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  2. EDU T565

Entrepreneurship in the Education Marketplace
EDU T565

Course Information

Description

*Lottery-Based Enrollment* Creative entrepreneurs change education by establishing new products and services. This course is designed to help prepare students as founders, to start their own companies, or as joiners, to join a startup or existing organization, typically in a product management, marketing/strategy or in a business development and fundraising role. 

Whether you intend to innovate in the commercial or non-profit sector, or operate in a tech company, a school district, a university, or a research institution; your effectiveness depends not only on good ideas, but also on market research and pragmatic business planning. This course provides an understanding of the unique dynamics of the education marketplace and a practical approach for analyzing market conditions and designing a business plan.

To understand the unique features of the education marketplace – including the sales cycle, funding sources, industries— inform students’ projects. Teams will create a Go-To-Market plan by answering such questions as: How do you use Competitive Analysis to design a marketing program? How do you create a dynamic financial plan to raise funding? How do you design and leverage a value proposition to differentiate your products and decision-making processes, and business structures – students will explore data sources and analyze market segments. Working in teams, students will learn how to evaluate competitors, integrate product development, funding, marketing, and sales and combine these components in a business plan.

Selected readings, case studies, and discussions with current leaders in education, philanthropy, impact investing and venture capital.

This course fulfills the Program Core Experience (PCE) requirement for students in the Education Leadership, Organizations and Entrepreneurship (ELOE) program. While fulfilling the ELOE requirement, the course is open to all students, with no enrollment preference given to ELOE students.

Admission is by lottery, please follow the lottery instructions on the website of the Office of the Registrar. HGSE students given preference.

Class Notes

For students in the ELOE program, this course fulfills the ELOE Program Core Experience (PCE) requirement if taken for a letter grade. It may also be taken as an elective. While fulfilling the ELOE requirement, the course is open to all students, with no enrollment preference given to ELOE students.

School Graduate School of Education
Credits 4
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department Education
Course Component Regular Course
Instruction Mode In Person
Subject Education
Grading Basis HGSE Student Option (Letter Graded, Sat/Unsat)
Learning Goals Basic understanding of:• Business planning tools• Financial management and planning for startups or new product introduction• Existing dynamics and companies in the education market• Business structure and operation of educational institutions• Ecosystem of the marketplace including market segmentation, channels, and investment opportunities
Career Focus <p>•&nbsp;Starting your own educational and or technology company•&nbsp;Leading as an intrapreneur&nbsp;within an established education company or organization•&nbsp;Marketing and selling educational products and services.</p>