Washington University is known for its flexibility in allowing students to declare majors across various disciplines. Now, with interest in entrepreneurship growing on campus, the Olin Business School has decided to offer non-business students the opportunity to earn a 15-credit minor in entrepreneurship.

The entrepreneurship minor requires five classes: Individual in a Managerial Environment (B53 100), Principles of Financial Accounting (B50 2610), Legal Environment of Business (B53 301), Introduction to Entrepreneurship (B53 301) and the option of Business Planning for New Enterprises: The Hatchery (B53 424) or Community Development & Environmental Preservation through Entrepreneurial Collaboration (B63 550M).

“[Individual in a Managerial Environment] provides a basic understanding [of] how business works; [Financial Accounting and Legal Environment of Business provides] the basics of accounting, business law and how to set up a business and business relationship; Introduction to Entrepreneurship provides an overview of how entrepreneurs think and behave; and the elective courses give [the] student chances to put to practice concepts of entrepreneurship in conjunction with their liberal arts discipline,” said Jeff Cannon, associate dean and director of the undergraduate program at the Olin Business School.

Before, since the entrepreneurship major is only available to business students, non-business students only had the option to obtain a Certificate of Accomplishment in Entrepreneurship, according to Lawrence Luscri, student services coordinator at the Skandalaris Center.

The Certificate requires a combination of taking entrepreneurship classes and participating in entrepreneurship programs such as the Research Project on Entrepreneurship, Olin Cup and Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition.

The major in entrepreneurship requires 21 credits as well as many of the required core classes of the business school.

“It would be impossible for students in bio-medical engineering, as an example, to get an entire major in the business school,” Luscri said.

Thus, the new entrepreneurship minor will serve as a middle ground between a major in the business school and the Certificate of Accomplishment.

“We have 51 [entrepreneurship] courses all across campus, so students in Arts & Sciences can find entrepreneurship within their own academic disciplines,” Luscri said. “The idea is to bring students across campus [together] in one place.”

Any student who plans on declaring a minor in entrepreneurship will get a BSBA advisor in the business school to ensure the completion of curricular requirements.

Other business minors available for non-business students include Accounting, Finance, Business Economics, Marketing, Healthcare Management, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Organizational Behavior, Strategy and General Business, according to a brochure provided by the school.

“The goal of the minor is not to certify students as business professionals, [but rather] for them to get a good idea [of the discipline],” Luscri said.