UNCP offers Entrepreneurship certificate program to undergrads

By Hayley Burgess, Asst. Around the Campus Editor

Menefee Lakatos

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is now offering an Entrepreneurship certificate program for all undergraduate students in good standing from all majors.

In order to receive a certificate in the program, students must take five three-hour courses designed to help students start-up and sustain small businesses.

The courses include innovation start-up, sustainability, two upper division courses from the major field of study and a capstone course where students learn to develop a product or service and then write a complete business plan.

"The goals of our program are to provide the finest entrepreneurial education possible, to add a concentration in entrepreneurship at the bachelors degree level, to bring students from various majors into the program, increase enrollment and to provide help to students starting businesses," said Dr. Michael L. Menefee, founder of the program and UNCP's Thomas Family Professor of Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship Innovation (ENTR 2000) has 13 students enrolled this semester from various departments ranging from music, athletics, education, science and philosophy.

In this first introduction class, students are learning about creating new ideas fro businesses in shipping, new media, consumer staples, health care, domestics, entertainment and education.

A few of the students are already in the process of developing websites, company trademarks and logos, business plans and employee handbooks.

Dr. Joseph P. Lakatos said that the student feedback about the course has been positive. Several students gave presentations to their different major departments about how useful the course and the entrepreneurship program has been.

"The chemistry of the class is one of high enthusiasm and spirit with most of the students demonstrating some of the key characteristics of a successful entrepreneur, including initiative, strong desire to learn and creativity," Dr. Lakatos said.

"Now students interested in starting and running their own business have an entrepreneurship certificate program and a minor in entrepreneurship to help them," Dr. Menefee said.

Dr. Menefee said that the program is going very well this semester and is looking to add new students during the spring semester.

He also said that several departments are working with the program to provide courses and students to the certificate program.

"Many students are looking for employment options. We feel that learning how to start and to run their own businesses may be of interest to some of our students. We are seeking to serve those students that want to work for themselves, have a product or service that they want to turn into a business or want to run a family business," Menefee said.

"UNCP is providing an excellent opportunity to enhance student education by offering entrepreneurship to all interested students on campus," he said.