Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship, M.S.
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship graduate program is an entrepreneurship program that prepares its students to create their own entrepreneurial opportunities or create innovation from within the corporate environment as intrapreneurs. Emphasizing a human-centered approach to innovation, the program will encourage students to develop a deep understanding of users, think broadly about problems, and recognize the value in the contributions of others. The program curriculum focuses on women’s entrepreneurship and a cohesive design process that blends analytical skills, collaboration, problem solving skills, and creative thinking to develop solutions and opportunities for new ventures. Additional unique offerings of the program include pairing each student with a female mentor to provide additional coaching and support to students each month throughout the program. Mentors will include entrepreneurial practitioners, subject matter experts, and NLU faculty.
The heart of this program is the emphasis and promotion of women’s entrepreneurship. The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and network to create impactful business ideas. Students will use the knowledge in the program to gain insights on their leadership styles and overcoming common barriers facing women entrepreneurs, such as financial education and earning funding from investors.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
At the completion of the M.S. in Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship program, students will be able to:
PLO-1. Business Model Design. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply business model designs to deliver customer value
PLO-2. Scalability. Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate the scalability of a company through the selection of business model design
PLO-3. Financial Performance. Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate financial data and formulate recommendations for action
PLO-4. Framing. Students will demonstrate the ability to compose alternative ways of interpreting situations in accordance with different perspectives to create consumer value
PLO-5. Analogical Reasoning. Students will demonstrate the ability to assess domain comparisons to transfer solutions from one domain to another and create new business opportunities
PLO-6. Abduction. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze hypotheses to explain observations and formulate recommendations for action
PLO-7. Mental Simulation. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze predictions of outcomes and determine impact on business issues and new opportunities
PLO-8. Leadership. Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate the impact of their leadership domain and leadership theories on organizational issues
In addition to the College of Professional Studies and Advancement Graduate Admissions Requirements, applicants must:
- Submit a written statement of academic and professional goals. This statement is one of the criteria used to evaluate the person’s application. The applicant should present reasons for selecting the program. Reasons should include career goals and specific indications of how the program of study will help them realize these goals.
- Attend and complete free two-hour program workshop “Entrepreneurial Mindset and Collaborative Innovation.” This free workshop will be offered throughout the year, in partnership with Enrollment, on weekday evenings and/or Saturday mornings as a tool to recruit students, introduce them to our curriculum, and for faculty to meet prospective students to help evaluate their admission.
- Undergo faculty review
Program Details:
- Requires 33 SH for completion
- Requires a grade of "B" or better in all coursework
Required Courses
Gateway Course - 3SH
Core Courses - 30SH
| DTE 501 | Innovation through Empathy | 3 |
| DTE 502 | Ideation and Communication | 3 |
| DTE 503 | Prototyping and User Testing | 3 |
| DTE 504 | Influencing Behavior through Storytelling | 3 |
| DTE 505 | Entrepreneurial Management and Finance | 3 |
| DTE 506 | Design Strategy Studio | 3 |
| DTE 510 | Cultivating a Culture of Innovation | 3 |
| DTE 515 | Comprehension Exam in Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| DTE 520 | Fundamentals of Effective Sales Strategy | 3 |
| DTE 525 | Venture Creation Capstone | 3 |