Let us play a quick game of word association—we will start.
“Kellogg.”
Ok, go ahead. “Entrepreneurship,” right? No? Aspiring MBAs may be surprised to learn that Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management offers nearly dozens of courses in this discipline and that its Entrepreneurship and Innovation major has been among its most popular areas of study—defying the stereotype that Kellogg produces only marketing MBAs.
As part of Envision Kellogg, the school’s strategic plan, the MBA program introduced four new impact initiatives in 2012, one of which is the Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative (KIEI). Overseen by the Larry and Carol Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice, the KIEI offers numerous opportunities for students to develop their entrepreneurial acumen. The Levy Institute’s faculty currently features a total of 26 professors. In addition to business plan competitions, the Levy Institute manages the Kellogg Entrepreneurial Internship Program and the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program, an experiential learning option through which, for a day, an experienced entrepreneur hosts half-hour sessions with students who aspire to careers in this field or are seeking advice on their already active projects.
The school’s Heizer Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital offers the Private Equity Internship Program, wherein rising second-year students intern with small businesses or private equity firms—receiving a stipend—to facilitate career transitions that would otherwise be challenging for those without experience. In addition, the Kellogg Entrepreneurship Internship Program offers a stipend to first-year students for a ten-week summer internship with a host company.
MBA student entrepreneurs coming from or planning to enter a family business will likely be interested to learn that Kellogg’s Center for Family Enterprises not only publishes research and cases on such businesses, but also confidentially consults with family-run companies. Indeed, this is all just the tip of the iceberg…
Go beyond the stereotypes. For in-depth information on Kellogg and other leading business school programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.