US West

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

HOGAN ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Thomas B. Tilford, Program Director

Mission

The Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program is a four-year undergraduate Concentration founded on the Jesuit educational philosophy of educating the whole person.  Its purpose is to prepare students to create new ventures that make a positive difference in society.  This student-centered Program is designed for promising individuals who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, creativity, and a commitment to serve others.  The Hogan Program embraces students from all academic majors, tailoring the entrepreneurial curriculum and co-curriculum to compliment the students’ major fields of study, and providing them with the concepts, tools and experiences to responsibly create successful new commercial and social enterprises.

Four features distinguish the program:

·        Honors program model that attracts outstanding students;

·        Rigorous Concentration combined with any academic major;

·        Immersion in entrepreneurial contexts; and

·        Foundation on Jesuit educational ideals of ethical leadership and commitment to the common good.

Organization

The Hogan Program is a campus-wide undergraduate program that serves majors from any academic department in the university.  The average class size is 25 students with majors in business (38%), arts and sciences (31%), engineering (27%) and education (4%).  The Concentration requires 18 to 26 credit hours depending on the student’s academic major.  In addition, the Hogan Program emphasizes an extensive co-curriculum including: site visits, speaker series, mentor program, business plan competition, new venture lab, community service projects, and networking with entrepreneurs.  The Program is staffed with a full-time Director, a full-time Coordinator, a part-time Academic Director and a full-time Assistant Director.  Hogan Program students also provide leadership on several program initiatives.  An Advisory Board of 30 entrepreneurs, educators, and students provides additional support.

Entering Class Profile

The Hogan Program seeks students who are academically strong and who have demonstrated leadership, creativity and service.  The current entering class of 33 students has an SAT score of 1310 and a GPA of 3.8.  In addition, 95% of the students have held leadership positions in their school or community, nearly 50% have created or co-created a new organization in school or the community, and virtually all of the students have been involved in school or community service.

Curriculum

The following required courses are designed exclusively for Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program students:  ENTR 101 – The World of Entrepreneurship: provides an overview of the new venture creation process and the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.  ENTR 201 – Seminar in Entrepreneurship: an in-depth seminar that examines research, theory and practice in entrepreneurship. ENTR 490 – New Venture Creation: an advanced, modular, three-semester course that includes topics of opportunity and risk assessment, marketing research, commercialization, financial analysis, operations planning, project management, legal issues, human resources issues, and competitive advantage. ENTR 481 – Entrepreneurial Leadership: a senior level course that examines the personal characteristics of the successful entrepreneur and the fundamentals of ethical leadership and the common good.  ENTR 497 – Internship: an internship in an entrepreneurial context.  ENTR 494 – Incubation Project: a senior level, two-semester business plan project in which students apply concepts and tools to create and present a business plan.  In addition to these common courses, non-business students are also required to take courses in microeconomics and accounting.

Co-Curriculum

In addition to course work, Hogan Program students participate in a variety of co-curricular activities exposing them to entrepreneurial organizations, leaders, and practices.  These activities include site visits to local incubators and entrepreneurial organizations, speaker series, mentor relationships, annual business plan competition, community service projects, networking, and a New Venture Lab (NVL).  The NVL is a student-run, early stage “proof of concept” service offered to the community.  A panel of business experts serves as advisors to student teams on carefully selected projects. 

Contact Information

Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program

502 E. Boone Ave.

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 99258-0009

Phone: (509) 313-3405

Fax: (509) 313-5811

E-mail: hoganassistant@jepson.gonzaga.edu

www.gonzaga.edu/entrepreneur