Requirements for undergraduate certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation

Admission requirements

The undergraduate certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation is open to WSU undergraduate students who are currently enrolled and pursuing a degree in any field, and students who have previously earned a bachelor's degree at Wayne State University or at another accredited institution and want a further concentration in a related field.

The program is open to students who have completed at least 60 credit hours and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above. Any student who meets these requirements can enroll in EI 5000, the introductory course that serves as a pre-requisite for full admission to the certificate program.

Students must apply for admission to the certificate program, and only admitted students will be permitted to enroll in the additional courses required to complete the program. Because space may be limited, students will be advised to complete their application on a timely basis if they believe they have the desire and ability to succeed, commitment to meet the demands of the program, and wish to complete the program in the time requirement. 

How to apply

If you are a current Wayne State student:

• Step 1: Register for EI 5000: Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This course must be completed with a grade of C or better to be admitted to the certificate program. 
• Step 2: Create and submit an academic plan. While you are taking EI 5000, meet with an advisor to complete an academic plan for the certificate program, which must include three approved electives and a capstone project. Your advisor will help you submit your academic plan to the program director.
• Step 3: Get your academic plan approved. When your academic plan is approved by the program director, you may register for additional courses toward your certificate.*

If you are a student who has previously earned a bachelor's degree at Wayne State or another accredited institution:

• Step 1:  Apply to Wayne State as a Post-Bachelor applicant online and select Post-Bachelor's Business Administration as your planned course of study on the second page of the application.
• Step 2: Once accepted to Wayne State, register for EI 5000: Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This course must be completed with a grade of C or better to be admitted to the certificate program. 
• Step 3: Create and submit an academic plan. While you are taking EI 5000, meet with an advisor to complete an academic plan for the certificate program, which must include three approved electives and a capstone project. Your advisor will help you submit your academic plan to the program director.
• Step 4: Get your academic plan approved. When your academic plan is approved by the program director, you may register for additional courses toward your certificate.*

* Note: EI 5000 is a pre-requisite for all certificate electives. You will be allowed to register for electives when your academic plan is approved; however, if you do not earn a C or better in EI 5000, you will not be admitted to the certificate program.

Curriculum requirements

The student must complete 15 credits, with 6 credits from the core, and 9 elective credits selected from an approved list. Electives are open to students who have satisfactorily completed the introductory course and who have been admitted to the program. The list of elective courses will carry no additional pre-requisites, thereby broadening accessibility to non-business students. The list of approved elective courses will be expanded upon review and approval by the program director and curriculum committee. Enrollment in the elective courses can be made by exception with the program director and curriculum committee. Students must complete 12 approved credits (including the introductory course) before enrolling in the capstone course. 

Core courses (3 credits each)

• EI 5000 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• EI 6000 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Capstone

Elective courses (3 credits unless otherwise noted; prerequisites may apply)

• ADN 3100 Design Process
• AID 3200 Ethnographic Research Methods for Designers
• AID 4300 Product Design Engineering
• AID 5302 Advanced Studio / Batch Production
• EGR 5655 Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation I
• EGR 5656 Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation II
• EGR 5657: Commercialization Lab (1 credit; may be taken multiple times)
• EI 5200 Startup Financing and Profitability
• EI 5400 Management and Leadership Issues in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• EI 5600 Marketing New Ventures
• EI 5900 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• EI 5950 Directed Study in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• FIN 5280 Entrepreneurs' Ecosystem
• FPC 5010 Entrepreneurship in the Arts
• FPC 5660 Creativity
• IE 4355 Product Engineering
• IE 4800 Engineering Design I: Project Management
• IE 4850 Engineering Economy
• IE 4880 Engineering Design II
• IE 6405 Integrated Product Development
• IE 6425 Product Lifecycle Management and Sustainable Design
• IE 6840 Project Managment
• IE 6850 Manufacturing Strategies
• ME 5470 / SYE 5470 Creative Problem-Solving in Design and Manufacturing

Graduation requirements

• Students must complete 2 core courses as well as 9 credits from a list of approved elective courses, for a total of 15 credits.
• No transfer credit will be accepted.
• A minimum GPA of 2.5 will be required for completion of the undergraduate certificate, with no grades less than a C in each of these courses.
• The program courses must be completed in the required sequence over a one year period, as students will be admitted into the sequence as cohorts for program evaluation purposes. Extenuating circumstances will be considered in exceptional cases.
• Students must have completed identified prerequisites for each course in order to register for that course.
• The undergraduate certificate will be awarded upon completion of the related bachelor's program. Or, if the student already has been awarded the bachelor's degree, the certificate will be awarded upon completion of the certificate program.
• Up to 12 of the credit hours of coursework taken toward a student's first undergraduate certificate may also be used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, subject to the approval of that degree program.
• The credits earned while completing this certificate program cannot be applied toward another Wayne State University certificate program.
• Credits applied to an undergraduate certificate cannot be applied toward a subsequent Wayne State University graduate degree.