A new breed of degrees for aspiring international entrepreneurs

You may look at Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates and think – maybe the best way to become a successful technology entrepreneur and business leader is to drop out of a great school, yet the data shows that a very large proportion of the successful entrepreneurs worldwide,  studied and received a degree at the top universities around the globe. 

A better approach perhaps, would be to enroll in programs that provide students with practical tools and experience with entrepreneurship, during their degree, in addition to academic excellence. One example of such a school, that we would like to show as a case study, is Cornell Tech – a top school that now enables students to receive an Ivy League degree in New York City, that focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship. Many of the Cornell Tech alumni move on to start their own companies after graduation. 

Photo credit: Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech offers an MBA program – the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA,  focused on the foundations needed to become a successful entrepreneur. As part of the program, students complete product studios and startup studios, where they take real world business problems and design solutions to address them. This allows students to graduate with the knowledge and experience needed to become successful entrepreneurs and product leaders in technology companies. Another benefit of the program is that it takes only one year to complete.

When looking for a program that will set you up for success as an entrepreneur, we would suggest looking at these factors:

• Brand and reputation of the school in general and as an entrepreneurship school specifically.
• Curriculum – does it include hands on experience with entrepreneurship?
• Staff / faculty – does it include academic experts as well as professors with practical experience as entrepreneurs?
• Duration and cost of the program – these are factors that are always important, all the more if you are looking to make a change in your career and start you own company or join an existing company. If you can complete a prestigious degree in one year rather than two or three – it is a factor to consider.

To learn more about the Cornell Tech MBA program as well as regarding other programs offered by Cornell Tech, please visit this page.

Still not sure what university is your best fit? Visit www.gradtrain.com or download the GradTrain app to try our university matching predictor!