MBA and Innovation: Our 4 Favorite Denver Schools for Entrepreneurs
Colorado’s population and economy have been rapidly expanding in recent years. The Denver Post estimates that, by 2050, Colorado’s population could increase to 8.5 million people: a 64 percent increase from the current population of 5.5. The economic and population boom make Denver an ideal place to launch a business. Denver is also less than an hour from Boulder, a city Inc. Magazine refers to as “America’s Startup Capital.” All in all, Denver metro is starting to look like a no-brainer for budding entrepreneurs.
But turning an idea into a company involves making infinite difficult decisions about business issues and strategy. According to Forbes, 90 percent of start ups eventually fail. Earning an MBA means gaining access to business networks, knowledge, and resources, and it can be an excellent way to gain the edge you need in order to help your idea thrive. Below, we’ve laid out four of our favorite Denver MBA programs for entrepreneurs.
University of Denver – Daniels College of Business
Students who want to start a business would be remiss not to consider the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, which was recently listed among Inc. Magazine’s “15 Most Innovative MBA Programs.” Forbes also ranked University of Denver in the “Top 50 for Startups” as recently as 2014. Daniels grads have gone on to start their own companies, and to find creative ways to meet the needs of their community. Leo Osahor (MBA 2007, MSM 2007) developed FlightSpeak, the largest and most detailed airport app to date. The app allows travelers to view security wait times, shopping options and coupon offers, and WIFI info for 315 airports around the world. The school also helps sponsor an annual Pitch Competition that fosters entrepreneurship by allowing graduate and undergraduate students to present their company or product ideas to a panel of local business owners. Winners receive a $1,000 cash prize that lets them take steps toward bringing their ideas to fruition.
The Daniels College of Business/Photo via Daniels.edu
Colorado State University College of Business
The Colorado State University College of Business has an entire institute devoted to entrepreneurship. The Institute for Entrepreneurship offers several programs outside of the classroom that help budding entrepreneurs gain the insight and resources they need to embark on their business ventures. According to the school, the institute hosts annual events such as Women Entrepreneurs’ Leadership Summit, Venture Adventure Challenge, and the Distinguished Entrepreneur speaker series.
University of Colorado – Denver Business School
The University of Colorado’s Denver Business School MBA program provides the option of pursuing an entrepreneurship specialization. This specialization allows students to explore a breadth of topics including web development, personal branding, and social entrepreneurship. MBAs with this specialization devote 12 of their 15 elective credits to entrepreneurship-related courses. University of Colorado’s Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship supplies students aiming to start their own business with additional resources, such as career coaching, networking, job recruitment, and internship opportunities.
University of Colorado, Boulder – Leeds School of Business
Students at the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Leeds School of Business will have no trouble accruing the knowledge and skills necessary to start their own business. Leeds students can pursue an MBA with an entrepreneurship focus. In fact, the school offers so many entrepreneurship electives, there are six sub-categories students can use to tailor their educational trajectory to their specific goals. Entrepreneurship MBAs can focus on New Venture Finance, Entrepreneurial Marketing, Entrepreneurial Practice, Sustainable and Social Entrepreneurship, Corporate Entrepreneurship, or New Venture Creation. Leeds School of Business has inspired innovators such as Brent Handler, the destination club pioneer who co-founded Exclusive Resorts.
Finding Your Ideal Marketing MBA in Denver
Earning an MBA degree is one of the best things a professional can do at any level of their career to develop a rock solid foundation of business knowledge. This generalized education not only provides students with the facts and figures they need to start or run a business, but also with the ability to be effective managers and leaders.
While many students pursuing an MBA can appreciate the open-ended nature of the degree as it keeps a number of postgraduate opportunities open to them, others may look for a more focused direction. Luckily, many MBA programs offer concentrations or majors for the degree, providing students with industry-specific training without sacrificing the strong foundational knowledge offered by an MBA.
With a strong local economy and average salary significantly above the national average, the Denver metro area has been rated the fourth best city in the country for starting a new business. Whether you are an executive looking to expand their leadership opportunities or still early in your career, Denver could be the perfect place to earn a degree and grow in your career. And with the many specialization opportunities available at Denver business schools, students with interest in a field like marketing have numerous opportunities to expand their education.
Colorado State University College of Business
The Colorado State University College of Business offers an online graduate certificate in Marketing Management for students enrolled in any of the school’s MBA programs. In addition to earning an MBA and the core courses for the degree, CSU students can pursue an additional nine credits with a particular focus in marketing.
All of the courses are taught by faculty at the College of Business’ Department of Marketing and are offered online to offer students full flexibility. The curriculum for the certificate includes courses such as: marketing Strategy and Planning, Marketing Management, Consumer Behavior, and Strategic Selling for Business Customers.
University of Colorado – Denver Business School
Students at the University of Colorado Denver Business School can use their elective credits of their MBA degree to specialize in marketing. At UC Denver, the Marketing specialization provides students with the necessary skills and ability to manage a firm and build profitable, long-term relationships. And although marketing may seem a broad focus for a degree, students can consult with the university’s marketing faculty to help narrow their focus and select the electives best suited to their career goals.
Students will take their MBA core courses in addition to 12 elective credits for Marketing specialization courses. Subjects in the marketing specialization may include topics like: Marketing Management, Buyer Behavior, Customer Relationship Management, Services Marketing, and more.
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University of Colorado, Boulder – Leeds School of Business
At the UC Boulder Leeds School of Business, students can choose marketing as an area of expertise for their MBA degree. This program will help students prepare for a role in an ever-changing global marketplace, allowing MBA graduates to better navigate the unique challenges of markets and entrepreneurship throughout the world. By focusing their MBA in marketing, UC Boulder students will develop the necessary skills to serve in a variety of ways within the industry, from marketing management to new product development, or consulting.
The UC Boulder Marketing MBA offers a number of elective options that can help students further customize their focus in marketing, from courses like Market Intelligence, Pricing Strategy & Tactics, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Entrepreneurial Marketing.
University of Denver – Daniels College of Business
The Daniels College of Business MBA, ranked among the top 10 most innovative MBA programs in the country by Inc. Magazine earlier this year, is uniquely structured around four core business challenges. Categorized as an enterprise, social good, corporate and global challenge, students simultaneously take classes and work on the challenges, having the chance to apply immediately what they’ve learned.
Included in the Denver MBA’s structure are six electives, four of which can be focused in a particular area to comprise a concentration. For those interested in concentrating in marketing, Daniels provides the hands-on learning in subjects like Digital Marketing and Brand Management that will give students the skills they need to achieve success in the industry.
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