Entrepreneurial Studies (ENT)

Courses and Descriptions

ENT 100 Innovation and Entrepreneurship 3 Credits

This course provides students with an introduction to creativity, innovation, and the concept of an entrepreneurial mindset. Students explore the excitement and challenges faced by individuals and businesses as they create, develop, and evaluate innovative business opportunities. We also discuss the probable paths of career development for students pursuing entrepreneurship. In this course, students evaluate their own views of innovation and entrepreneurship within the framework of entrepreneurial thinking, and putting this mindset into action.

ENT 210 Sports Entrepreneurship 3 Credits

Sports Entrepreneurship will introduce students to entrepreneurship in the sports industries as they explore opportunities and challenges for new ventures in this sector. Using an industry's business model, students will identify competitive advantages and understand what is required for startup success.

ENT 220 Inside The Entrepreneurial Mind 3 Credits

Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind is not just for Entrepreneurship majors! Whether you're starting your own business or want to succeed in running a division for another firm, you will need to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. This mindset takes a holistic approach to running a business, realizes that failure is part of the journey and that resilience in overcoming obstacles are necessary skills for success. In this course, students will hear from entrepreneurs and industry leaders as they share their personal experiences, the challenges they've overcome and the paths they've taken to arrive at success in their businesses and careers. Through these entrepreneurial stories, students will be introduced to the skills and strategies that will help them overcome challenges in both their careers and personal lives. Available to undergraduate Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

ENT 260 Family Business Management 3 Credits

This course is directed at understanding the family-owned and managed firm. Topics included are the strengths and weaknesses of a family firm, the dynamics of the family and business interactions, conflict resolution, succession planning and ownership transfer. The course will help individuals involved with a family firm, regardless if they are a family member.

Prerequisite(s): MGT 201 and junior standing.

ENT 335 Small Business Tax Planning 3 Credits

This course provides an understanding of the key tax issues faced by small businesses and their business implications. It also familiarizes prospective business owners with various tax filing requirements so that they can use the expertise of tax professionals more effectively.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 210.

ENT 348 Small Business Management 3 Credits

This course provides students with an introduction to ownership/management in the world of small business as well as an understanding of what is needed to start/buy/sell a small business. In addition, the course endeavors to help students move from a consumer orientation to a producer orientation, and to learn project management and research skills through participation in a hands-on project. The project has students investigate the market potential of an innovative business concept, and then use this research to evaluate the business concept as an entrepreneurial opportunity.

ENT 350 Entrepreneurial Finance 3 Credits

This course covers the techniques for acquiring financial resources as a firm advances through successive business stages: seed, start-up, struggling, growing, and stable. In addition, it examines recent trends in credit markets and the latest financial innovations as they impact the process of financing the venture’s growth.

Prerequisite(s): FIN 300.

ENT 375 International Entrepreneurship 3 Credits

Students will learn how new or small ventures enter international markets. Requirements include developing a case about starting or running a venture in a single country of the student’s choice.

Prerequisite(s): MGT 201 and junior standing.

ENT 399 Entrepreneurship Co-Op 6 Credits

This course provides students with a semester-long supervised employment with an entrepreneurial firm/organization. Students are required to maintain a journal, complete a reflection paper and are evaluated by the participating firm/organization. Eligible students are entrepreneurial studies juniors or seniors with a 3.0 GPA or better. Co-op credits count as free electives. Grading is on a pass/fail basis.

Prerequisite(s): ENT 348 or permission of program director.

ENT 410 New Venture Planning 3 Credits

This course will require students to select a business and prepare a complete new venture plan for it. This plan would identify the product and its target market, analyze its market potential, choose the location, scale of operation, layout, staffing, type of financing, estimate the revenues and profits, and present the income statement, balance sheet, and the cash flow projections.

Prerequisite(s): ENT 348 or permission of instructor.

ENT 420 Student Venture Experience 3 Credits

Students will start and run a small business while under the supervision and guidance of faculty. Students will take a business plan developed through New Venture Planning (ENT 410) and execute it. Students will experience the launch process and learn, hands on, how to adapt to the marketplace. Some businesses started in this class may also be eligible for seed venture funding from Rider.

Prerequisite(s): ENT 348, ENT 410, and permission of instructor.

ENT 444 Special Topics 3 Credits

ENT 448 Small Business Consulting Sem 3 Credits

This course utilizes student teams to assist existing small businesses in solving problems or researching opportunities. Students will spend the majority of time in the field utilizing an experiential learning approach. Weekly activity logs, proposal development, and project completion are required. Restricted to seniors.

Prerequisite(s): ENT 348 and permission of instructor.

ENT 490 Independent Research and Study 3-4 Credits

Topic to be approved by professor and program chairperson. Available to juniors and seniors.

ENT 491 Internship 3 Credits