Experiential Learning

Today, a student who has an interest (maybe even a passion) to start and run a small business should be encouraged. Every year in America 3 to 4.5 million businesses are created by “entrepreneurs” and over 85% of these pioneers launch a business for the first time. This entrepreneurial spirit is the most significant economic development our country has seen in the past century. Entrepreneurs have introduced innovative products and services, pushed forward many technological frontiers, are responsible for the creation of millions of new jobs, opened foreign markets, and in the process, provided their entrepreneurial founders a myriad of opportunities for personal growth and success.

These business builders seek to embark on one of the most exhilarating –and one of the most frightening—  adventures ever known: launching a business. It’s never easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding. Colleges and Universities across the country have discovered that entrepreneurship studies are an extremely popular course of study. Grove City College accepted the responsibility of creating a collegiate program for undergraduates that blends formal academic studies and vital and integral “experiential learning” component in its’ Entrepreneurship Program.

Students in the Entrepreneurial Program are exposed to a strong CORE curriculum that includes traditional professional Accounting, Marketing, Management, and Finance courses. However, Entrepreneurial Majors are afforded opportunities for; co-op placements; multiple business internships; mentoring experiences; case study reviews, preparation of business briefs, development of business plans; development of strategic marketing plans; interaction with entrepreneurs on and off campus; partnerships with the business community projects; , and other vehicles to expose them to the actual business environments. Applying “theory to practice” gives the GCC student an operational edge in the job market upon graduation and a strong dose of “reality” based business experiences that will help them in their entrepreneurial business future.