This program’s title has recently been changed from Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits. Students graduating in fall 2024 or later will receive a certificate in Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship. Students graduating before fall 2024 will receive a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits.
The Non-Profits & Social Entrepreneurship 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 Non-Profits & Social Entrepreneurship BDP allows students to tailor their coursework to fit their interests.
For a complete list of courses and requirements, view the Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship BDP curriculum sheet.
Possible areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
- Art and Social Change
- Environment
- Health and Health Care
- Global Non-profits and Non-governmental Organizations
- Youth and Family
- Community Welfare and Social Justice
To learn more about each strand, download the Non-Profits & Social Entrepreneurship Strand Descriptions (PDF).
Requirements
With 19 credit hours of coursework and Connecting Experiences, students may earn a BDP certificate in Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship.
Courses counting toward a BDP in Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship 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
- Global Non-profits and Non-governmental Organizations
- 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 Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship. 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 Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship students have completed in the past, read these Connecting Experience spotlights.
Integration Essay
Students write a three to four-page essay at the end of the BDP experience, drawing together the different pieces of the BDP.
Faculty Panel
The Non-Profits & Social Entrepreneurship faculty panel works with students to tailor their coursework to fit their interests, and to identify research and internship opportunities.