Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught in a Classroom?

There is a high degree of skepticism around the idea that entrepreneurship can be taught in a classroom.

Numerous successful entrepreneurs never went to business school or graduated from college. The abstract analytical models of a typical business school curriculum is generally in conflict with imagination, disruption, and counterintuitive action needed for entrepreneurship. Still, many schools feel there is a place for formal education when looking at entrepreneurship.

Three Top North American MBA programs developed their own philosophies in teaching entrepreneurship:

• The first approach focused on instilling an appreciation for the value of real-life experience in an "operating theater" classroom setup where the professor pokes and prods on startups.
• The second approach is focused on "rewiring" students to take action instead of falling into analysis paralysis. This approach invites students to accept a certain amount of risk.
• The third approach emphasized the types of resource and risk optimization that is offered by the more conventional business school. This philosophy may help more mature startups avoid common pitfalls, but it is less useful for entrepreneurs dealing with extreme uncertainty.