MS in Entrepreneurship

MS in ENTP

Master’s in Entrepreneurship at CU Denver

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of Best States for Entrepreneurs and Startups

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of the Best Places to Start a Business

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of the Fastest-Growing Cities for Entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Develop Your Entrepreneurial Mindset

Our Master’s in Entrepreneurship program is designed to maximize flexibility, customization, and affordability for all students. Make career-changing connections and start learning the innovative skills you need to start your own business, work in startups, or create growth at any organization with minimal resources.

  • Complete courses at your own pace through a flexible and customizable 30-credit curriculum. Choose any 10 courses in entrepreneurship that align with your interests, career goals, and knowledge gaps.
  • Classes are offered in-person at our downtown Denver campus, fully online, or as hybrid.
  • Choose from a diverse range of courses focused on small business success, ranging from finance, data analysis, leadership, bioinnovation, digital marketing, and more.
  • Test your skills through exclusive experiential events, like our annual pitch competition THE CLIMB, to gain real-world experience and build your community.
  • Connect with Denver’s top business leaders and a wide network of entrepreneurs through the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship.
  • Take the next step in your career with the Business Career Center’s trusted career support services.
  • Unsure if this is the right fit? Take our 3-course certificate in entrepreneurship first, which can count towards the full MS if you decide to pursue it.

The MS in Entrepreneurship curriculum consists of 30 credit hours (10 courses) of any graduate-level entrepreneurship courses. There are no prerequisites or required core courses for this degree program.

Current Course Options

Courses may change by semester and academic year; however, our current list of courses include:

  • ENTP 6020 – Business Model Development and Planning
  • ENTP 6110 – Innovation in Fintech
  • ENTP 6620 – New Venture Operations and Project Management
  • ENTP 6801 – Healthcare Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • ENTP 6802 – Regulatory Environment of Life Science Innovation
  • ENTP 6807 – Personal Branding
  • ENTP 6822 – Legal and Ethical Issues of Entrepreneurship
  • ENTP 6824 – Entrepreneurial Financial Management
  • ENTP 6826 – International Entrepreneurship
  • ENTP 6834 – Lean Marketing
  • ENTP 6842 – Idea Validation and Concept Development
  • ENTP 6848 – Leadership for New and Innovative Ventures
  • ENTP 6836 – High-Impact Sales for Entrepreneurs
  • ENTP 6838 – Data Analysis in Innovation
  • ENTP 6860 – Innovation in Blockchain

Every semester, we offer courses in a variety of formats. Students are encouraged to complete the degree at their own pace, in any course order that they choose, and in the format(s) that work best for their schedule and learning preferences.

As a result, this degree can be completed fully online, in as little as one academic year or as long as five. We also offer fully in-person and hybrid courses in the fall and spring semesters. Graduate-level courses are offered in the evenings to accommodate working students.

At the end of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Cultivate an Entrepreneurial Practice. Develop strategies designed to sustain competitive advantage and optimize stakeholder value. Analyze information to address an entrepreneurial concept.
  2. Communicate Effectively. Apply effective and professional written/verbal communication skills around new concepts and ventures.
  3. Lead Entrepreneurially. Collaborate and lead effectively within diverse business teams, leveraging teamwork and leadership skills in new ventures.
  4. Be Purpose Driven. Gain an understanding around impact of different socio-cultural, political/institutional, legal, financial, and/or economic contexts on business ventures and new strategies.
  5. Develop Successful Business Models for Innovation. Embrace risk-taking and creative problem solving, in both one’s organization and career, to continually evolve in today’s uncertain and skills-driven markets.

Tuition

The cost of tuition for the MS in Entrepreneurship degree is the same for all in-state, out-of-state, and international students.

Scholarships

All Business School graduate students can apply to campus-wide and school specific scholarships through Scholarship Universe. In addition, the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship offers exclusive scholarships to in-state students. As a current student, you can apply for scholarships every semester. Some awards are based on program and course enrollment.

Newly Admitted and Continuing Students:

You can apply for additional scholarships every semester of enrollment. Some awards may be specific to individual programs or enrollment in specific courses.

