GENERAL INFORMATION
- 1. What is the Bard Center?
- The Bard Center is CU Denver Business School’s entrepreneurship division. It is where the entire entrepreneurship department is lodged. Currently, the Bard Center offers 15 graduate AACSB accredited courses and two certificate programs.
- 2. Why is entrepreneurship taught at a center, and not just as part of a department?
- The Business School recognizes that entrepreneurship education is different from many other subjects, e.g., Marketing, Finance, Information Systems, etc., in that a complete education must encompass both theoretical and practical elements. These practical components, including exposure to great speakers via our speaker events, the Business Plan Competition, networking opportunities, and incubation services could not have been offered had the curriculum been offered as part of a regular department.
- 3. Is this why graduate entrepreneurship courses are part of the extended studies campus?
- Yes. To find our courses via a course search on the student portal, you must select “extended studies” as the appropriate campus then search for courses with a prefix of ENTP.
- 4. Where is this extended studies campus located?
- We still don’t know why extended studies is called a separate campus in the system. All Bard Center classes take place in the Business School building just like most other business classes.
- 5. Aren’t extended studies classes lower quality than regular classes?
Nothing could be further from the truth. Bard Center classes are of the highest quality that the Business School has to offer. Courses are taught by the very best teachers from the Business School (e.g., David Forlani, the head of the marketing area, and Manuel Serapio, the head of the International Business area), the Anchutz Medical campus (e.g., Arlen Meyers, a global bioentrepreneurship leader), and business leaders (e.g., Jesse Wolff, CEO of Goodwill Industries). Many great speakers, e.g., Jake Jabs, Rutt Bridges, Dick Robinson) come and speak at the center and its classes. All Bard Center classes, by virtue of being part of the business school, are AACSB accredited. AACSB Accreditation is known, worldwide, as the longest standing, most recognized form of specialized/professional accreditation an institution and its business programs can earn. (source: http://www.aacsb.edu/) Many Denver based universities (e.g., Regis, and Phoenix) do not meet this criterion.
- 6. Is there an easy way to find what courses are offered each semester at the Bard Center (just in case I forget to remember the extended studies option)?
- Yes; just visit our web site. Updated information about entrepreneurship classes will be available here. Just click on the "Education" tab on the far right side bar.
- 7. I have been told that entrepreneurship cannot be taught and that either you have it or you don’t. Bill Gates, for example, was a college dropout. Isn’t entrepreneurship education a waste of time?
- This is an unfortunate misconception. For every college dropout who makes it big, there are hundreds who don’t. There is no doubt that entrepreneurship education and venture success are correlated (e.g., see
http://www.unm.edu/~asalazar/Kauffman/Entrep_research/e_ed_grow.pdf). Educated individuals are more likely to be entrepreneurs, and small-business owners who go to entrepreneurship school to study business fundamentals succeed in securing an increase in revenue and profits. Research also suggests that entrepreneurship education is even more important than experience in predicting future success. Individuals with entrepreneurship education are more likely to take the plunge and actually start a business, and their business is more likely to be successful than those without such an education (check the abstract of an article here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/088390269490006X). You do not want to be one to fall prey to the coffee-shop entrepreneurship mentality.
- 8. Why is the Bard Center a good place to get entrepreneurship education.
- Other than high quality (see point 3 above), the Bard Center offers more courses than any other entrepreneurship program in Colorado. It is also located in downtown Denver, surrounded by businesses and acts as a gateway between the university and downtown corporations. You cannot find better quality, better events, better networking, and a better location anywhere else. The Bard Center’s annual Business Plan Competition is the most renowned and well-attended in Colorado. The Bard Center also provides a venture fund, incubation program, and scholarships.
- 9. How much does it cost to attend a Bard Center class?
- Bard Center courses have the same per unit cost as other Business School courses for in-state students. Out-of-state, non-resident, and international students will be pleased to learn that the Bard Center tuition is substantially lower than for regular classes at the business school. Currently, resident student tuition is $1,488 per course, while non-resident tuition is $2,500 per course ($1,000 less than other Business School courses).
- 10. Does the Bard Center offer scholarships?
- Yes, we have several scholarship funds and more money to award than most other Business School departments. A significant proportion of applicants are awarded a scholarship. Awards range from $500-$1000 per course. In order to qualify for a scholarship, you must be registered for at least one Bard Center class in the term for which you apply for a scholarship. Please see the "Scholarship" tab under the "Education" tab on the side bar for details on how to apply for the scholarship and for deadline dates.
- 11. What is the Business Plan Competition?
- It is our annual, signature event and all Bard Center students are encouraged to apply for it. Over $50,000 in cash and in-kind prizes are awarded to the finalists. Over 100 individuals are involved with the competition from planning to culmination. Applicants are provided feedback from 2-4 real-world evaluators which greatly help them in tweaking their plans for maximum effect in the real world. And best of all, its free. Please see the "Business Plan Competition" tab on the far right side bar for more details.
Finalists also get the opportunity to apply to the exclusive and rigorous Bard Center incubator program, aimed at getting products to market over a period of 11 months.
NON-DEGREE STUDENT INFORMATION
- 12. Who can take a Bard Center class?
- Anyone with a Bachelor's degree from a recognized school.
- 13. You mean anyone with a Bachelor's degree in ANY subject?
- Yes. We especially invite students from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds.
