UT Dallas 2014 Graduate Catalog

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

ENTP 6311 (FIN 6311) Valuation Models and Practices (3 semester credit hours) This course examines different models and practices for valuing firms (both public and private), pricing IPOs, and valuing and structuring mergers and acquisitions. Prerequisite: FIN 6301. (3-0) S

ENTP 6315 (FIN 6315) Entrepreneurial Finance (3 semester credit hours) The objective of this course is to build skills and knowledge in the financing of entrepreneurial ventures. Entrepreneurial Finance concerns not only the process of financing and investing in start-up companies, but also the changes to the initial financing mix that may be required as start-up companies mature and grow. Topics include: valuation, capital structure, forecasting, the markets for venture capital and private equity, the decision to go public or remain private, alternative financing arrangements, and the differential marketability and liquidity of the securities used to finance non-public firms. Credit cannot be received for both courses, ENTP 6315 and FIN 6315. Prerequisite: FIN 6301. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6316 (FIN 6316) Private Equity Finance (3 semester credit hours) This course will cover the investment of capital in the equity of private companies to fund growth or in public companies to take them private. This course includes the study of a broad spectrum of private equity investments, investing in established private firms, buyouts, financial restructuring of distressed firms, and private equity financing by public firms. Prerequisite: FIN 6311 or ENTP 6311 or instructor consent required. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6351 International Entrepreneurship and Innovation (3 semester credit hours) Executive Education Course. This course is an introduction to the international business plan and provides an introduction to entrepreneurship with an emphasis on identifying, evaluating and developing new venture opportunities for international markets. Topics include opportunity identification and evaluation, startup strategies, business valuation, business plan development, financing the venture, managing the growing business and exit strategies. Prerequisites: (IMS 5200 or MKT 6301 or FIN 6301 or ACCT 6201) and BPS 6310 and instructor consent required. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6352 International Business Plan (3 semester credit hours) Executive Education Course. This course is a capstone that requires the development of a comprehensive business plan for market entry into a foreign country or region. The construct builds upon the core business and international coursework including the successful completion of key courses in accounting, finance, marketing and strategy, as well as, the international entrepreneurship and innovation. The course consists of lectures, research, and faculty coaching and guidance. Prerequisite: ENTP 6351 and instructor consent required. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6360 Startup Launch I (3 semester credit hours) This course is designed to refine and validate a specific business concept based upon a student's new venture idea. The course utilizes a structured customer discovery/validation methodology that requires early customer engagement and the development and validation of a comprehensive business model. Key assumptions will be validated utilizing primary and secondary market research, interviews with prospective customers and other industry participants, and field testing of Minimum Viable Products. Students or student teams will be selected and enrolled on the basis of a business concept proposal approved by the faculty. Multiple projects will proceed through the course as a cohort, guided by faculty and mentored by experienced entrepreneurs. Cubicle space in the Venture Development Center may be applied for. ENTP 6360 utilizes the same customer discovery/validation process used in ENTP 6365. Credit cannot be received for both courses, ENTP 6360 and ENTP 6365. Instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6361 Startup Launch II (3 semester credit hours) Faculty mentored development of a business concept initiated in ENTP 6360. Prerequisites: ENTP 6360 and instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6362 Startup Launch III-IV (3 semester credit hours) Faculty mentored development of a business concept initiated in ENTP 6360. Students in the startup launch track may repeat this course once. Prerequisites: ENTP 6361 and instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6365 Business Concept Validation (3 semester credit hours) This course is designed to refine and validate a specific business concept based upon a UT Dallas technology currently resident in the Venture Development Center (VDC) or developed by an external organization. The course utilizes a structured customer discovery/validation methodology that requires early customer engagement and the development and validation of a comprehensive business model. Key assumptions will be validated utilizing primary and secondary market research, interviews with prospective customers and other industry participants, and field testing of Minimum Viable Products. Student teams will be selected and assigned to a project based on relevant experience and qualifications. Multiple projects will proceed through the course as a cohort, guided by the faculty and the inventor/researcher. This course may be repeated one time for course credit. ENTP 6365 utilizes the same customer discovery/validation process used in ENTP 6360. Credit cannot be received for both courses, ENTP 6360 and ENTP 6365. Instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6370 Entrepreneurship (3 semester credit hours) This course provides an introduction to entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on identifying, evaluating and developing new venture opportunities. Topics include opportunity identification and evaluation, startup strategies, business valuation, business plan development, attracting stakeholders, financing the venture, managing the growing business and exit strategies. Case studies and guest lectures by entrepreneurs and venture capital partners provide a real-world perspective. The major deliverable of this course is an early stage feasibility analysis of a venture of the student's choosing. Topics may vary. (3-0) S

