If you asked people what is Booth’s predominant concentration, you would likely get an answer like Finance or Economics. With the award-winning faculty in each of those departments and the history of the University of Chicago, it’s not hard to understand why. But many are surprised to find that the most popular concentration chosen by Boothies is actually Entrepreneurship. Read more to find out why.
Resources available for Entrepreneurs at Booth
One reason many Booth students gravitate towards this concentration is because of what’s available for current and future entrepreneurs at Booth. For example, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation offers a variety of different resources including special programming, Entrepreneurs in Residence (successful entrepreneurs who offer office hours for Boothies to discuss their future goals), and the New Venture Challenge (NVC), a top-ranked accelerator program.
These resources not only attract entrepreneurs to Chicago Booth, but also inspire many to start their own companies during their time at business school. With this much buzz around entrepreneurship, it’s no wonder many non-entrepreneur-focused Boothies also choose to take entrepreneurial classes to complement their goals.
Classes eligible for the Entrepreneurship Concentration
Another main reason for this concentration’s popularity is due to the variety of courses that fulfill the requirements. Options like Building the New Venture and New Venture Strategy evaluate the world of entrepreneurial business from a strategic lens. Alternatively, courses such as Accounting for Entrepreneurship and Managing Service Operations provide the quantitative skillset needed to start a new company.
As an entrepreneur, you are responsible for every functional area in your business. Booth coursework caters to the entire breadth of skills needed to become an entrepreneur.
Why I chose this concentration
My personal reason for having an entrepreneurship concentration is slightly different. While I am constantly amazed by the students around me who choose to launch their own ventures, for me developing the skillset of an entrepreneur is critical regardless of whether I work in a startup or a big company. My Commercializing Innovation professor Scott Meadows put it best when he said, “Entrepreneurship is the new general management. Everyone should act as if they are in a cash-constrained environment working to optimize their investments.”
