Image
Entrepreneurial Action Is for Everyone
Entrepreneurship isn’t just for those who want to start a company or invent a product. With education in innovation and entrepreneurship, students become better critical observers. They become more creative, able to generate novel solutions to difficult problems. They become more disciplined, more resourceful, and more likely to take action. They become better able to affect meaningful change.
We believe every Duke student can benefit from cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and learning skills to realize their ideas. Duke I&E’s interdisciplinary entrepreneurial programs maximize the value of any Duke education, adding a vital layer of attitudes, skills, and career preparedness to students’ regular course of study. With our curricular offerings, we work to provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional students with transformative educational opportunities inside and outside the classroom, resources to support their innovations, and a diverse community of teammates and mentors.
Image
The Duke I&E Undergraduate Certificate
Duke I&E’s Undergraduate Certificate supports students in pursuing a rigorous cross-disciplinary study of innovation and entrepreneurship that complements all majors and career goals. The Certificate pairs theory and practice, equipping students with the mindset and skills to tackle complex problems creatively; it provides a foundation in innovation, ideation, design, business fundamentals, and more, exposing students to real-world challenges and engagement with practitioners. Students tailor the Certificate to align with their interests and goals, learning to explore complex problems and develop innovative solutions.
In 2024, we worked to meet the ever-increasing appetite for the Duke I&E Undergraduate Certificate, adding new courses and experiential projects ranging from internships, to research positions, to civic engagement initiatives, to entrepreneurial ventures. With 421 students enrolled, this program's demographics reflect those of the broader undergraduate class. In the graduating class of 2024, 67 students from a wide variety of major programs earned this credential.
Image
Image
Majors represented by five or fewer students: International Comparative Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Neuroscience, Visual and Media Studies, Environmental Science/Policy, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Global Health, Interdepartmental Major: Visual Media Studies - Computational, English, Religion, History, Chemistry, Art History, Asian & Mid East Studies, Program II, French Studies, Physics, Civil Engineering, Visual Arts, Music, Global Cultural Studies in Literature Program, Theater Studies, Interdisciplinary Program, African & African American Studies
The Duke I&E Graduate & Professional Certificate
Through Duke I&E’s Graduate & Professional Certificate, aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs, and founders from across Duke’s graduate and professional programs can complement their course of study, support their career goals, expand their networks, and work on impactful ideas. This Certificate, which is open to almost all of Duke’s graduate and professional students, can be completed in one year or over several years. In addition to taking elective courses that best support their interests, students work with peers from across Duke to learn fundamental skills to create a business plan, translate an innovation, and convey complex ideas and concepts engagingly and effectively.
This year the Duke I&E Graduate & Professional Certificate enrolled a total of 395 students from 61 programs across Duke, 121 of them from PhD programs. 77 students graduated with the Certificate.
Image
Image
Loading...
Class of 2024 Reflections Flipbook
While at Duke, I&E Certificate students gained the tools they'll need to bring about meaningful change, including creativity, resilience, empathy, and foundational business skills. Hear from some of the 144 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from across Duke who graduated in 2024 with the I&E Certificate.