The Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits BDP brings together students who are interested in pursuing a career in the public service sector and expanding their involvement in the community. Non-profit leaders for the 21st century must increasingly understand the blurring of the lines between private, government, and non-profit sectors. The Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits BDP allows students to tailor their coursework to fit their interests.
For a complete list of courses and requirements, view the Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits BDP curriculum sheet.
Possible areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
- Art and Social Change
- Environment
- Health and Health Care
- International Development
- Youth and Family
- Community Welfare and Social Justice
To learn more about each strand, download the Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits Strand Descriptions (PDF).
Requirements
With 19 credit hours of coursework and Connecting Experiences, students may earn a BDP certificate in Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits.
Courses counting toward a BDP in Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits may also satisfy core, major, and elective requirements in a student’s degree plan. With planning, the BDP should not add time to students’ UT careers, but instead helps students choose the courses they already have to take in an integrated way.
Foundation Courses [7 hours]
- Forum Seminar
- Two Additional Foundation Courses
Courses in a Strand [3-6 hours]
- Art and Social Change
- Environment
- Health and Health Care
- International Development
- Youth and Family
- Community Welfare and Social Justice
Connecting Experiences [6-9 hours]
BDP advisors assist students in finding meaningful connecting research and/or internship experiences related to Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits. At least one of the two required Connecting Experiences (three credit hours each) must have a research emphasis. This can either be a research Connecting Experience, or an internship Connecting Experience in which the student’s internship responsibilities include a research project. Examples of research projects an intern might assist with include, but are not limited to: market research, researching new funding sources, researching a problem for the need statement of a grant proposal, conducting an evaluation to measure the success of a program, research that validates new engagement strategies, or developing a proposal for a new program or initiative. For examples of Connecting Experiences Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits students have completed in the past, read these Connecting Experience spotlights.
Integration Essay
Students write a 3-4 page essay at the end of the BDP experience, drawing together the different pieces of the BDP.
Faculty Panel
The Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits faculty panel works with students to tailor their coursework to fit their interests, and to identify research and internship opportunities.