Why go for a Social Entrepreneurship Degree?
Whether a business is for profit or non-profit, it has the power to bring about a genuine difference in the lives of many. Should enterprises choose to adopt methods of social entrepreneurship, they can offer innovative antidotes to important problems faced in the world, in various sectors such as education, poverty and healthcare. Whether it is global microfinance or mission-based pharmaceutical organizations, social entrepreneurship enterprises can truly create a massive impact on a huge scale.
Students who enroll in a social entrepreneurship degree will be exposed to various kinds of social entrepreneurs and how they made a difference in their respective fields. They will learn how to create solutions for the society’s most pressing problems and will be given a basic understanding of the creative solutions that need to be implemented to solve these problems. This is the ideal degree for someone who wants to get prepared to make a true impact on the lives of others.
Program Details of a Social Entrepreneurship Degree
Before you sign up for a degree in social entrepreneurship, you need to research a little into the program details. A typical social entrepreneurship program would teach you the following subjects:
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Profile of social entrepreneurs
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Typology of ventures
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Definition disputes
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Seizing local business opportunities
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Legal structure
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Community asset mapping
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Social value proposition
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Ecosystem approaches
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The role of corporations in addressing poverty
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The role of mind-mapping in creating solutions
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Empowerment models: Partnering with a targeted community
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Theory of change
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Social innovations
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Disruptive innovations
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The role of a business model in starting a social venture
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Equitable distribution of value
In addition to such topics, a social entrepreneurship degree would also enable you to look at the lives and business methods of many entrepreneurs. This could include different organizations as well as different entrepreneurs. You might even have to submit a final year project or essay, depending on the level of your degree.
Degree Options for Social Entrepreneurs
Bachelor’s Degree in Social Entrepreneurship
This is a 4-year long degree that would require at least a high school diploma or a GED equivalent for admission. Many universities offer social entrepreneurship as a minor, though now countless institutes are offering it as a major as well. You will also need to submit your previous transcripts from all accredited institutions that you have attended. It is encouraged that you take basic level business courses in high school to create a strong foundation for further studies in social entrepreneurship.
Masters Degree in Social Entrepreneurship
A master’s degree in social entrepreneurship can take up to 2 years to complete. You will be required to have completed your bachelor’s degree before applying to this program. Applicants in process of finishing their undergraduate degree can also apply, with their acceptance being contingent on finishing the undergraduate degree. An application fee would have to be submitted along with the entire set of application documents, recommendation letters, college essay, transcripts, etc.
The program is designed to facilitate work in social activism and offers the critical skills students would need to create a better and more just world. As aspiring social entrepreneurs, students will learn how to bring about positive change in the society by creating solutions to the world’s most pressing social problems, searching for root causes and generating value for societies.
Careers as Social Entrepreneurs
Social entrepreneurs are self-employed individuals who work on various non-profit, for-profit and hybrid company structures. Let’s take a look at some of the people who have made social entrepreneurship into a career for themselves:
Bill Drayton: The man behind the concept and creation of Ahoska: Innovators for the Public – an organization dedicated to finding and helping social entrepreneurs all across the globe. He is also the chairman of Youth Venture, Get America Working! And Community Greens.
Muhammad Yunus: He is a true authority on social entrepreneurship with several books on the topic. He is the founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution responsible for providing microcredit loans to enable self-sufficiency in people. Yunus’ work landed him a Nobel Prize in 2006.
Scott Harrison: Harrison made it his mission to ensure clean drinking water supply all over the world. Since his work began, his charity has been able to deliver drinking water to more than a million people in 17 different countries all around the world.
Jeffery Hollender: Hollender is credited with the founding of a cleaning, paper and personal care products company called Seventh Generation. The company produces products that have a reduced environmental impact. They avoid harsh chemicals in the production process that are a part of many leading personal care products today.
Xavier Helgesen, Chris Fuchs and Jeff Kurtzman: The people behind the company Better World Books have set an example of truly successful social entrepreneurship. The company was created in 2002 and has a mission of maximizing the value of every book to promote literacy all over the world. So far, they have managed to raise $12.2 million for literacy funding.
These inspiring people would certainly help you understand better the utility and importance of a social entrepreneurship degree and how contributing positively to the society can be a wonderful thing.