Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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I&E at Lawrence
Innovation and Entrepreneurship are increasingly recognized in the economics profession as the engines of the unprecedented economic growth and prosperity that people in the developed world have experienced in the past two hundred years. Respected economists have called attention to the importance of studying innovation and entrepreneurship for many decades, but only recently has the number of scholarly articles devoted to these subjects increased significantly. The Department of Economics at Lawrence University is incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship into the curriculum through new courses as well as through by adding these topics to existing courses where appropriate.
In addition to the courses listed below, we are planning to add Decision making and strategy, a 200-level course that will look at decision theory and game theory using the lens of innovation, and The Economics of Innovation, both in 2011-2012. The department is also playing a central role in creating a campus-wide Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) program, which is already bringing together students and faculty from the Arts, the Conservatory, and Economics and other social sciences.
Currently Offered Innovation and Entrepreneurship Courses
+ In Pursuit of Innovation (ECON 211)
A joint offering of the Physics and Economics departments, this course introduces students to the literature on innovation, emphasizing its role, its importance, its history, and its likely sources. The course has a significant experiential learning component, which gives students an opportunity to work as part of a team on developing an innovative product, process, or service. Prerequisite: Two courses in mathematics, or two courses in physics, or two courses in economics, or consent of instructor
+ Entrepreneurship and Finance (ECON 425)
This course adds the dimension of entrepreneurship for majors to the economics curriculum at Lawrence. Though the course emphasizes entrepreneurial and innovative activity in financial markets, it begins with a discussion of entrepreneurship in general. The course will rely heavily on the expertise of invited speakers, many of whom will advise student teams on projects for the course. Prerequisite: ECON 300, ECON 320, and either ECON 170 or ECON 220
+ The Art of Entrepreneurship (ECON 180)
A broad introduction to entrepreneurship for students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. This course aspires to give students the tools and the mindset to become agents of innovative, entrepreneurial change, social entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial artists. After presenting a social science view of entrepreneurship, the course will feature faculty from a variety of disciplines as well as practitioners. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing
In addition to coursework, you can find several other ways to join our quest to understand innovation and entrepreneurship, including the I&E Reading Group and the Annual Schumpeter Dinners.
