MSU Entrepreneurship minor: The Practical Guide (Courses, Experiences, and Real Results)

Quick snapshot (read this first)

If you want the “what is it + what do I have to do” version, here it is:

• The msu entrepreneurship minor is 15 credits + 2 hands-on experiences.
• You’ll take two core courses (CAS 114 / AL 114 and ESHP 190), plus 9 elective credits from an approved list.
• At least 6 credits must be “unique” to the minor (meaning they can’t double-count for other requirements).
• You must complete two experiences and you can’t do the same experience twice
• There’s also a minimum GPA requirement (2.0) listed in the official program details.

My honest take: the minor is worth it when you treat it like a “builder program.” Not just classes—outputs: a pitch deck, a business model, a customer interview log, a brand story, a prototype, a real network.

What the msu entrepreneurship minor really trains you to do (in real life)

A lot of people hear “entrepreneurship minor” and think it’s only for students who want to start a company tomorrow.

That’s not what makes this useful.

What the msu entrepreneurship minor actually builds is:

• Entrepreneurial mindset (how you spot problems, test ideas, and stay resourceful)
• Venture creation process (how you go from “idea” → “something real”)

That helps if you want to:

• launch your own thing (even small: a service, a shop, a digital product)
• work at a startup
• lead projects inside a big company
• run events, organizations, or community initiatives
• turn your major skills into income (design, coding, photography, tutoring, fitness, baking—anything)

And the program is explicitly open to any undergraduate major, which matters because entrepreneurship is not a “business-only” lane.

Who should pick the msu entrepreneurship minor

Here’s the easiest way I explain it:

Choose it if you want practical skills you can show

Not just “I studied entrepreneurship” — but:

• “I validated a customer problem with interviews.”
• “I built a pitch deck and presented it.”
• “I ran an experiment and tracked results.”
• “I created a go-to-market plan.”
• “I built a brand story + online presence.”

Choose it even if you don’t have a business idea yet

The program is designed so you can start where you are—even if your “idea” is just a curiosity or a frustration you keep noticing.

Don’t choose it if…

You only want something “easy” and you don’t want to do the hands-on parts. The experiences are where the value is—and they require follow-through.

Requirements of the msu entrepreneurship minor

Let’s break it down in normal language.

1) The 15 credits

You’ll complete 15 credits total.

That includes:

Two required core courses (3 credits each)

• CAS 114 / AL 114: Creativity and Innovative Entrepreneurship
• ESHP 190: Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Nine elective credits

You pick 9 credits from an approved elective list.

2) The “unique credits” rule (this is where people get confused)

At least 6 of your 15 credits must be unique to the minor—meaning those credits cannot also fulfill another university/college/major requirement.

Real-life tip (so you don’t get stuck later):
Before you register for electives, do a quick check with advising or your degree system and ask:

“Will this elective double-count anywhere else for me?”
If yes, try to balance it with electives that won’t overlap.

3) Two required experiences (hands-on)

You must complete two experiences, and you can’t repeat the same one twice.

Think of these as structured “proof of work” projects—stuff that becomes a portfolio or a story you can use in interviews.

What you’ll learn in the two core courses (and how to squeeze value out of them)

CAS 114 / AL 114 (Creativity + solving problems like an entrepreneur)

This course focuses on creative processes, complex problem solving, and innovative entrepreneurship—using activities like inquiry, observation, experimentation, and networking.

How I’d “win” this course:

• Keep a “problem notes” list on your phone for 2 weeks (every small annoyance counts).
• Pick one problem that shows up repeatedly and build a mini project around it.
• Don’t chase perfection—chase evidence (feedback, patterns, test results).

Example (simple but real):
If students complain about long lines somewhere, your “entrepreneurial” move isn’t “build an app.”
It’s: talk to 10 people, map the bottleneck, test one tiny change (like better signage, a pre-order form, or a time-slot system), and measure if it helps.

ESHP 190 (Entrepreneurship basics + venture creation foundation)

This course covers the entrepreneurial experience, the entrepreneurial mindset, and the venture creation process—basically the foundation of getting something started and understanding what it takes.

How I’d get real value here:

• Use class assignments to build your one-page business model
• Start customer interviews early (even 5 interviews makes your ideas sharper)
• Track assumptions like a scientist:
  • “I think people will pay $X”
  • “I think my target user is Y”
  • “I think my solution beats Z”
    Then test one assumption at a time.

Electives: how to pick the right 9 credits (based on what you want)

The elective list is big, so instead of listing everything, I like to choose electives in a “stack.”

