Program Overview

Entrepreneurial Mindset Career Specialization

Specialization Details

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Career Specialization is designed to develop an understanding of opportunity identification and evaluation. It explores strategy, business planning and execution, customer experience design, marketing, sales, and leadership - all from a new venture perspective. An entrepreneurial mindset is valuable for those working at large organizations, scale-ups, and start-ups.

Course Requirements

Specialized Courses

To obtain the Entrepreneurial Mindset Specialization, students must complete the following courses:

• Mandatory Courses (1.0 Course Credits)
  • BET 320 - Entrepreneurial Strategy
• Three Courses from the Following (1.5 Course Credits)
  • AFM 326 (0.25 unit) - Student Venture Fund: Analyst
  • AFM 377 - Private Equity and Venture Capital
  • AFM 426 (0.25 unit) - Student Venture Fund: Associate
  • AFM 470 - Financial Management of High Growth Companies
  • BET 340 - Essentials of Entrepreneurial Planning and Execution
  • BET 350 - Customer Experience Design
  • BET 400 - Marketing Foundations for Early-stage Ventures
  • BET 420 - Entrepreneurship for Social Impact
  • BET 430 - Sales Fundamentals
  • BET 450 - Leadership
  • BET 460 - Business Negotiations
  • BET 470 - Family Business
  • BET 580 - Consulting
  • ENBUS 203 - Green Entrepreneurship
  • MGMT 220 - Entrepreneurship and the Creative Workplace

Mandatory AFM Courses

In addition, students must complete the upper-year courses required for all AFM students. Note that AFM 344 is the recommended course selection for this specialization, but students may choose one of the other options listed.

Upper-Year AFM Courses

Mandatory Upper Year Courses

• 3rd Year
  • AFM 311 - Connections to Ethical Context
  • AFM 321 - Personal Financial Planning
  • AFM 335 - Business Law for Financial Managers
• 4th Year
  • AFM 480 - Introduction to Organizational Behaviour
  • AFM 433 - Business Strategy
  • AFM 323, AFM 341 or AFM 344
  • AFM 373 - Cases and Applications in Corporate Finance
  • AFM 391 - Intermediate Financial Accounting 2

Pairing Specializations

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Specialization can be taken as a primary specialization and paired with another one or combined with another field of study at uWaterloo as a means of application. It pairs well with the Professional Accountant, Financial Markets, or Sustainability Specialization.

This specialization will help students understand the difference between a good idea and a great opportunity and learn how to think like an entrepreneur to develop opportunities. Whether students aspire to work in the public or private sector, at a large established organization, a start-up, or a scale-up, having an entrepreneurial mindset will equip them with the skills to shape the future.

Extracurriculars

Students can get involved in co/extra-curricular activities associated with the Entrepreneurial Mindset Specialization, such as:

• Concept $5K Grant
• Entrepreneurship Society, UW (Feds Club)
• Venture Capital Investment Competition
• Ivey IBM Technology Consulting Competition
• Rotman Innovation Forum
• RISE Case Competition - Entrepreneurship Stream

Connect with Alumni

The alumni profiles shown below are examples of SAF graduates employed in roles that involve knowledge and skills associated with the curriculum of the common pairings of the Career Specializations referenced.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Alumni Profiles

• Adnan Khan
• Jacqueline Sue
• Sarah Cheng
• Jade Choy

Professional Accountant + Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Phil Hipkiss
• Megan Tong (Chan)
• Hamoon Ekhtiari
• Audrey Kao
• Jade Choy and Keith Choy
• Akash Kapor

Entrepreneurial Mindset + Financial Leadership

• Tim Jackson
• Joe Catalfamo
• Carol Leaman
• Sid Paquette
• Andy Wang
• Michael Liu

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