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Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor

This minor cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset for undergraduate students from all University of Chicago majors.

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor offers an exciting opportunity for undergraduates to blend liberal arts learning with entrepreneurial skills.

Open to undergraduate students from all majors in the College at the University of Chicago, the minor emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking—encouraging connections between entrepreneurship and students’ areas of study.

Supported by the , the minor fosters creative problem solving, critical thinking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas across fields. Led by Chicago Booth, the minor will launch in the 2025–26 academic year.

What College Students Will Learn

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor equips you with practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset that鈥檚 valuable across every field鈥攆rom technology
and medicine to the arts and social sciences. Through hands-on coursework and real-world projects, you will learn to identify problems, evaluate opportunities, and build viable solutions.

You鈥檒l gain experience in:

  • Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Tackle real-world challenges with analytical and creative tools.
  • Business and Financial Literacy: Understand business models, market dynamics, and financial strategies.
  • Marketing and Sales: Learn how to reach and understand customers through research and engagement.
  • Leadership and Strategy: Build the confidence to lead teams and make data-driven decisions.

Rooted in UChicago鈥檚 liberal arts tradition and led by Chicago Booth faculty, the minor combines theory and practice. Whether you want to launch a startup or innovate within an existing organization, you will be prepared to lead and adapt in any industry.

Program Requirements

Program requirements vary based on your major. If you’re studying Business Economics, you’ll complete five courses for this minor due to your existing business coursework. All other undergraduate students will complete six courses.

Foundational Courses (2–3 Courses)

These no-prerequisite courses ground undergraduate students in business frameworks and enable them to work on entrepreneurial projects.

Non-Business Economics majors take 3 courses:

  • Building the New Venture (BUSN 20330 or 34103)
  • Choice of Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 10000) or Economics for Everyone: Micro (ECON 19000)
  • Choice of Developing a New Venture (College New Venture Challenge) (BUSN 20340) or Entrepreneurial Discovery (BUSN 20350 or BUSN 34705)

Business Economics majors take 2 courses:

  • Building the New Venture (BUSN 20330 or 34103)
  • Choice of Developing a New Venture (College New Venture Challenge) (BUSN 20340) or Entrepreneurial Discovery (BUSN 20350 or BUSN 34705)

Elective Courses (3 Courses)

All undergraduate students must take three electives, with at least one from the approved list. Up to two electives may be petitioned from other UChicago departments to align with individual interests. Courses used as foundational requirements cannot double count as electives.

BUSN 20340  Developing a New Venture (College New Venture Challenge)  100
BUSN 20350
 Entrepreneurial Discovery (or BUSN 34705)  100
BUSN 20100
 Financial Accounting (or BUSN 30000)  100
BUSN 20355
 Entrepreneurial Selling (or BUSN 34111)  100
BUSN 20500
 Operations Management (or BUSN 40000)  100
BUSN 20550
 Application Development (or BUSN 36110)  100
BUSN 20600
 Marketing Management (or BUSN 37000)  100
BUSN 20701
  Managing in Organizations (or BUSN 38001)  100
BUSN 20702
 Managerial Decision Making (or BUSN 38002)  100
BUSN 20710
 Behavioral Economics (or BUSN 38120)  100
BUSN 20900
 Competitive Strategy (or BUSN 42001)  100

Reflection Paper

A final 1,250–1,500 word paper is required. Undergraduate students are expected to reflect on how their entrepreneurship coursework has shaped or expanded their understanding of their major and academic journey. The reflection paper must be submitted by the end of Week 3 (Friday at 5 p.m.) of one’s final quarter at UChicago. These papers will be reviewed and approved by the senior instructional professor of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor.

Want to Learn More? Here鈥檚 Where to Go.

Looking for more information about the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor? Visit the Course Catalog for more information.

Chicago Booth Faculty Director

A Partnership with the Polsky Center

Students pursuing an Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor will have access to resources and staff support from the University of Chicago鈥檚 .

By igniting a spirit of innovation and fostering connections that extend across the university, city, region and world, the Polsky Center advances innovative ideas and technologies from the UChicago ecosystem to the world. With a variety of programs, events, and resources that touch entrepreneurship, private equity, venture capital, entrepreneurship through acquisition, and research commercialization, the Polsky Center is here to support all students on their entrepreneurial journey.

Contact Us

Questions about the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor? Please email us.