Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate: Why

• Online courses exceed the nationally-recognized Quality Matters rubric for excellence in online education
• Accelerated two- and four-week field studies that augment classwork with real-world experience
• Work on your idea, in your own areas of interest and passion, while learning top skills demanded by employers
• Open to students from any program, inside or outside The School of Business

• Copies of official degree certificate/diploma
• Certified translation of transcripts
• Financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study

Graduates have used the social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate to design and launch new nonprofits, foundations, and businesses, advance careers in nonprofit leadership and corporate social responsibility, or find jobs at B Corps and sustainable businesses. Graduates of the social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate program commonly go into fields such as:

• Entrepreneurship
• Intrapreneurship
• Corporate responsibility
• Nonprofit leadership
• Civic engagement and outreach
• Government administration
• Community programming

SOCIAL INNOVATION AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM

The social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate consist of four courses. By the end of the sequence, you will refine a leadership and career purpose, apply Human-Centered Design best practices, use the Business Model Canvas to map out a venture, learn about funding sources, create a financial forecast, develop a plan for measuring and reporting impact, and practice effective storytelling and presentation. PSU graduate students may also take individual courses that are included in the certificate curriculum.

The four courses are:

• MGMT 521 Design Thinking for Social Innovation
• MGMT 522 Money Matters for Social Innovation
• MGMT 523 Storytelling and Impact Measurement for Social Innovation
• BA 526 Social Innovation Field Study, FIN 575 Impact Ventures, or MGMT 509 By Arrangement

• Complete the graduate application
• Send the Graduate School’s Admissions office your official academic transcripts
• Submit evidence of English language proficiency
• Provide financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study
• Depending on the individual graduate program that you are applying for, additional department requirements may include:
  • Personal essay or statement of purpose
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Standardized test scores, e.g., GRE (not required by all programs)
  • Resume
  • Writing samples
  • Portfolio