ENTP 6375 (OPRE 6394 and SYSM 6332) Technology and New Product Development (3 semester credit hours) This course addresses the strategic and organizational issues confronted by firms in technology-intensive environments. The course reflects six broad themes: (1) managing firms in technology-intensive industries; (2) forecasting key industry and technology trends; (3) linking technology and business strategies; (4) using technology as a source of competitive advantage; (5) organizing firms to achieve these goals; and (6) implementing new technologies in organizations. Students will analyze actual situations in organizations and summarize their findings and recommendations in an in-depth term paper. Case studies and class participation are stressed. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6378 Managing the Emerging Enterprise (3 semester credit hours) The course focuses on the challenges of growing a small company from early startup to a professionally managed business, as the entrepreneur struggles to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit of the firm while introducing the professional management disciplines essential to sustained and profitable growth. Topics include shaping and communicating the entrepreneur's vision, developing a viable business model, positioning products and services in a broader market, implementing business strategies, building an organization and infrastructure, molding the culture, developing and managing critical relationships with banks, suppliers and customers, and managing growth with limited resources. The course makes extensive use of case studies and visiting lectures by entrepreneurs. Prerequisite: ENTP 6370 or instructor consent required. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6380 (MKT 6380) Market Entry Strategies (3 semester credit hours) This course addresses the marketing challenges facing the entrepreneurial firm, with specific emphasis on the choice and implementation of an initial market entry strategy. This choice typically involves multiple decisions, each based on critical assumptions about customers, markets and competitors. Early validation of these key assumptions is an essential element of the strategic decision process. Topics include understanding the context and the customer, developing and validating the business concept, defining the product/service offering and customer value proposition, positioning, creating awareness, and developing and implementing the market entry strategy. Credit cannot be received for both courses, ENTP 6380 and MKT 6380. Prerequisite: ENTP 6370 or MKT 6301 or instructor consent required. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6382 (MKT 6382) Professional Selling (3 semester credit hours) Examines the theory and practical application of the principles and art of professional selling. The course places special emphasis on mapping the sales process for new companies and new products. The method of instruction will include case studies as well as learning by doing live case instruction. This course will include the following advanced concepts in sales: Major account acquisition, government markets, global markets, request for information, request for proposal, product line sales, adaptive product and service solutions, team selling, long sales cycles, prospecting and networking strategies, implementation and analysis of prospecting strategies, and sales management strategies for the early stage of the product lifecycle. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6388 (SYSM 6316) Managing Innovation within the Corporation (3 semester credit hours) Innovators and entrepreneurs within established corporations combine innovation, creativity and leadership to develop and launch new products, new product lines and new business units that grow revenues and profits from within. The course seeks to equip students with the skills and perspectives required to initiate new ventures and create viable businesses in dynamic and uncertain environments in the face of organizational inertia and other sources of resistance to innovation. Course topics include the elements of strategic analysis and positioning for competitive advantage in dynamic markets, and the structuring, utilization and mobilization of the internal resources of existing firms in the pursuit of growth and new market opportunities. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6390 Business Model Innovation (3 semester credit hours) Business model innovation is a logical and internally consistent approach to the design and operations of a new venture, capturing the essence of how the business will be focused and providing a concise representation of how an interrelated set of decision variables will be addressed to create sustainable competitive advantage. This course will explore the range and diversity of existing business models and the analytical tools essential to their understanding, define a logical and internally consistent approach to the choice or development of an appropriate business model for a new enterprise and demonstrate the application of these tools and techniques through case studies and exercises. Prerequisite: ENTP 6370 or instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6392 Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector (3 semester credit hours) This course will explore the role and importance of the non-profit sector and the unique place it occupies in twenty-first century life. The course will develop theoretical and conceptual frameworks appropriate for understanding the processes and challenges of non-profit ventures in the social sector. Student teams will work with selected non-profits in the local community, focusing on the issues and challenges of mission definition, service delivery, business practices, fund-raising and governance. (3-0) Y

ENTP 6395 Seminar - Topics in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3 semester credit hours) This course will explore special topics of interest to students of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The content will vary, exploring such topics as opportunities for innovation in Biotechnology, Information Technology, Nanotechnology, and other fields. Extensive use of outside speakers, special readings, and field and library research will be involved. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6398 (SYSM 6315) The Entrepreneurial Experience (3 semester credit hours) This course is designed to provide student teams with practical experience in the investigation, evaluation and recommendation of technology and/or market entry strategies for a significant new business opportunity. Projects will be defined by the faculty and will generally focus on emerging market opportunities defined by new technologies of interest to a sponsoring corporate partner. Teams will be comprised of management and engineering graduate students, mentored by faculty and representatives of the partnering company. Evaluation will be based on papers, presentations and other deliverables defined on a case-by-case basis. Instructor consent required. (3-0) R

ENTP 6V97 Entrepreneurial Internship (1-3 semester credit hours) Student will gain experience and improve skills through appropriate developmental work assignments in a real business environment. Student must identify and submit specific business learning objectives at the beginning of the semester. The student must demonstrate exposure to the managerial perspective via involvement or observation. At semester end, student prepares an oral or poster presentation, or a written paper reflecting on the work experience. Student performance is evaluated by the work supervisor. Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. JSOM Internship Coordinator consent required. ([1-3]-0) S

ENTP 6V99 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship (1-4 semester credit hours) May be lecture, readings, or individualized study. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Instructor consent required. ([1-4]-0) R