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ABOUT THE BS IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE

Why Study Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Cedarville?

Cedarville’s innovation and entrepreneurship degree is designed for students who are constantly asking questions, testing ideas, and looking for better ways to solve problems. Whether you’ve already started a small business or just know you’d rather create something than follow a predictable path, this degree program will help you move from idea to execution.

Employers rank creative problem-solving as one of the most valuable skills in the marketplace, and this program helps you develop that skillset through consistent real-world experience. You’ll be challenged to think outside the box, building off the theories you learn from lectures and textbooks, testing and tweaking your ideas, and taking them from dreams to deliverables.

At Cedarville, innovation and entrepreneurship are rooted in a biblical worldview, helping you learn to be a good steward of God’s resources and creating solutions that serve the Kingdom. 

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What Sets Cedarville Apart?

Program Overview

Program Highlights

Your entrepreneurship courses are designed to move beyond theory and into application. As you develop foundational business skills infused with biblical principles, you’ll also be developing ideas, testing assumptions, and refining solutions in real time. 

Collaboration is a key part of the experience. You’ll work with students from other disciplines, learning how to take an idea from concept to something tangible. 

By the time you graduate, you won’t just understand how innovation works. You’ll have experience doing it. 


Placement Success

We’re proud of our successful graduates! 100% of recent graduates from the Robert W. Plaster School of Business were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Check out Cedarville's other placement rates.

Cedarville's Placement Rates

What Can I Do With a Degree in INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

Graduates step into a wide range of roles that intersect creativity, strategy, and problem-solving. Some launch their own ventures. Others bring innovation into existing organizations, helping them adapt in an ever-changing landscape. 

You might pursue opportunities in areas like: 

  • starting a business or launching a side venture
  • product development or product management
  • strategy, consulting, or business development
  • marketing, brand strategy, or digital growth
  • nonprofit leadership or ministry innovation 

The common thread is this: You’ll be prepared to see opportunities instead of obstacles — and to act on them. 

Graduate and professional programs and employers welcome Cedarville University graduates each year. It is important to note that most professional career fields you may pursue require additional education, experience, and/or licensure beyond the completion of your Cedarville University undergraduate degree.

Opportunities to Learn Outside the Classroom

Courses are intentionally designed to reflect real-world challenges, providing you with opportunities to test ideas, gather feedback, and improve them over time. You’ll build confidence in your ability to navigate uncertainty — a critical skill for any entrepreneur.

You’ll also spend a semester at the International Center for Creativity (ICC) in nearby Columbus, Ohio, where you’ll be exposed to an active innovation environment. You’ll explore what it looks like to move concepts to reality across multiple disciplines.

Internships are encouraged but not required, as many students find their coursework already provides helpful, real-world experience.

Entrepreneurs for Christ

Do you dream of pitching ideas, engaging in creative problem-solving, leading within an organization, or starting or growing a business?

Imagine fun, adventure, and creativity all wrapped up in one. Welcome to Entrepreneurs for Christ, or EFC for short. This organization is full of passionate students and engaged faculty who work together to provide a one-of-a-kind experience that empowers students to run their businesses or learn how to lead in big organizations or corporations.

You'll discover how to generate ideas, create a value proposition statement (VPS), develop a minimum viable product (MVP), build strong networking connections, and map out a business plan. Get ready for fun events and guest speakers who are real entrepreneurs. Whether you aspire to be an entrepreneur or intrapreneur in fields ranging from business, communication, and music to engineering, nursing, and STEM, EFC will help you sharpen your skills to build, grow, or lead a successful business. Everyone is welcome. In , you'll gain clarity on whether the entrepreneur life is for you while improving your skills as an intrapreneur. Entrepreneurship is not confined to a single business program; it is a real-life mindset for all Christian professionals seeking to use their gifts for Kingdom impact.

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Integrated Business Core (IBC)

The Integrated Business Core (IBC) is a year-long cohort program in the Plaster School of Business at Cedarville University. Students receive practical experience creating their own businesses from scratch under the guidance of University professors. By combining the three principle level courses in marketing, finance, and management, as well as a three credit practicum, students earn 12 credits while launching a business in a risk-free environment. The classes are exclusive sections available only to students participating in the IBC, and the cohort remains together throughout the spring and fall semesters. Through developing product ideas, creating a robust marketing plan, pitching to a loan committee, and bringing their product to the market, the IBC captures key elements of the business process. At the end of the course, all businesses give their profits gained from the program to the charity of their choice.

PSB Student Leadership Team (SLT)

Serve as a student advisory board for the Robert W. Plaster School of Business faculty, provide resources to orgs and students, represent the School of Business at CU Fridays and other prospective student events, serve as a liaison between students and faculty, and meet the goals of the PSB and faculty advisors.

Women in Business (WIB)

Our mission for Women in Business is to help women aspiring in business and leadership achieve their goals. WIB prepares its members by providing a forum for addressing issues relevant to women in business, connecting with modern female business leaders, impacting women in need, and establishing camaraderie among female students interested in business. We do this through learning experiences, such as hosting keynote speakers, social activities, such as game nights and brunches, and service opportunities such as volunteering in the Cedarville and greater Dayton community. Any of this organization's public events are open to men and women.

Program Curriculum

Your coursework combines a strong business foundation with innovative, applied learning that emphasizes action. 

You’ll explore entrepreneurship, product development, strategy, and customer insight — all through projects that push you to build, test, and refine ideas. Each step of the program is designed to help you move closer to creating something that works in the real world. 

Program Format and Related Programs

Cedarville offers graduate and undergraduate programs with flexible completion options. You may also want to consider these related programs as you choose the degree or program that is the best fit for you.

Program Level and Format

  • Undergraduate
  • Residential
Three students working on desktop computers while professor looks on.

From Our Students:

  • The Robert W. Plaster School of Business has taught me so much about the business world and how to incorporate my biblical beliefs into my future career. There have been quite a few opportunities for me to apply this learning to a real-world scenario, especially during my time in the IBC. The professors have encouraged me in many ways, from allowing me to ask questions to planning my future after Cedarville.
    Sarah Baab '23
    Sarah Baab
Job and Grad School Placement

Program Faculty

Photo of Kary Oberbrunner

Kary Oberbrunner, DMin

Berry Chair and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship

Contact

Photo of Jim Stevenson

Jim Stevenson

President, International Center for Creativity

Contact

Robert W. Plaster School of Business

Program News

  • Jesse and Caleb Mangum.

    More Than Peanut Butter

    After losing his job, Caleb Mangum founded Nutty Novelties through faith and perseverance. Joined by his brother Jesse, a Cedarville University graduate, the family business continues to reflect God's faithfulness, Christ-centered values, and a commitment to serving others.
  • Josh Hochstedler, Will Woods and Aaron Perry in from of the Scharnberg Business and Communication Center.

    The Hustle House: Cedarville's Entrepreneurial Incubator

    Cedarville University's Hustle House gives student entrepreneurs a Christ-centered community where collaboration, accountability, and faith fuel business growth. The house also serves as the launching point for the growing national Entrepreneurs for Christ movement.