For students who desire to contribute to a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, but may not have their own ideas they want to pursue, CEI provides opportunities to engage in the growth of small- and middle-market ventures through. Multiple avenues exist to flex your entrepreneurial muscles alongside your general management acumen, including entrepreneurship through acquisition and joining a middle-market firm poised for growth. CEI offers programming and connections to help you navigate your chosen path.
Learn the concepts through our comprehensive course offerings
NEW Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (Independent Study, offered Fall 2) – Interested in becoming an entrepreneur but don’t have an idea for a startup? This course is for you. This class introduces students to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), the process of becoming an entrepreneur by buying an existing business. Students will cover the entire process, beginning with exploring different funding models for ETA, conducting a search, negotiating a purchase transaction, the first 100 days on the job, and exiting a successful business. Class will include a mix of background reading, case discussion, meetings with guest speakers, and industry analysis. The course includes a final project that identifies a candidate industry or geography for a targeted search, or else identifies a candidate acquisition target and potential deal structure. This course is an independent study only. You must sign up here for information on how to enroll.
Foundational Case-based Courses
- Accounting 591 Managerial Accounting – Fall 2/Spring 1/Spring 2
- Finance 646 Corporate Finance – Fall 2/Spring 1
- Finance 660 Venture Capital / Private Equity – Fall 1
- Strategy 838 Entrepreneurship Strategy – Spring 1
- Strategy 845 Entrepreneurial Execution – Spring 2
- Management 747 Leadership – Spring 1
Foundational Experiential-learning and Project-based Courses
- Strategy 849/850 New Ventures: Development – Fall 1+Fall 2 / Spring 1+ Spring 2. Have an idea for a problem you want to solve or want to design a business model around somoene else’s problem? New Ventures: Development will lead you through the process of understanding whether an idea has teeth and if it is a business worth doing. You will learn to asssess opportunities, develop and test business models, understand your financials, and build a successful team.
- Strategy 895 Mentored Study x CEI – Spring 1+Spring 2. Through the Mentored Study program, you can work alongside experienced searchers to conduct your own search for a venture to acquire.
Case-based Courses to Round out your skills
- Management 745 Negotiations – Fall 1/Spring 1/Spring 2
- Management 748 Human Assets – Spring 1
- Marketing 802 Marketing of Innovations – Fall 2
Hone Your Skills through Co-curricular Activities
Programs and Events
- CEI Leadership Speaker Series – CEI hosts an ongoing speaker series that features corporate innovation leaders, entrepreneurs, and funding professionals giving you an opportunity to hear from world-renowed experts.
Student Clubs
- Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club (EVCC) – EVCC facilitates educational events and career opportunities in entrepreneurship and venture capital.
Engage with Experts across Campus and in the Community
Southeast Entrepreneurship through Acquisition Conference (SEETA) – Fuqua co-hosts the annual SEETA conference, where students have the opportunity to engage with experts in the entrepreneurship through acquisition process.