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Entrepreneurship is a career path for many students upon graduation or later in their career. Launching a new venture raises unique challenges given that a sustainable business model has yet to be determined and financial resources are initially limited. A second path to entrepreneurship is through acquisition of an existing company, which brings challenges of its own and reaches across all business functions.

This pathway offers a curriculum that combines strategy, finance, organizations, and marketing in pursuit of successful new venture creation or acquisition of an existing company. For those interested in new ventures, the pathway includes a sequence that allows students to develop and launch new companies (ENTR 462, 464, and 466), coupled with courses that develop discipline-based skills of particular relevance to building new firms. For those interested in acquiring a company, the introductory course (ENTR 905-5) is followed by courses to develop the skills required to complete the acquisition as well as to be a successful operator.

Faculty sponsors: Ben Jones (Strategy), Mitchell Petersen (Finance).

New venture

1 | Foundational
Discover, Test, Launch Series

  • New Venture Discovery:
  • New Venture Development:
  • New Venture Launch:


2 | Depth

  • Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital:
  • Global Entrepreneurial Finance:
  • Entrepreneurship: Building Innovation, Teams, and Cultures:
  • Introduction to Software Development:
  • Digital Marketing Implementation:
  • Business Law:
  • Launching and Leading Startups:
  • Startup Branding:
  • Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs: *
  • Intellectual Capital Management: *
  • Entrepreneurial Selling:
  • Entrepreneurship and Market Creation in Emerging Markets:

*These two courses have significant content overlap and students should not take both courses.


3 | Industry-Focused And Experiential

  • Medical Product Financing and Commercialization:
  • Social Innovation Practicum 
  • Real Estate Entrepreneurship:
  • Commercializing Innovations:
  • Digital Health for the Entrepreneur: 


4 | NUVention Cross-University

NUVention courses offered through McCormick include discover, test and launch phases.

Entrepreneurship through acquisition

1 | Foundational

  • Entrepreneurship through Acquisition:
  • Acquisition & Management of a Small Business: 


2 | Depth - Finance, Accounting and Legal

  • Financial Modeling for Private Equity Transactions:
  • Managerial Accounting:
  • Business Law:


3 | Depth - Leadership And Communication

  • Strategic Communication for Organizations:
  • Personal Leadership Insights:
  • Selling Yourself and Your Ideas:
  • Negotiations Fundamentals:


4 | Depth - Sales And Marketing

  • Entrepreneurial Selling:
  • Omnichannel Experience Strategy:
  • Growth Strategy Practicum:


5 | Depth - Operations

  • Strategic Decisions in Operations:


6 | Depth - International And Emerging Markets

  • Strategic Challenges in Emerging Markets:
  • Global Entrepreneurial Finance:

If you are interested in this pathway, you may also want to view the Growth & Scaling and Venture Capital & Private Equity pathways.

Last edited May 14, 2024. For any questions regarding this page, please email kellogg-registrar@kellogg.northwestern.edu.

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