Stack A: If you want to start a business (or a side hustle)

Pick electives that cover model + marketing + money:

• ESHP 170 (Business Model Design and Prototyping) → idea-to-prototype thinking
• CAS 214 (Social Media and the Start-Up) → branding and digital presence
• MKT 355 (Entrepreneurial Marketing) → planning, positioning, and launch thinking

Real-life tip: If you’re building anything public-facing, take CAS 214 early so your brand and messaging don’t become an afterthought.

Stack B: If you’re in engineering/tech and want product + commercialization skills

• EGR 440 (Engineering Entrepreneurship) → connecting tech to scalable opportunities
• BE 440 (innovation principles + design from concept to market)
• Add a marketing/finance elective to balance the “builder brain” with “market brain.”

Stack C: If you want social impact / sustainability

• CSUS 200 (sustainability foundations)
• CSUS 473 (social entrepreneurship + sustainability challenges)
  Then pair it with something practical like accounting, marketing, or business models.

Stack D: If you’re a creative (arts, media, design, performance)

There are electives that directly connect creativity to earning power, like AL 300 (business/financial/marketing strategies for individual artists).

My advice: creatives often undervalue pricing and packaging. Use electives to learn how to price your work, build offers, and pitch partnerships.

The two experiences: how to complete them without stress

Here’s the part most students underestimate: the experience isn’t only “attend.” It’s the documentation + reflection + submission.

Across multiple experience options, you’ll see patterns like:

• recording/registering the experience
• self-enrolling in a D2L course
• completing specific deliverables (deck, reflection, analysis)
• uploading by the deadline

Experience option: SpartaHack (hands-on build + teamwork)

SpartaHack experience guidance includes steps like recording the experience, self-enrolling in D2L, registering, actively participating, and submitting a reflection paper (at least 500 words).

They also list what your reflection should include (project summary, your contributions, what you learned, how you’ll apply it, and feedback from judges).

Deadline detail is also stated: upload by the Friday of the last week of classes in the same semester you participate.

Real-life tip: Don’t write your reflection like a diary. Write it like proof:

• what you built
• what decision you influenced
• what feedback changed your direction
• what you’d do differently next time

Experience option: Discovery Program (structured progress + coaching)

The Discovery experience includes tasks like goal setting, coaching, progress tracking, and reflection.

The reflection expectations are specific: it calls for a 1,000-word reflection, including what tools were used, what you learned, and what you’d do differently.

It also mentions completion timing (uploaded within a set timeframe after completion).

Real-life tip: Treat this like a mini internship in your own idea. Even if your “venture” is small, the habits you build here are the habits that make founders dangerous (in a good way).

Experience option: Pitch Competition (learn pitching the right way)

The pitch competition experience involves deliverables like creating/uploading a pitch deck and recording a voiceover pitch, plus meeting requirements listed in the checklist.

The reflection expectations include explaining your idea, your story/brand, what steps you took to validate, and why you’re the right person/team. (

There’s also a stated deadline tied to the semester timeline.

Real-life tip (this alone makes your pitch better):
Before you pitch, write ONE sentence:

• “My customer is ___”
• “Their problem is ___”
• “They currently solve it by ___”
• “My solution is better because ___”
  If you can’t do that clearly, your deck will feel messy.

Experience option: Ethics-focused experience (founder decisions + responsibility)

This option includes concrete analysis tasks (like bad-actor analysis, break-even, competitive analysis, values/alignment, and reflection).

It also expects a 1,000-word reflection and specifies timing for submission.

Real-life tip: This is the experience I’d pick if you want to sound mature in interviews. Ethics + decisions + tradeoffs is what separates “idea people” from leaders.

The “secret sauce” resources that make the msu entrepreneurship minor feel bigger than a minor

A lot of articles skip this. They talk about requirements but not the ecosystem around you.

Campus spaces you should actually use

These aren’t just “cool rooms.” They’re built to support entrepreneurship activity.

• Entrepreneurship Lab: described as the “front door” for entrepreneurship/venture creation on campus and located in Minskoff Pavilion, outfitted with modern tech.
• The Hatch: a co-working startup incubator exclusive to students, offering support from consultants, funding opportunities, mentorship, and resources.
• Venture Kitchen: a fully licensed commercial kitchen startup space in the MSU Union for student ventures that need a kitchen.

My advice: Pick one space and become a regular. Being consistent is how you turn “resources exist” into “people know you.”

