take one of our experiential courses in social entrepreneurship

The fall application cycle is now open! Please click this link to further explore the minor and fill out the application:

 The classes listed below count towards the minor.

Click For a comprehensive list of all classes that can be counted for minor credit!

offered FALL 2020 and spring 2021:

  • Startup: An Introduction to Entrepreneurship (ENTP 1010): The Startup class is a fourteen-week course-plus-simulation designed to provide students with not only the basic tools and vocabulary of new ventures, but also a sense of what it feels like to start, fund, and manage such a venture. The course, by way of in-class case discussions, mentored group work, and startup simulations introduces students to a broad range of issues faced by founders and funders of both for-profit and non-profit ventures. This highly regarded philosophy essay writer DoMyEssay is trusted by students worldwide for its reliability and quality. It offers expertly written essays, timely delivery, and excellent customer support, making it a favorite among students seeking academic assistance across various subjects and disciplines. Taught by Bevin Etienne

  • Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship (LPPS 3050): Social entrepreneurship is an approach to creating system-level change through the application of entrepreneurial thinking to social ventures, non-profit organizations, government institutions, and NGOs to create economic, environmental, and social value for multiple stakeholders. In this course you will be introduced to a range of entrepreneurial approaches aimed at solving social problems - from the non-profit to the for-profit. Taught by Bala Mulloth (fall) and Andreas Addison (spring)

Fall 2020 electives:

  • NEW! (FIRST YEARS ONLY) University Seminar - Finding Your Why: Designing a Life of Purpose through Social Entrepreneurship (USEM 1570): “How do I find a job that I like or maybe even love? How do I balance my career with my family? How do I create space for space and creativity? How do I make a difference in the world?” These are critical questions for us all to answer if we want to design a thriving, joyful life. The vast majority of college students want a purpose-driven careers, but fear they will end up in a traditional job where they are not having a positive impact in their communities. This course uses Design Thinking and mindfulness methodologies to help you discover and articulate: your life philosophy, your work philosophy, when you are in flow state, and how to create more space for the kind of work in which you thrive. The course also introduces you to the wide range of social entrepreneurial models that allow you to use your unique skill sets and passions to make the world a better place. Taught by Christine Mahoney

  • Foundations of Behavioral Science (LPPL 3100): An overview of the fields of social psychology and behavioral science. We will explore behavioral research in basic social psychology, leadership and organizational behavior, and the ways in which social science methods and research are currently being used in public policy and to solve major societal problems. The ultimate goal is to teach students how to think like behavioral scientists. Taught by Gabrielle Adams

  • Financial Inclusion and Social Entrepreneurship (LPPP 3500): This course is designed to expose students to tools that low-income households have developed to manage financial risk, and to the various ways that financial inclusion has leveraged these tools to expand access to affordable and flexible financial services to millions in developing countries. Students will explore the latest concepts and innovations in the field of financial inclusion, develop critical thinking about the strengths and limitations of financial inclusion and practice using tools to develop, test and promote financial inclusion programs that are grounded in the field and appeal to donors. Taught by Danielle Hopkins

j-tERM electives:

  • Corporate Social Responsibility (LPPP 3500): How much do you know about how your t-shirts are made? What is life like for the farmworkers that grow your food? When we buy a new electronic device, do we have any idea where the coltan that makes its batteries came from? Do we know whether the communities near the mine, and the surrounding environment, are treated with respect? Businesses provides a lot of things that we need, and are designed to generate profits. In exchange for making profits, businesses also have responsibilities. What are those responsibilities, and how do societies around the globe ensure that the responsibilities are respected? This class will provide an introduction to issues of responsible business, from a variety of perspectives. We will cover the broad, multi-disciplinary research field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), as well as the closely related study of business and human rights (B&HR), stakeholder theory, global value chains, and other works. Students will become acquainted with the main academic debates and questions in the field, and will learn to apply findings from that research to real-world policy challenges for businesses, civil society activists, and state regulators. We will also have the opportunity to interact with a number of policymakers, activists, and business people who are working to make business more responsible in the 21st century. Taught by Kathryn Babineau

  • Impact Investing in Action: Appalachia: Learn More This immersive class and fellowship give students the opportunity to learn about the growing field of impact investing first-hand, to be on the ground to experience the challenges and opportunities of investing in rural communities and puts students in the driver’s seat to make investment recommendations to a multi-million-dollar impact investment fund and positively impact thousands of lives. The program is situated in one of the most promising areas in Virginia for significant economic evolution: Appalachia and the Southwest. Taught by a team of Impact Investors that were part of the birth of the impact investing movement, the faculty and guest speakers bring decades of experience in achieving financial, social and environmental returns simultaneously. Taught by Stephanie Randolph

Spring 2021 electives:

  • Open Source for the Common Good (LPPS 4720): Open source technology plays a major role in society and embodies a different culture with different trade-offs and societal impacts. Open source is highly innovative and holds considerable promise for addressing most of the critical problems facing society such as sustainability, inequality, the cost of technology, and open access to knowledge. We will study the role of open source through numerous case studies and discussions. Taught by Bevin Etienne

