Disrupt the status quo
Do you have ideas for driving corporate innovation? For starting a venture? For leading a business? Become an entrepreneurship major at Tippie and we’ll help make those ideas real.
You’ll have access to a host of incredible resources and take advantage of our long history supporting entrepreneurs through the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.
You'll learn from leading faculty, many of whom have built and lead successful companies and invested in entrepreneurial ventures.
You’ll also gain a vast network of alumni and business leaders, perfect for mentoring, internships, experiential learning, and job placement.
Pursue your passion
Tippie’s entrepreneurship major leverages technology innovation happening across the University of Iowa campus as well as connections to Iowa and alumni-owned growth companies to create a unique learning experience for students with the drive and ambition to become a corporate innovator, to launch their own venture, or to pursue leadership opportunities in family businesses or non-profit organizations.
We offer undergrads a truly innovative educational experience through the programs and resources available at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. Students have opportunities to consult with real businesses, get connected to and network with highly successful entrepreneurs and organizational leaders, participate in specialized treks to connect with leading entrepreneurs and venture investors, participate in innovation experiences and win money to launch a business, and much more.
Customize your experience
As part of your major, our two-semester tracks immerse you in the entrepreneurial worlds of leadership, technology, and finance.
- Entrepreneurial Leadership – Focus on leadership and entrepreneurship in a corporate or existing organization.
- Technology Entrepreneurship – Dive deep into the development and assessment of new technology applications.
- Entrepreneurial Finance – Apply financial modeling and venture assessment to early-stage companies seeking equity capital investments.
- New Ventures – Gain the critical skills necessary to launch successful entrepreneurial ventures.
“My professor gave us insightful industry knowledge. And he was an excellent source of networks. If I needed to talk to someone with any particular set of experience or insight—he’d make a call.”
Impact of entrepreneurship in the U.S.
99.7 %
US businesses considered small
90 %
American businesses that are family owned or controlled
45 %
Working Americans with a side hustle
Source: SBA Office of Advocacy
Apply your education
All entrepreneurship majors are paired with a successful alumni entrepreneur and/or business professional to provide career path coaching.
“Our students conduct risk analyses, looking at all the four major international risks: cross-cultural, financial, commercial, and political. They formulate market-entry strategies for client companies and help them find partners or ways to get into the foreign markets.”
Dimy Doresca, Clinical Associate Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship
“The support from the university gave us the resources, mentorship, and PR for greater visibility. Iowa JPEC provided an infrastructure where we could fail early on and be okay.”
Additional opportunities
Enjoy a history of world-class access
Entrepreneurial major students leverage the expertise and professional network of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. JPEC has been successfully training and supporting entrepreneurial ventures for over 25 years.
Study across disciplines
One of the unique aspects of the major is that it incorporates specialized coursework delivered by faculty from the entrepreneurship, management, finance, marketing, business analytics, and economics departments.
Get twice the inspiration
Entrepreneurship is an outstanding choice as a double major for Tippie College students studying accounting, business analytics, economics, finance, and marketing.