Applicants are required to submit all application materials. Interviews are not a part of the admission process. To receive priority admission, we must have received your online application and all other required materials including transcripts and GMAT/GRE (if submitted) by the deadline.

You can check your admission status online through the account you created for the online application. You will receive a final decision by email within two to three weeks from the submission of all materials.

Admission Requirements

  • Applicants must have completed an undergraduate program at an accredited United States college or its equivalent in another country.
  • No work experience or formal business education is required for admission, however, you may have to provide a GMAT or GRE score if you do not have enough work experience, see below.

The GMAT/GRE is not required for this program.

The MS in Entrepreneurship program does not require GMAT or GRE scores for their degree program as part of the graduate admissions requirements. The requirements are a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better from a US accredited four-year undergraduate institution or the successful completion of a graduate degree, and three or more years of full-time professional work experience.

However, if you received your bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of less than 3.0 or have less than 3 years of professional work experience, you will be asked to submit a statement that outlines other indicators of exceptional motivation, such as solid upper-division performance, GMAT or GRE scores, and other relevant professional experience. The MS in Entrepreneurship admissions committee may require a minimum GMAT or GRE score for students that do not automatically qualify by GPA and prior work.

How Decisions Are Made

The admissions committee considers each candidate’s entire record of achievement. This is demonstrated through:

  • Academic transcripts
  • Essay responses
  • Work experience
  • Extracurricular and community activities
  • Letters of recommendation if applicable
  • GMAT/GRE scores if applicable

No work experience or formal business education is required for admission. However, professional experience strengthens your application. Candidates with less work experience can show potential through academic and experiential success.

For any questions, please contact our admissions team at bschool.admissions@ucdenver.edu or call 303-315-8200.

International Students

CU Denver will require graduate applicants to the downtown Denver campus to have their international academic credentials evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). This policy will take effect for applications submitted on or after July 1, 2022. Learn more about Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) here.

To meet the English Language Proficiency (ELP) criteria, you must either showcase your proficiency through past education in English instruction or an English Language Proficiency test. If you are a citizen of a country whose official language is English, you do not have to prove proficiency. See below for a listing of accepted countries.

To claim proficiency, you must complete one of the following criteria. Please note that test scores are valid for two years.

  • Submit a TOEFL score that meets the minimum requirements of 83 (IBT) or 560 (PBT).
    The minimum IBT sub-scores for each section are: Reading 18, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 17.
  • Submit an IELTS score of at least 6.5 The minimum IELTS sub scores for the reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections are 5.5.
  • Submit a copy of completion from the CU Denver ESL Academy.
  • Be a citizen of a country whose official language is English. International applicants holding a citizenship from the following countries do not need to prove their English language proficiency for admission to CU Denver: Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Granada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom.
  • International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement through any of the options below for previous coursework completed. Options for previous coursework completed which will satisfy admissions ELP requirements:
    • Earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in the US
    • Earn a post-secondary credential (comparable to a US associate or bachelor’s degree) in any of the exempt countries listed above
    • Earn a post-secondary credential (comparable to a US associate or bachelor’s degree) at an exempt-country-accredited school located in a non-exempt country
    • Earned 12 or more credit hours in a master or doctoral degree program in the United States, an exempt country, or at an exempt-country-accredited school in a non-exempt country AND earned an overall college-level GPA of 3.0 or higher.

To be eligible for scholarships you must apply by the priority deadlines. Plan to submit materials early to expedite processing. Deadlines apply to all required documents. Please note that if you apply by the final deadlines many classes may be full.

Plan to submit materials early to expedite processing. Deadlines apply to all required documents.

FALL

Domestic Applications

  • Priority: April 15
  • Final: July 15

International Applications

  • Priority: March 15
  • Final: May 15

SPRING

Domestic Applications

  • Priority: October 15
  • Final: December 15

International Applications

  • Priority: September 15
  • Final: October 15

SUMMER

Domestic Applications

  • Priority: February 15
  • Final: April 15

International Applications

  • Priority: January 15
  • Final: March 15