Skills you'll gain

Specialization - 4 course series

The Entrepreneurship Specialization examines the entrepreneurial mindset and skill sets, indicators of innovation opportunities, critical steps to bring innovations to the marketplace, and innovation strategies to establish and maintain a competitive advantage. Fundamentals of new venture financing are explored with attention to capital structures for new ventures, term sheets and how to negotiate them, and the differences between early-stage versus later-stage financing. You will develop an understanding of how to develop winning investor pitches, who and when to pitch, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to ‘get to the close’. In the final Capstone Project, you will apply the tools and concepts from the specialization courses by crafting a comprehensive, customer-validated business model, and creating a business plan and investor pitch.

Using proven content, methods, and models for new venture opportunity assessment and analysis, you will learn how to: * Identify and analyze entrepreneurial opportunities; * Enhance your entrepreneurial mindset; * Improve your strategic decision-making; and * Build innovative business models. Our goal is to demystify the startup process, and to help you build the skills to identify and act on innovative opportunities now, and in the future. With this course, students experience a sampling of the ideas and techniques explored in the University of Maryland's master's degree in technology entrepreneurship, an innovative, 100% online program. Learn more at http://mte.umd.edu/landing.

We establish a framework for examining the innovation process, and quickly transition into exploring how to successfully bring innovations to market. Key questions answered within the course include: * What are the key indicators of innovation opportunities? * What steps are critical for entrepreneurs to bring innovations to the marketplace? * What innovation strategies are valuable for new ventures to establish and maintain a competitive advantage? With this course, students experience a sampling of the ideas and techniques explored in the University of Maryland's master's degree in technology entrepreneurship, an innovative, 100% online program. Learn more at http://mte.umd.edu/landing.

Examine the many financing options available to get your new venture funded. Learn the basics of finance, valuations, dilution and non-dilutive funding sources. Understand capital structure for new ventures, term sheets and how to negotiate them, and the differences between early-stage versus later-stage financing. Develop an understanding of how to develop winning investor pitches, who and when to pitch, how to avoid common mistakes that limit the effectiveness of the pitch, and how to ‘get to the close’. Key questions answered within the course include: * When to raise outside capital? * What kind of investors invest by stage and where to find them? * What are your fundraising options? * What are the key components of the term sheet? * How to perform company valuations? * How to pitch to investors? * What techniques help the entrepreneur ‘get to the close’? With this course, students experience a sampling of the ideas and techniques explored in the University of Maryland's master's degree in technology entrepreneurship, an innovative 100% online program. Learn more at http://mte.umd.edu/landing.

With this course, students experience a sampling of the ideas and techniques explored in the University of Maryland's master's degree in technology entrepreneurship, an innovative 100% online program. Learn more at http://mte.umd.edu.

Innovation for Entrepreneurs: From Idea to Marketplace

New Venture Finance: Startup Funding for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship Capstone