Social Entrepreneurship Certificate

Program Description

The Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship is designed for those interested in learning about and practicing social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation for addressing complex societal, health, or environmental issues. Social entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and innovators attempt to create a better society while also ensuring the financial viability of their efforts. Not only do they focus on the triple bottom line, but also may break down traditional barriers between business, government, and the nonprofit sectors. Consequently, this interdisciplinary certificate is inviting students at the graduate level to learn the basic principles, skills, and theories of social entrepreneurship along with strategies for designing and launching new ventures. Students can utilize three credit hours from their academic field of study or an approved elective to enrich this interdisciplinary experience.

This graduate certificate program is appropriate for students who are interested in the application of innovation, technology, and business strategies to help address societal, health, and environmental challenges. In their coursework, students will develop impactful social enterprise ideas, leverage innovation and design thinking to evaluate a solutions social value and market potential, and test business and financial structures of social enterprise ideas applying social innovation tools and frameworks. Upon completion, students will be able to harness the skills and perspectives gained from the certificates coursework to advance in their chosen careers.

At completion of the program, students will be able to:

1. Apply, analyze, and synthesize social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation concepts, perspectives, frameworks, and skills to address societal, health and environmental challenges.
2. Design innovative solutions to a complex issue by integrating cross-disciplinary understandings.
3. Leverage innovation and design thinking to evaluate social value and market potential of possible solutions.
4. Test business and financial structures of social enterprise ideas applying social innovation tools and frameworks.
5. Create and launch a new venture and/or an intrapreneurial initiative by applying social entrepreneurial skills.

This graduate certificate program is appropriate for students from a variety of academic backgrounds and experiences who are interested in making sustainable change. This is a stand- alone certificate, whose required courses may be allowed as electives in some graduate programs. Students are encouraged to speak with their academic advisors before applying to the Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship.

Admission Requirements

The following are requirements beyond the general Admissions   requirements. To be considered for admission to this program, the following application materials must be gathered by submitted to the KSU Graduate Admission Office:

• Letter of Intent: An application letter that states the applicant’s interest in the Certificate.
• Transcripts: Official transcript that a verify a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale, or a graduate transcript with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Program of Study