The University of North Dakota has launched a new online Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship to help students develop their entrepreneurial skills and enhance the social sector. The program is fully online, giving working professionals the ability to expand their skills while remaining in their hometown.
The online Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship provides a diverse academic background by exploring entrepreneurial principles as they apply to business, sociology, nonprofit management, political science, and public administration. Students examine the concepts of social entrepreneurship, the steps required to create social enterprises, and the building of advocacy campaigns.
“As an emerging field, social entrepreneurship addresses social and societal problems using entrepreneurial principles, often expressed through nonprofit organizations,” said Jason Jensen, associate professor and program director with the UND Department of Political Science and Public Administration. “We want tomorrow’s leaders to think about if they want to just live in the world or whether they want to change it for the better.”
To earn the degree, students must complete 12 credits, including a portfolio project focused on a real-world social problem. Graduates of the program will be prepared to positively impact social problems, leverage assets and creativity to serve a community’s needs, create and foster organizations that support social change, and succeed in a diverse and independent world.
Students may begin the program every fall or spring semester. To apply, students must hold a baccalaureate degree and have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (meeting this minimum will not guarantee admission). Students will also need to submit: a personal statement addressing how the certificate will help them meet their goals, official transcripts of all coursework completed, two academic or professional letters of reference, and a description of any relevant work experience (résumé). For more information, contact UND Online & Distance Education at 1.800.CALL.UND or visit UND online.
