Structure

The integrated approach of the SEI Minor includes a logical flow of courses and experiential learning opportunities that expose students to a breadth of topical exploration and depth of subject matter covered. 

The minor consists of 15 credit hours, including:

• 3 Credit Foundational Course - SEI 30552: Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• 3 Credit Innovation and Design Thinking - SEI 30555- Human-Centered Design for Social Innovation
• 6 Credits Elective Courses within Social Entrepreneurship, Business, Sustainability, or Poverty Studies, including: 
  • SEI 40834: Marketing of Social Initiatives, Causes, and Ventures
  • SEI 30999: Poverty, Business and Development
• 3 Credits Experiential Capstone Course
  • SEI 40999: Consulting and Development
  • SEI 34997/8: Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa
  • Or approved independent research.

Courses will include experiential elements such as case studies, interviews of social innovators, consulting projects, entrepreneurial audits of social enterprises, simulations, business models for social ventures, and social marketing inventions. Students will also have opportunities outside the classroom to develop social ventures, intern in social enterprises, participate in social innovation competitions, and volunteer in social initiatives.

Download the Course Map

Learning Outcomes

The SEI Minor introduces students to a range of tools, concepts, and approaches that will encourage the entrepreneurial thinking and innovative problem-solving skills that are needed to develop creative solutions to challenging social problems around the globe. The Minor’s interdisciplinary design, experiential learning emphasis, and Integral Human Development theme will give students a learning experience based around twelve critical competencies:

social opportunity recognition	guerilla skills	adaptation
social opportunity assessment	risk mitigation when creating social value	building and using networks to affect social outcomes
resource leveraging and bootstrapping when pursuing social initiatives	resilience	social value innovation
learning from trial and error	creative problem-solving	planning in unpredictable and uncontrollable circumstances

To learn more about the SEI Minor or to register, contact program Co-director and Academic Coordinator Melissa Paulsen at mpaulse1@nd.edu.