Entrepreneurship

Our curriculum will teach you how to identify viable business opportunities and explores how such opportunities are transformed into new ventures. Additionally, emphasis is placed on how entrepreneurial ventures successfully compete for financial resources, identify and reach their target market, and establish business processes, systems, and controls to manage small and growth-oriented ventures.

Program Highlights

The entrepreneurship major offers a dynamic, hands-on program designed to cultivate entrepreneurial expertise, guiding students from initial concept to real-world application.

• Micro-Company Experience (MGT 220/221): Your entrepreneurial journey begins early, in your sophomore year, with our Micro-Company Experience. You'll join a student team to create and operate a small business, gaining hands-on experience in everything from product development to sales..
• Flyer Nest Venture Studio (MGT 430-Senior Capstone): The program culminates in your senior year with our entrepreneurship capstone project, also known as the Flyer Nest Venture Studio. Here, you'll transform an idea and tap into resources for long-term possibilities. This progression ensures you're not just learning theory, but actively applying it in increasingly complex and impactful scenarios, preparing you for success in your future career.

Sample Plan of Study

This is a sample plan of study for students starting at UD in the 2025-26 academic year. This is a recommended course sequence, but your schedule may vary depending on previously earned college credits, course availability, advisor recommendations, and your personal goals and interests. Please contact your holistic advisor if you have any questions.

Entrepreneurship students develop an understanding of how a business enterprise is conceived, launched, and sustained. Our curriculum teaches you how to identify viable business opportunities, and explores how those opportunities are transformed into new ventures.

Emphasis is placed on how entrepreneurial ventures successfully compete for financial resources, identify and reach their target market, and establish business processes, systems, and controls to manage small and growth-oriented ventures.

Curriculum

• AACSB Accredited: Our accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB-International) represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.
• Top 30 Business School: 2025 Poets&Quants ranked UD's School of Business Administration among the Top 30 in the nation for academic experience — and Top 50 overall.
• Flexibility: At 120 credits for graduation, students can pursue their business major and explore interdisciplinary classes, certificates, or minors that speaks to their passion or complements their business degree.
• Learn Alongside Local Entrepreneurs: Gain exceptional access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem by taking courses directly at The Hub powered by PNC Bank, located in downtown Dayton. As the nation's largest university-anchored innovation space, The Hub offers a unique opportunity to learn and collaborate next to local entrepreneurs, immersing you in a vibrant, real-world environment.
• Start Your Own Business: Gain invaluable lessons and hands-on experience early in your academic career through our Micro Company Experience. In this year-long sophomore course and team project, your team receives $5,000 in venture capital from the University to start and operate your own microbusiness — a unique opportunity that ensures 100% of our Entrepreneurship students have start-up experience before graduating. You'll pitch, develop, and execute a real business venture, just like past student companies that created everything from gourmet popcorn and spirit wear to custom golf gear and home decor. This hands-on experience, delivered through the L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, empowers you to turn ideas into reality, with many students continuing to evolve their ventures after the course.
• Solve Real-World Issues: Flyer Nest provides a structured pathway for continual growth through hands-on, team-based projects. You'll build and launch scalable businesses, retaining ownership after graduation. This includes forming an LLC, working with Dayton's Entrepreneur's Center, gaining equity in your startup, and pitching for additional funding through opportunities like Flyer Pitch and Flyer Angels. Example: A Flyer Nest senior team secured $76,000 in funding at Flyer Pitch for Saturn Sports, their venture to reduce football head injuries with helmet technology.

Faculty and Staff Support

• 100% of Business Classes Taught by Faculty: All business courses are taught by faculty—never by graduate assistants or teaching assistants.
• Micro-Mentors: Connect with business micro-mentors for personalized guidance on careers, grad school, electives, and aligning your studies with your goals.
• Holistic Academic Advising: Build a lasting connection with your dedicated holistic academic advisor who supports you through your entire UD journey. Our holistic advisors understand the curriculum for all business majors at UD. They serve as the primary point of contact for Discover Business students for course registration, vocational major exploration and other academic concerns. They work closely with the student's Flight Crew to provide intervention for students who are struggling.

Career Development

• Required Career Flight Plan Curriculum: All business students complete four courses (50+ hours) of professional development through the Career Flight Plan — covering everything from CliftonStrengths and AI specializations to business etiquette, mock interviews, negotiation and more.

Experiential Learning

• Become a CEO Before You Graduate: Gain leadership experience and build a resume packed with demonstrable success by holding a position — from barista to CEO — with Flyer Enterprises. As the nation's sixth-largest student-run business, you'll learn to lead on the job, overseeing 250+ employees, 12 divisions, and $2.7 million in annual revenue. Being a part of Flyer Enterprises helps you hone skills like communication, leadership and responsibility, alongside industry-specific expertise in marketing, management, operations, finance, analytics and more.
• Launch a New Venture: Our annual Flyer Pitch competition is one of the largest collegiate-level business plan contests in the nation. Its three events — elevator pitch, cameo round and final round — award more than $150,000 in cash prizes and in-kind prizes. More than 80 new ventures have been launched as a result of the competition, with more than $24 million in follow-on capital raised by those businesses.
• Real-World Results Start Here: 100% of UD students complete a high-impact experiential learning opportunity — part of our University-wide commitment to hands-on, real-world education.
• BWISE (Business Wisdom through International, Service and Experiential Education) Requirement: Gets students out of the classroom and into companies, communities, and the world to lead, learn and gain real experience.

Ready to take the next step? Explore admission options or schedule an academic visit to learn more about Entrepreneurship.

Additional Management and Marketing Programs

• Management (B.S.B.A.)
• Marketing (B.S.B.A.)
• Entrepreneurship (Minor)
• Insight Selling (Minor)
• Management (Minor)
• Marketing (Minor)

Related Programs

• Accounting (B.S.B.A.)
• Business Analytics (B.S.B.A.)
• Business Economics (B.S.B.A.)
• Finance (B.S.B.A.)
• Management Information Systems (B.S.B.A.)
• Operations and Supply Chain Management (B.S.B.A.)
• Business Administration (MBA)
• Business Analytics (MBAN)
• Finance (MFin)
• Discover Business

Rooted in our Catholic, Marianist traditions, the University of Dayton is dedicated to being transparent and ensuring student success. And with high graduation and success rates, UD is an excellent value.

To help you cover your costs, a variety of scholarships, grants, loans and part-time work study are available. The University also accepts transfer credits and credit by exam for undergraduates, giving you more flexibility to add a double major or minor or participate in a transformational experience like study abroad or co-op.