Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate Program
A four module program that supports your venture creation and provides you with the tools to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset to succeed as an innovator.
INTRO COURSES
OPERATION COURSES
PRACTICAL
EXPERIENCE
BUSINESS PITCHING
Introduction to finance, and ideation, pitching and validation of early-stage start-ups.​​
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Two Courses:
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Personal Finance & Investing
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and either
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Startup Entrepreneurship Academy
or
Social and Creative Entrepreneurship
Classes that teach the operational skills necessary to launch and scale a venture.
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One Course:​​
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Building and Scaling Ventures
or
Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology, for students specifically interested
in biotech.
Classes that offer direct client interface in the form of freelancing internships, consulting or contract work.
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One Upper-division Course:​
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Crown 91 &
Marketing For Good Series
or
​Corporate Innovation Lab
or
Crown 152 Startup Deal Sourcing and Investing.
or
Eco-Entrepreneurship
or
GetVirtual Business Assistance
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Public-facing business pitch competitions that showcase your start-up in front of potential investors, mentors and judges.
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One Pitch Competition​​​:
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Slug Tank
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​The is certificate is being piloted for 25-26, 26-27, after which it will be reevaluated by UCSC’s Committee on Educational Policy for permanent status.
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For more details please see I&E Certificate’s catalog description here .
INTRO COURSES (Two Courses)
Cowell52
Personal Finance & Investing
Winter, Spring
Overview of the financial responsibilities that young adults take on after college. Topics include: taxes, budgeting, student loans, credit, and investing in the stock market. Ubiquitous terms, such as 401(k), are defined, and financial principles are used to develop a framework for personal financial decision-making.
CROWN90
Start-up Entrepreneurship Academy
GE: PR-E
Introduction to the basics of setting up a start-up company using the Lean Launchpad/NSF I-Corps model of instruction. Students learn principles of data collection, marketing processes, and resources needed for new companies. The class is articulated around the design of a business plan, in groups of 4-5 students coached by a successful entrepreneur, and culminates in a presentation. The market research for the project involves talking to at least 5 potential customers, partners, channels and/or related experts each week.
CROWN92
Social and Creative Entrepreneurship
GE: PR-H
Helps students discover and develop their own business idea that does the world good. Examines leadership and provides tools to research community issues and to develop sustainable business models. Guest lecturers and project mentors introduce students to business and civil leaders.
OPERATIONS COURSES (Choose One Course)
CROWN100
Building and Scaling Ventures
Touches on the main operational facets of starting and scaling an organization. Students from all disciplines are welcome and encouraged to approach this class within the framework of their own career and business goals. For those who wish to start and scale companies, or those who desire to work in fast-paced and high-growth industries, this course covers the fundamental systems and practices that underpin the creation of new organizations, products and services. It is designed to satisfy one of the requirements of the planned Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. (Formerly Fundamentals of Starting and Scaling an Organization.)
BME175
Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology
Taught in conjunction with BME 275.
Focuses on contemporary issues in commercializing biotechnology and genomics, emphasizing development of teamwork and communication skills. Topics include intellectual property management, fundraising, market analysis, and technology development as related to biotechnology start-ups. Students perform real-world tasks preparing for commercialization.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
(One Upper-division Course)
CROWN91
Creative AI and Marketing
GE: PR-S
Five-credit online course to introduce students to the world of marketing design or other creative occupations. This is an online project-based class where students are trained in the marketing fundamentals needed to succeed in today’s dynamic marketing industry. This includes branding, project management, and website creation. In addition, this class incorporates hands-on experience with AI software tools for the generation of text, image, and video content while introducing important ethical issues raised by the use of AI such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the responsible use of AI. (Formerly Marketing for Good.)
CROWN191
Marketing 4 Good
5 units
Service-learning class that takes students through the process of creating a marketing plan for a real client. Begins with design and marketing fundamentals and the marketing brief. Teams are formed and assigned projects with local businesses or UCSC startups. Client needs are established through interviews. After a clear understanding of the problem is established, ideation occurs with solutions developed and executed. These may include creating branding, logo design, messaging, digital storytelling (through film, website, social media campaigns), interior design, and product design specification feedback and posters.
CROWN102
Corporate Innovation Laboratory
GE: PR-E
Class designed to ensure that students gain practical experience that bridges classroom learning with industry expectations. Students develop essential skills for driving corporate innovation, working on real-world problems provided by a partner organization. An example are problems in the area of spatial computing shared by the Overture Maps Foundation. To allow for completion of complex projects, this class may be taken for credit across multiple quarters. Prerequisite(s): CSE 13S, and one of the following: CSE 115A, CSE 20, CSE 140, CSE 143, and CSE 144. Eligible students should be familiar with Introductory Computer Science, Data Science Fundamentals, and basic use of LLM’s. Knowledge in full stack web development is a bonus. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. An interview is required to ensure that the students have the skills and commitment to contribute to the projects.
CROWN152
Startup Deal Sourcing and Investing
Trains students to identify investment opportunities in startup companies, using a combination of case studies and real-world ventures. Students learn to perform diligence, write an investment memo, and practice pitching to a mock investment committee. In addition, this class covers the structure of a venture capital firm, how and why limited partners invest into venture funds, their relationship to general partners, and how these factors influence deal decisions by venture firms. Class provides a solid foundation for aspiring venture capitalists, private equity professionals, or startup founders looking to understand how venture investors make informed decisions.
CROWN194
Eco-Entrepreneurship in the World
GE: PE-E
Examines real-world case studies of eco-entrepreneurship across various sectors through the lens of the Lean Startup method. Topics include market research, value propositions, cost structures, and revenue models, equipping students with the tools to create and improve sustainable business practices. Students analyze business strategies, engage with owners, and explore sustainable practices. Building on these foundations, students are encouraged to develop innovative solutions, propose new ventures, or identify opportunities for optimization.
CROWN195
GetVirtual Business Assistance Internship
GE: PR-S
Community service-oriented class that provides a supervised learning experience for students to help increase local business client acquisition, integrating academic coursework with community involvement. Students gain valuable practical skills as consultants. They are trained to do interviews, write proposals, project-manage, design websites, and marketing campaigns. No prerequisites are required but CRWN 90 or CRWN 92 are highly recommended to acquire familiarity with the lean startup method, the business model canvas, and customer discovery. May be repeated for credit. (Formerly CRWN 95, GetVirtual Business Assistance.)
BUSINESS PITCHING (Attend One Pitch Competition)
I&E Certificate Programs Testimonials
“This pathway surpassed my expectations—not only did I learn about new businesses and how they come to be through the Lean Start-Up method, I also learned how to hash out ideas and see what’s feasible through the business model canvas that we used to build our ideas through Innovation Within.”
Shruti Kale, Crown College’s first Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pathway graduate