- 14. Do I need to be registered in an MBA or a Master's Degree Program?
- No. You can complete Bard Center ENTP courses as a non-degree student and be required to complete any other degree program. As a non-degree student, you may take as many Bard Center ENTP courses as you wish. Non-degree students are also eligible to complete one of the two Bard Center certificate programs without enrolling in additional Business School courses. Further, MBA and MS students are able to complete ENTP courses to fill an open elective or entreprenuership specialization requirements.
- 15. You mean I can just register for any class?
- As long as you have a Bachelor's degree, sure. Bard Center classes have no prerequisites. Please see “Registration Information” under the “Education” tab.
- 16. What if I want to get a certificate?
- In order to get a certificate, you have to take just three classes, in a certain order. You have to take one core, one signature, and one capstone class. See information under "Education", and the "Certificate/Degree" tab.
- 17. Do I have a choice of certificates?
- Yes. The Bard Center offers a certificate in Entrepreneurial Studies and a certificate in Bioinnovation and Entrepreneurship.
- 18. Is getting a certificate a big deal?
- Well, it is an official Business School certificate (not some certificate from a certificate mill), a pretty big deal if you ask us. An annual, exclusive certificate recipient ceremony takes place every December.
- 19. Do you have suggestions as to which classes or certificates will be the most useful to me?
- That depends entirely on your background, interests, and goals. The Bard Center offers free consulting to prospective students to help mold a program based on their needs. Please contact a Bard Center staff member (see contact information under the “Staff” tab), or a graduate advisor at the Business School for a consulting appointment.
DEGREE SEEKING STUDENT INFORMATION
- 20. What degree or specialization options are available at the Bard Center?
- The Bard Center offers an entrepreneurship specialization for MBA and MS Management students at the Business School. In order to take entrepreneurship as your specialization, you need to complete four appropriate classes. See details under the "Education" tab. The Bard Center also offers a technological innovation and entrepreneurship specialization for MS Information Systems Students. More information on these degree options is available under the education tab.
- 21. I don’t want to start a business. Is the entrepreneurship specialization of any use to me?
- Absolutely. The majority of entrepreneurship students do NOT start their own business. Entrepreneurship is akin to a capstone specialization where all business fields come together. It helps sharpen your decision making skills in a real business environment, assisting you in determining what business concepts work in a given situation, thereby, enabling you to focus on the main issues and not the fluff. In the competitive marketplace, an increasing number of corporations work intrepreneurially in small, competitive departments. These corporations realize that to prosper in the tough global business environment, business leaders need to minimize wastage, increase long term thinking, and focus on things that work. In other words, even large companies have to think small, not big. Our graduates find better jobs in large companies because an increasing number of corporations value the skill set brought forth by entrepreneurship education. Fortified with the comfort of knowing that they can always start their own businesses, our graduates serve as change agents and risk takers in the corporate setting, a trait that corporations value. In sum, an entrepreneurship specialization is not just for those who wish to start a small business; indeed more than ever before, it is beneficial for individuals who seek corporate positions.
- 22. Are Bard Center classes harder than regular MBA or MS classes.
- They aren’t necessarily harder, they are just different. Bard Center classes are more applied in nature, enabling students to relate classroom concepts to their own venture or idea. The concepts directly apply to YOUR situation, which makes for a more engaged learning environment. Students often willingly work hard because they can directly see the fruits of their labors.
- 23. What are some of the other advantages of taking Bard Center classes?
- There are four big advantages of taking Bard Center classes. They are cost, flexibility, an additional certificate, and networking.
Cost: While the cost per class for in-state students is the same as in the Business School (currently $1488/course), the Bard Center has more funds available for scholarships than most other business school departments. This increases the probability that you will get a scholarship, which will serve to reduce the tuition amount (check out the "Scholarship" tab for more information). For non-resident and international students, the tution amount per course is $2,500 (a $1000 savings per course over the regular Business School rate). Non-resident students may also apply for the aforementioned scholarships. Further, from time to time, the Bard Center offers promotional pricing for new and specific courses.
Flexibility: Entrepreneurship classes have no prerequisites. Hence, you can take any Bard Center class in any semester of your graduate program. This allows students with the ultimate flexibility to fill their course roster with the appropriate number of courses each year. There are other advantages as well. Non-resident students may, for example wish to stack entrepreneurship courses during the first year of their MBA or MS specialization, thereby reducing first year tuition costs while they await the second year resident status.
Certificate: As a bonus, entrepreneurship students who complete the requirements for their specialization will be awarded an official Business School certificate in Entrepreneurship (or Bioinnovation and Entrepreneurship) in addition to their regular degree.
Networking: Bard Center events and organizations offer a student an incredible opportunity to network. Our advisory council is also closely engaged with helping students, and faculty introduce great guest speakers to students on an individual basis, thereby connecting students, free of cost, with key players (attorneys, finance specialists, marketing specialists, accountants). Further, Bard Center organizations, e.g., the Denver Founders’ Network, offer unprecedented opportunity to network with successful entrepreneurs. Check under the "Alumni" tab for meet-up details.
- 24. Should I take entrepreneurship classes earlier or later in the degree process?
- This varies depending on your goals, and past experience. Please contact us (see contact information under the “staff” tab) or a graduate advisor, and we will be delighted to set up a free consultation to advise you better.