Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 305"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Entrepreneurship"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session I 2013

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Pulino Silvia
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MTWTH 11:00-13:00
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing
OFFICE HOURS: MTWTh 10-11am or by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course examines the entrepreneurial process, from recognizing opportunity to planning, organizing and growing a new venture. We will highlight innovation and its methods and applications on business opportunity analysis. The focus of the course will be on the development of a business plan for a new venture. This course will serve as a foundation for students who might want to own a business. The course does not require previous business knowledge and is open to all majors.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Rewards. Characteristics and Competencies of Entrepreneurs. Creativity, Opportunity, and feasibility. Paths to Full-Time Entrepreneurship. Business Plans for New Businesses. Marketing and Promotion for Entrepreneurs. Distribution and Location. Finance for Entrepreneurs: Cash Management, Capital Structure. Risk Management and Insurance. Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs.

Course content will include materials related to identifying and analyzing market opportunities, evaluating resources required to exploit market opportunities, and launching of a new venture. This process will be assessed mainly from the perspective of an individual entrepreneur.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

· Understand the relationship between innovation, business opportunity and entrepreneurship

· Identify the challenges inherent in innovation and in launching a new business

· Evaluate business ideas in a systematic manner

· Define a winning value proposition

· Draft a business plan for a new venture

· Recognize the implementation issues that arise from an entrepreneurial business plan

· Establish measurements to evaluate progress and success

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Class attendance, preparation and participation		20%
Final exam		40%
Business plan		40%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
This is a fast-paced course that requires thorough preparation and active engagement in the classroom. Therefore attendance is a fundamental part of the learning process.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

The following schedule is indicative of typical course development, but may be subject to change. The definitive schedule will be posted on the course management platform.

Week 1

Chapter 1 Entrepreneurship: Opportunities and Rewards

Chapter 3 Entrepreneurs: Characteristics and Competencies

Chapter 4 Entrepreneurial Ideas: Creativity, Opportunity, and feasibility

Week 2

Chapter 6 Paths to Full-<st1:personname w:st="on">Time Entrepreneurship

Chapter 8 Business Plans: Seeing Audiences and Your Business Clearly

Week 3

Chapter 9 Marketing for Entrepreneurs

Chapter 10 Entrepreneurial Promotion: Capturing the Eyes of Your Market

Chapter 11 Distribution and Location for Entrepreneurial Ventures

Week 4

Chapter 14 Cash: Lifeblood of the Business

Chapter 15 Finance for Entrepreneurs: Using Equity, Debt, and Gifts

Chapter 17 Protection: Risk Management and Insurance

Week 5

Chapter 18 Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs

Chapter 20 Achieving Success

Session	Session Focus	Reading Assignment	Other Assignment	Meeting Place/Exam Dates