About

Looking at the data, the entrepreneurial route allows one to have a more immediate impact than joining the corporate world. In 2018, North Carolina data shows us that small businesses and start-ups accounted for 99.6% of the state's businesses and employed more than 1.6 million people in 2015. Small businesses also accounted for 50,881 net new jobs in the state. A closer look at the data shows that 60% of those new jobs were created by microbusinesses, which have 20 or fewer employees.

If you're interested in being an entrepreneur, you'll need to have the education and experiential knowledge if you want to launch your own business or follow an entrepreneurial career path after graduation. The Bachelor of Science in entrepreneurship degree will get you ready for both opportunities.

The Bachelor of Science in entrepreneurship program is campus-based and requires 120 hours of coursework. Students will take courses in topic areas such as entrepreneurial finance, sales and marketing, strategy, opportunity assessment, business planning, small and family business management, and new venture launch. The program will also include 18 hours for students to develop a specialty area of interest to help guide them through the business plan and new venture launch courses.

ECU Advantage

The College of Business' Miller School of Entrepreneurship serves as a hub for preparing students to take an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset into their communities. Established in 2015, it's the only named school of entrepreneurship in North Carolina, which was made possible by a generous commitment of $5 million by a Raleigh area entrepreneur and ECU College of Business alumnus, J. Fielding Miller (chairman and CEO of CAPTRUST), and his wife, Kim Grice Miller.

In addition to our unique experiential-based entrepreneurship degree (BS in entrepreneurship) and certificate (entrepreneurship certificate), the Miller School links with key strategic partners to offer co-curricular programs that help catalyze regional transformation. Some of these key co-curricular programs include the Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge, RISE29, Accelerate Rural NC and Summer Innovation Academy. The Miller School has been recognized as a Top 50 national entrepreneurship program by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Chip Galusha (176 Wright Building; 252-737-1057; galusham16@ecu.edu)

The Entrepreneurship, BS provides students the opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset through highly engaged coursework. Students select a specialty area of knowledge based on entrepreneurial interest. Completion of the degree equips students to become entrepreneurs or use their skills and knowledge to forge an entrepreneurial career in small businesses, family businesses, or larger corporations.

Admission requirements include the following:

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

I. General education requirements including those listed below - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

  • COMM 2020 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication OR
  • COMM 2410 - Public Speaking

  • ECON 2113 - Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON 2133 - Principles of Macroeconomics
  • ENGL 1100 - Foundations of College Writing
  • ENGL 2201 - Writing about the Disciplines
  • HLTH 1000 - Health in Modern Society
  • KINE 1000 - Lifetime Physical Activity and Fitness Laboratory I

  • MATH 1065 - College Algebra

  • MATH 2228 - Elementary Statistical Methods I OR
  • MATH 2283 - Statistics for Business

  • PHIL 1175 - Introduction to Ethics OR
  • PHIL 2274 - Business Ethics OR
  • PHIL 2275 - Professional Ethics

  • PSYC 1000 - Introductory Psychology OR
  • SOCI 2110 - Introduction to Sociology
II. Entrepreneurship core - 45 s.h.
  • ACCT 2101 - Survey of Financial and Managerial Accounting
  • ENTR 3500 - Entrepreneurship Essentials

  • ENTR 3502 - Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Marketing OR
  • MKTG 3500 - Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Marketing

  • ENTR 4212 - Innovation and Opportunity Assessment
  • ENTR 4222 - Entrepreneurial Finance
  • ENTR 4242 - Entrepreneurial Strategy
  • ENTR 4252 - New Venture Launch

  • Choose 6 s.h. from the following:
  • ENTR 4262 - Small Business Management OR
  • ENTR 4272 - Managing the Family Business OR
  • ENTR 4955 - Topics in Entrepreneurship OR
  • ENTR 4995 - Internship (may be repeated)

  • ENTR 3501 - Money Management for Entrepreneurs OR
  • FINA 3500 - Money Management for Entrepreneurs

  • ENTR 4232 - Professional Selling OR
  • MKTG 4332 - Professional Selling

  • ENTR 4500 - Entrepreneurial Business Planning
  • FINA 1904 - Personal Finance
  • FINA 2244 - Legal Environment of Business
  • MKTG 3852 - Cultural Environment of International Business
III. Minor, certificate, or specialty area - 18 s.h.

The student selects 18 s.h. of courses in a minor or specialty area based on entrepreneurial interest. The minor, certificate, or specialty area must be approved by the program director. Six semester hours (6 s.h.) of junior level courses (3000 level or above) are required. The student may choose 18 s.h. from an existing minor or certificate, or design a specialized area of focus. Faculty and program director work closely with the student to ensure an appropriate fit between selected courses and entrepreneurial interest, before acceptance into the entrepreneurship degree program.

    IV. Leadership and professional development - 9 s.h.
    • BUSI 1200 - Strategy First
    • BUSI 2200 - Experiential Leadership: Teams in Action
    • BUSI 3200 - Professional Development and Ethical Leadership
    • BUSI 4200 - Leadership Capstone
    V. General electives to complete requirements for graduation.
      For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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