Program Overview

Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate

Overview

The Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate at Portland State University equips students to bring meaning and purpose to their careers in business or nonprofit leadership by training them to create practical, effective solutions to social and environmental challenges.

Why PSU?

• Results-oriented skills: The certificate provides students with the practical know-how to get a new social venture or internal program past the idea stage.
• Strong faculty mentoring: Students receive personalized guidance from experienced faculty every step of the way.
• Tailored pathways: Specially designed options for MBA or MPA students help prepare them for a career as a changemaker in their desired field.
• Change happens here: Portland State is one of fewer than 50 institutions worldwide to hold Ashoka U's "Changemaker Campus" designation.

Certificate Highlights

• Online courses exceed the nationally-recognized Quality Matters rubric for excellence in online education.
• Accelerated two- and four-week field studies that augment classwork with real-world experience.
• Work on your idea, in your own areas of interest and passion, while learning top skills demanded by employers.
• Open to students from any program, inside or outside The School of Business.

Career Opportunities

Graduates have used the social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate to design and launch new nonprofits, foundations, and businesses, advance careers in nonprofit leadership and corporate social responsibility, or find jobs at B Corps and sustainable businesses. Graduates of the social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate program commonly go into fields such as:"

• Entrepreneurship"
• Intrapreneurship"
• Corporate responsibility"
• Nonprofit leadership"
• Civic engagement and outreach"
• Government administration"
• Community programming"

Curriculum"

The social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate consists of four courses. By the end of the sequence, students will refine a leadership and career purpose, apply Human-Centered Design best practices, use the Business Model Canvas to map out a venture, learn about funding sources, create a financial forecast, develop a plan for measuring and reporting impact, and practice effective storytelling and presentation. PSU graduate students may also take individual courses that are included in the certificate curriculum."

• MGMT 521 Design Thinking for Social Innovation"
• MGMT 522 Money Matters for Social Innovation"
• MGMT 523 Storytelling and Impact Measurement for Social Innovation"
• BA 526 Social Innovation Field Study, FIN 575 Impact Ventures, or MGMT 509 By Arrangement"

Accreditation & Rankings"

Portland State University is fully accredited by the