Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor offers an exciting opportunity for undergraduates to blend liberal arts learning with entrepreneurial skills.

Open to undergraduate students from all majors in the College at the University of Chicago, the minor emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking—encouraging connections between entrepreneurship and students’ areas of study.

Supported by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the minor fosters creative problem solving, critical thinking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas across fields. Led by Chicago Booth, the minor will launch in the 2025–26 academic year.

What College Students Will Learn

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor equips you with practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset that’s valuable across every field—from technology
and medicine to the arts and social sciences. Through hands-on coursework and real-world projects, you will learn to identify problems, evaluate opportunities, and build viable solutions.

You’ll gain experience in:

• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Tackle real-world challenges with analytical and creative tools.
• Business and Financial Literacy: Understand business models, market dynamics, and financial strategies.
• Marketing and Sales: Learn how to reach and understand customers through research and engagement.
• Leadership and Strategy: Build the confidence to lead teams and make data-driven decisions.

Rooted in UChicago’s liberal arts tradition and led by Chicago Booth faculty, the minor combines theory and practice. Whether you want to launch a startup or innovate within an existing organization, you will be prepared to lead and adapt in any industry.

Program Requirements

Program requirements vary based on your major. If you’re studying Business Economics, you’ll complete five courses for this minor due to your existing business coursework. All other undergraduate students will complete six courses.

Foundational Courses (2–3 Courses)

These no-prerequisite courses ground undergraduate students in business frameworks and enable them to work on entrepreneurial projects.

Non-Business Economics majors take 3 courses:

• Building the New Venture (BUSN 20330 or 34103)
• Choice of Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 10000) or Economics for Everyone: Micro (ECON 19000)
• Choice of Developing a New Venture (College New Venture Challenge) (BUSN 20340) or Entrepreneurial Discovery (BUSN 20350 or BUSN 34705)

Business Economics majors take 2 courses:

• Building the New Venture (BUSN 20330 or 34103)
• Choice of Developing a New Venture (College New Venture Challenge) (BUSN 20340) or Entrepreneurial Discovery (BUSN 20350 or BUSN 34705)

Elective Courses (3 Courses)

All undergraduate students must take three electives, with at least one from the approved list. Up to two electives may be petitioned from other UChicago departments to align with individual interests. Courses used as foundational requirements cannot double count as electives.

For specific class information for this academic year, please refer to the course offerings listed on the Taking Undergraduate Business Courses at Booth Page.

Reflection Paper

A final 1,250–1,500 word paper is required. Undergraduate students are expected to reflect on how their entrepreneurship coursework has shaped or expanded their understanding of their major and academic journey. The reflection paper must be submitted by the end of Week 3 (Friday at 5 p.m.) of one’s final quarter at UChicago. These papers will be reviewed and approved by the senior instructional professor of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor.

Contact Us

Questions about the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor? Please email us.