It’s not just a minor, it’s a mindset.
Designed to give you experience solving real-world problems and prepare you to navigate an increasingly entrepreneurial world.
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Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor: Product Innovation Cluster
Are you ready to revolutionize your college experience?
Real-world problem solving
Project-based learning
Practical applications
About the Program
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Developing crucial skills, whether you plan to become a founder or bring the entrepreneurial mindset to your workplace
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Be fearless
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Fail forward
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Solve problems
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Create your future
What Students Say
The ENtern Program
The Entrepreneurship Intern (ENtern) Program pairs entrepreneurship students with startup companies in order to:
Gain exposure to the startup environment
Build their resumes and potentially identify future employment opportunities
Explore their entrepreneurship interests
Gain real-world experience at an early-stage venture
Upcoming Experiences
Penn State Engineering Alumni Tailgate Mixer: Sept. 20, 2024
Join us for the Penn State Engineering Alumni Tailgate Mixer on the West Campus Quad, Friday evening before the Nittany Lions take on the Kent State Golden Flashes! Meet with some of our engineering students showcasing tailgate games and activities that they designed. Find more information and register to attend here.
Penn State Startup Week: March 24 - 28, 2025
Each spring, Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC brings together Penn State student and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators for a week long entrepreneurship immersion and celebration of the magic that happens when Penn State’s doers put their great ideas into action. This year, Startup Week will feature even more exciting keynote speakers and change makers, entrepreneurial workshops, pitch competitions, access to entrepreneurship resources, and networking!
Top-Ranked Program
Penn State is currently ranked as the No. 23 school for undergraduate entrepreneurship studies in the United States, and No. 3 among schools in the Northeast, by The Princeton Review. In 2022, Penn State was ranked No. 21 on the national list.
Product Innovation Classes
Relevant learning for solving real-world problems.
All of the following courses are required to complete the Product Innovation Minor. To complete the Certificate, one must complete ENGR 411 and choose two of any of the courses marked with an asterisk.
If you are enrolled at a Commonwealth Branch Campus, you may take ENGR 310 and ENGR 411 online. If you are interested in completing the certificate or minor, get in touch with us via email at eship@engr.psu.edu.
ENGR 310*
Core Course 1: Entrepreneurial Leadership. Develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills using collaborative, problem-based projects, with students from all University colleges working in teams. Start two businesses in the class!
MGMT 215
Core Course 2: Entrepreneurial Mindset. Learn to think like an entrepreneur in the broader context of social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, creative problem solving, opportunity recognition, and innovation.
ENGR 407*
Technology-Based Entrepreneurship: Develop skills and knowledge and learn to deal with ambiguity through practical entrepreneurial experiences. One of the most unique classes at Penn State. Sign up early, it’s always full!
ENGR 411
Business Fundamentals for Entrepreneurs: Learn business fundamentals with a start-up perspective from experienced entrepreneurs. It’s an MBA for entrepreneurs in a semester.
ENGR 415*
Technology Launch for Entrepreneurs: Develop business plans for both an existing company of your choice as an intrapreneurial product manager and your own business as an entrepreneur. Learn the characteristics of an intrapreneurial company and learn about the company you want to work for!
ENGR 425
Core Course 3: New Venture Creation. Develop skills that are of high value in any workplace: leadership skills, self-efficacy, creativity and the ability to deal with ambiguity. Attain a working knowledge of traditional and non-traditional ways for identifying a new product or business opportunity, quantifying the potential, understanding the key competitive factors, researching the audience, and producing a convincing plan for financing and launch.
Updates
HackUMass Victory: Penn State Students Redefine Electronics Education with VR
Penn State Engineering students Kartikey Pandey, Parth Kshirsagar, and Shreyansh O. earned the Best AR/VR Hack award at HackUMass for their groundbreaking project, VR Breadboard. Learn how this innovative virtual reality application is set to revolutionize electronics education and what’s next for their award-winning creation.
How Bobby Bacci ’06 Turned Penn State Lessons into a Data-Driven Success Story
From building chatbots at Penn State to leading a healthcare analytics powerhouse, Bobby Bacci (’06) embodies entrepreneurial excellence. Explore how his Penn State roots, entrepreneurial spirit, and lessons from the Engineering Entrepreneurship Minor paved the way for his success.
Student Startup Spotlight: Marble – Revolutionizing Mental Wellness with AI
Discover how Penn State student-founded startup Marble is revolutionizing mental wellness with AI-powered tools that connect personal growth and professional coaching. From innovative journaling apps to showcasing at TechCrunch, Marble’s journey highlights the power of innovation, resilience, and Penn State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Explore their inspiring story and game-changing platform!
Contact Us
Get in touch with us via email at eship@engr.psu.edu
Take a virtual tour of our facilities
Ted Graef
Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship
I have worked for several small companies and ran my own traffic equipment company for 20 years. I’m an expert in rapid product development and the business of startups. From these experiences, I know the entrepreneurial mindset will help you in life no matter what you do. What are you passionate about, and how can you apply the entrepreneurial mindset? How can you apply it to your lifelong goals? How can we help you to achieve these?
“The ENGR Entrepreneurship Program taught me how to produce results in a non-academic setting. Dealing with real companies taught me how to communicate my objective in a more convincing manner”.
Masen Nartatez Mechanical Engineering