- Tech Trends, Opportunities, and Tools
- New Venture Creation
- Entrepreneurial Finance
- Entrepreneurial Marketing
- Managing New Ventures
- Business Incubation
- Entrepreneurial Leadership
- Laws for Entrepreneurs
- Entrepreneurial Acquisitions
- Social Entrepreneurship
- International Entrepreneurship
- New Venture Finance
- Real Estate Finance, Investment and Entrepreneurship
- Real Estate Development
- Internships
- Independent Studies