Undergraduate Classes

Below is a look at typical offerings for undergraduates interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, and design. For up-to-date offerings at Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, General Studies, and Barnard, please visit the school’s class planner and registration page.

Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Professor: Dave Lerner

Students who have a specific startup idea are invited to apply to a campus-wide Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, designed for Columbia students to get their initial, idea-stage ventures stress- tested, and to form their founding teams.

Building a Successful Startup

Professor: Apoorv Agarwal

Open to Barnard College, Columbia College, Engineering:Undergraduate, Engineering:Graduate, GSAS, General Studies, and Journalism. Selected topics in computer science. Content and prerequisites vary between sections and semesters. May be repeated for credit. Check “topics course” webpage on the department website for more information on each section.

Venturing to Change the World

Professor: Jenny Fielding, Geraldine Wu

Venturing to Change the World​ introduces the intellectual foundations and practical aspects of entrepreneurship. We explore the entrepreneurial mindset, team formation, idea selection, how ideas become products with markets, and the key steps in building a venture.

Design for Social Innovation

Professor: Sarah Holloway, Adam Royalty

Design for Social Innovation (DFSI) is a project-based initiative and course where Columbia University students work in teams to solve real-world problems on behalf of social sector clients including nonprofits, social enterprises, and government agencies.

Human-Centered Design and Innovation

Professor: Harry West

Open to SEAS graduate and advanced undergraduate students, Business School, and GSAPP. Students from other schools may apply. Fast-paced introduction to human-centered design. Students learn the vocabulary of design methods, understanding of design process. Small group projects to create prototypes. Design of simple product, more complex systems of products and services, and design of business.

 

EXTRA CURRICULAR

Athena Incubator

Director: Chriss Sneed

Are you a Barnard/Columbia student entrepreneur (a) actively working on your own business/venture/startup or (b) ready to commit to pursuing a single idea for a business/venture/startup? Do you want help moving forward? Support to think about how you might integrate a gender lens and principles of equity and sustainability into your work, from your company’s mission & vision, to its culture, internal systems, and processes, and products & services? The chance to build relationships with alum entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors, as well as other members of the Barnard entrepreneurial ecosystem? Members of the Athena Incubator also receive a $500 stipend to help you dedicate the time to advancing your venture, along with dinner at cohort meetings (approximately 4x a semester).

 

Almaworks

This student- run accelerator works with early-stage startups run by NYC student entrepreneurs.