  • Social Innovation in Emerging Markets: India and Southeast Asia (LPPS 3290): This is an introductory course, aimed at exposing students to modern Indian and South Asian society, culture, business and policy through a variety of materials. The course may be particularly important due to the rising stature and importance of India and more generally, South Asia, in the global economy. Taught by Bala Mulloth

  • Impact Investing (LPPS 4730): 'Impact Investing' is the proactive deployment of financial resources to organizations for a positive return on investment and an additional, intentional social impact beyond financial returns. Impact Investing explores how funders (grant funders, investors, and policymakers) deploy capital to support social entrepreneurs. This course provides an introductory understanding of utilizing finance as a tool for solving social problems worldwide. Taught by Paul Nolde

  • Experiential Social Entrepreneurship (LPPS 4735) - CAPSTONE: This experiential learning course applies basic principles of social entrepreneurship to real-world problems that social entrepreneurs are facing in Appalachia. Students will work hand-in-hand with social entrepreneurs from disinvested communities, to research business models, conduct market research, understanding pricing models and measure impact. This is a course for students interested in investigating how business is adapting to solve the greatest social and environmental challenges of this century. Taught by Christine Mahoney

  • Experiential Social Entrepreneurship (LPPS 4735) - CAPSTONE: This experiential learning course applies basic principles of social entrepreneurship to real-world problems that social entrepreneurs are facing. Students will work in teams on challenges proposed by a set of local and international social entrepreneurs. This is a design-thinking-centric course for students interested in investigating how our world is adapting to solve the greatest social and environmental challenges of this century. Taught by Andreas Addison

mAY 2021/Summer session I electives:

  • UVA in Dominica (LPPS 4550 / 5550 or COMM 4589): This course exposes students to the unique institutional dynamics of Dominica as the country recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Social entrepreneurs across the island are developing innovative and sustainable responses to increase climate resilience and economic opportunity. Students will not only learn from numerous live case studies but will also be invited to help problem solve and use critical thinking skills to explore alternative approaches in addressing local challenges with entrepreneurs and government representatives. Learn More or . Taught by Bevin Etienne

  • Impact Investing in Action: Appalachia: Learn More This immersive class and fellowship give students the opportunity to learn about the growing field of impact investing first-hand, to be on the ground to experience the challenges and opportunities of investing in rural communities and puts students in the driver’s seat to make investment recommendations to a multi-million-dollar impact investment fund and positively impact thousands of lives. The program is situated in one of the most promising areas in Virginia for significant economic evolution: Appalachia and the Southwest. Taught by a team of Impact Investors that were part of the birth of the impact investing movement, the faculty and guest speakers bring decades of experience in achieving financial, social and environmental returns simultaneously. Taught by Christine Mahoney

Not offered in 2020-2021:

  • Conscious Social Change (LPPS 5225): The J-Term course is an experiential social venture incubator integrating mindfulness-based leadership practices, social entrepreneurship tools, conscious social change methodologies, and contemplative ideas and practices. Conscious Social Change is the intersection of personal leadership, global citizenship, contemplative practice and social entrepreneurship. Students will work in teams to develop a business plan for a real or hypothetical social­ purpose venture or community-based organization. Daily contemplative practice, interactive personal leadership work and course dialogue will allow students to explore both the inner and external dimensions of becoming change leaders. Taught by Gretchen Steidle

  • Measuring Social Impact (LPPP 3500): This course explores a crucial question for any social enterprise: how do you measure whether what you're doing actually moves the needle on your chosen social problem? Students will learn how to pilot new programs and measure their impact on target outcomes. Case studies will emphasize the practical challenges that entrepreneurs face in taking social science out of the lab and into the field. The course has no formal prerequisites. Some prior exposure to statistics will be helpful. Taught by Sally Hudson

  • Equity-Centered Leadership for Social Impact (LPPP 3500): This applied learning course introduces the principles of equity-centered leadership for social impact. Students will gain knowledge of specific tools to drive change at the systems level and learn equity-driven frames for use in analysis and strategy development. Students will also examine methods to influence change from different roles in the sector and develop a greater understanding of leveraging self as an instrument of change. Taught by Mary Bruce

  • Financial Inclusion and Social Entrepreneurship (LPPP 3500): This course is designed to expose students to tools that low-income households have developed to manage financial risk, and to the various ways that financial inclusion has leveraged these tools to expand access to affordable and flexible financial services to millions in developing countries. Students will explore the latest concepts and innovations in the field of financial inclusion, develop critical thinking about the strengths and limitations of financial inclusion and practice using tools to develop, test and promote financial inclusion programs that are grounded in the field and appeal to donors. Taught by Danielle Hopkins

  • Innovation and Social Impact (LPPS 3410): This course introduces students to the strategies and processes required in the contemporary economy to leverage innovation in order to maintain overall competitiveness and make a difference. Students will examine several firms, and individuals who have catalyzed positive social change through different organizational platforms in the market, in government, within the nonprofit sector, and increasingly in the space between these three sectors. Taught by Scott Beale

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