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According to the US Department of Commerce, new business applications are booming, with a record 5.5 million new applications filed in 2023. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s not too early to focus your undergraduate business interest with a major in entrepreneurship; choosing the right program is critical for successfully launching your own future business. Empower your entrepreneurial future by seeking programs that offer unique experiences, balanced curricula, and teach the latest market trends and practices.

East Carolina University’s Miller School of Entrepreneurship made our Top 50 Entrepreneurship Program list because it empowers future entrepreneurs both in and out of the classroom. Here are some of the distinguishing features to consider in the search for your best-fit undergraduate entrepreneurship program.

ECU business students present the results of their hands-on business projects to solve real-world business problems.

Experiential Opportunities Offer Students a Competitive Edge

You’ll want more than a degree to help you stand out from your peers, so it’s important that any entrepreneurship program you enroll in offers defining experiences to enhance your credentials. At the Miller School of Entrepreneurship, students graduate with hundreds of hours of hands-on experience solving real-world problems for startups and small businesses. Through an experiential curriculum, students engage in live-client consulting courses, experimentation, testing, and startup launches. The Miller School of Entrepreneurship points to its signature pitch competition, the Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge, collaboration with the Crisp Small Business Resource Center, and the faculty’s extensive professional networks as key ways to connect with real businesses and tackle real-world challenges.

These engagements bring authentic, high-impact learning opportunities into the classroom. Students not only gain technical expertise in market analysis, financial planning, and business strategy but also learn an entrepreneurial mindset including building consulting and client-facing skills by delivering actionable results directly to small business owners. Rolling up your sleeves and facing real business challenges as part of your undergraduate curriculum is an excellent way to prepare yourself for an entrepreneurial career.

A Balanced Curriculum Creates a Well-Rounded Entrepreneur

Another thing to consider is how balanced an entrepreneurship program is: you’ll want a dynamic blend of core business skills and essential entrepreneurial traits that also develop leadership skills. A hands-on, interdisciplinary curriculum ensures more opportunities for both the technical expertise and soft skills needed to thrive as an innovative, effective entrepreneur. For example, the ECU Miller School of Entrepreneurship offers a strong business foundation through courses in finance, marketing, and strategy, while experiential learning opportunities hone leadership, communication, and people skills. New venture creation projects, internships, and business pitch competitions are just a few things to look for to allow students to collaborate with peers, mentors, and local business leaders, fostering teamwork and real-world problem-solving.

An evolving curriculum, experienced faculty, and speaker series are just a few ways programs can stay at the forefront of emerging topics in entrepreneurship such as rural entrepreneurship, sustainable business practices, and Main Street's role in entrepreneurship.

A balanced curriculum that incorporates hands-on opportunities and addresses emerging trends equips graduates to navigate the complex challenges they will face as entrepreneurs.
Women studying entrepreneurship at ECU answer questions about their hands-on business projects.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Selecting an Undergraduate Program

As you seek out programs, consider the impact each of the following will have on your education and resume, so that you can decide what you need your best-fit school to offer:

  • Experiential learning opportunities (such as internships, startup accelerators, or innovation labs) that let you apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings.
  • A mix of hands-on learning; access to resources; and a supportive, comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ready to take the leap and explore The Princeton Review’s Best 50 Entrepreneurship Programs? Check out East Carolina University’s Miller School of Entrepreneurship, or the Top 50 Programs.