Social entrepreneurship is a rapidly evolving field. It can be generally described as the use of entrepreneurial principles to address existing social problems. The entrepreneur is a creative person dedicated to a social cause, creating and managing ventures and social enterprises.

The certificate program evolved out of a cross-disciplinary partnership at UND. Students are provided the diverse academic background needed to succeed as a social entrepreneur, which includes links to business, sociology, nonprofit management, political science, and public administration.  

The program provides a regionally-unique educational opportunity to students at all points in their career paths. The student body has diverse backgrounds, since solutions to social and community problems can come from creative-minded people from a variety of undergraduate fields. 

The following video shows an interview with the Director of the Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. Dr. Jason Jensen is also the instructor for POLS 561 Creation and Management of Social Enterprises, one of the required courses for the Certificate Program.

 

• POLS 561: Creation and Management of Social Enterprises

• POLS 562: Political Advocacy and Social Entrepreneurship

• ENTR 580: Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship

• SOC 568: Sociology of Social Entrepreneurship

The four classes in the program have specific requirements related to social entrepreneurship, and the program itself has a portfolio requirement. A finished portfolio will contain four projects, one from each of the four courses, and students have the opportunity to focus these projects toward a specific social problem.   

The portfolio serves several purposes related to the education goals of the certificate:

1. Makes a connection to the world outside of the classroom through research of real problems, working toward practical solutions. 
2. Provides a head start on confronting a social problem and creating a social enterprise.   
3. Creates a presentation piece for potential employers or funders after graduation. 
4. Serves as an assessment tool for program faculty.

The following flyer provides details for the Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship course:
(Click on flyer to see larger version)

1. Students must hold a baccalaureate degree from an educational institution of recognized standing.

 2. A student’s undergraduate cumulative grade point average must be 2.75 or higher or 3.0 in junior/senior years. This threshold is a minimum; meeting it will not guarantee admission.

 3. International students must meet the English language and other admission requirements of the University of North Dakota.

 4. Applicants must submit a personal statement addressing how the certificate will help them meet their goals, official transcripts of all coursework completed, two academic or professional letters of reference, and a description of any relevant work experience (résumé).

 Students will be required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain in the program.

 

Program Delivery

The courses are designed to complement each other with minimal overlap or repetition of information. They are non-linear, so individuals can begin the coursework in any semester. 

All courses are offered in a hybrid format. Each class has a group of local students, attending on-site at UND, and also has distance students who enter the classroom remotely from any location. This technology allows synchronous (“real-time”) delivery of the program to students in any location, as long as they have access to the required equipment.  

All students (whether receiving instruction on-site or online) are required to attend the “live” class. To accommodate working professionals, almost all MPA courses are offered in the evening (7:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.). 

Department of Political Science and Public Administration – Stop 8379
Department of Entrepreneurship - Stop 8098
293 Centennial Drive
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND 58202