Venture Creation Program (structured support from idea to launch)

The Venture Creation Program is described as guiding students from Discovery to Launch, with space, structure, support, and access to community/resources/mentors.

If you’re serious about starting something, pairing the msu entrepreneurship minor with this kind of structure is a strong move.

MOMENTUM Pre-Accelerator (for teams ready to grow)

MOMENTUM is described as a competitive six-week summer pre-accelerator with coaching, founder-led sessions, site visits, real-world feedback, and it includes a $5,000 infusion of capital plus mentorship and growth curriculum.

That’s the kind of program that can push a project from “student idea” to “real startup energy.”

Scholarships + student organizations (don’t ignore these)

Scholarships you should know exist

The Burgess Institute lists multiple scholarships—examples include:

• Adam M. Enfroy Scholarship for Digital Entrepreneurship
• Bradbury Endowed Scholarship for Student Entrepreneurship
• Kelly A. Ford Technology Fund
• Vandervarro Student Entrepreneurship Fund

Real-life tip: Even if you think you won’t win, apply anyway—writing the application forces you to clarify your story and goals (and that helps everywhere else too).

Student organizations: your network shortcut

The student orgs page highlights entrepreneurship community options and includes details like:

• Entrepreneurship Association and its mission (learning, collaboration, innovation, events, networking)
• Women in Entrepreneurship and its mission to empower women interested in entrepreneurship
• Spartan Hackers and hackathon-focused experience + networking

My advice: Join one org, show up for a month, then volunteer to help run one event. That’s how you go from “member” to “recognized.”

A simple roadmap to finish the msu entrepreneurship minor smoothly

You don’t need the perfect schedule—just a smart sequence.

Step-by-step plan (works for most students)

1. Take one core course early (CAS 114/AL 114 or ESHP 190)
2. Pick electives that match your goal (marketing, prototyping, finance, innovation, sustainability, etc.)
3. Do Experience #1 once you have momentum (so reflections and deliverables are easier)
4. Do Experience #2 in a different format (example: one pitch-based + one build-based)
5. Double-check unique credits before your final semester so you don’t get surprised

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Mistake 1: Waiting too long to plan “unique credits”

Because at least 6 credits must be unique, last-minute planning can become stressful.
Fix: early check-in with advising + pick electives that clearly don’t overlap.

Mistake 2: Treating experiences like attendance-only

Many experience options require specific deliverables and reflections.
Fix: put the submission deadline on your calendar the moment you register.

Mistake 3: Collecting credits but not building proof

This is the biggest one. If you graduate with the minor but no portfolio pieces, you left value on the table.

Fix: Save everything:

• pitch deck PDF
• reflection highlights (best paragraphs)
• customer interview notes
• prototype screenshots
• “what I tested + what I learned” one-pagers

External resources I personally recommend (simple + useful)

When you’re building an idea, you need frameworks that keep you focused.

• A free mentor network + workshops (SCORE) (Score)
• A business plan guide + template (SBA) (SBA)
• Lean Canvas (one-page model you can fill fast) (LeanStack)

FAQ: msu entrepreneurship minor

1) Is the msu entrepreneurship minor only for business students?

No—it’s open to any undergraduate major.

2) How many credits is the msu entrepreneurship minor?

It requires 15 credit hours plus two experiences.

3) What are the required courses?

CAS 114 / AL 114 and ESHP 190 are listed as the two required core courses.

4) How do electives work?

You choose 9 credits from the approved electives list.

5) What does “unique credits” mean?

At least 6 credits must be unique to the minor and not used to fulfill other requirements.

6) What are the two experiences?

They’re hands-on entrepreneurship/innovation experiences, and you must complete two.

7) Can I do the same experience twice?

No, the program states you cannot do the same experience twice.

8) Do experiences require reflections or submissions?

Yes—multiple experiences list reflection papers and other deliverables like decks and analyses.

9) Are there spaces on campus that support student ventures?

Yes—Entrepreneurship Lab, The Hatch, and Venture Kitchen are listed as campus spaces supporting entrepreneurship activity.

10) Is there a structured program beyond the minor if I want to launch something?

Yes—Venture Creation Program and MOMENTUM are listed as structured support options.

Final word (how I’d approach it if I were you)

If you want the msu entrepreneurship minor to actually change things for you, don’t chase perfect ideas.

Chase:

• real problems
• small experiments
• proof you can show
• people who challenge you
• consistency (show up, submit, build)

That’s how a minor turns into a skillset—and a story you can confidently tell in interviews, applications, and real life.