Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Learn to launch, lead, and grow a business from the ground up—grounded in a Biblical Worldview
Entrepreneurship Course
Capstone venture course integrating finance, management, and marketing.
Leadership Training
Dedicated Principles of Leadership coursework.
Small Business Management
Hands-on skills for starting and running a small business.
Strategic Planning
Learn to make executive-level decisions for growing organizations.
ACU’s Entrepreneurship concentration is designed for students who want to start something—a business, a non-profit, a side venture, or an innovative project within an existing organization. You’ll build on the comprehensive 39-credit business core with 18 credits of focused coursework in leadership, entrepreneurship, small business management, organizational behavior, human resources, and strategic management.
The centerpiece of this concentration is ENT 454 Entrepreneurship, which requires completion of finance, management, and marketing as prerequisites. This ensures that when you reach the entrepreneurship course, you have the full toolkit to evaluate opportunities, write business plans, and make sound decisions across every business function. It’s not a standalone creativity class—it’s the integration of everything you’ve learned.
Combined with dedicated coursework in leadership and small business management, this concentration produces graduates who can launch a venture from scratch, join a startup team, lead innovation within a larger organization, or pursue graduate study in entrepreneurship and innovation. The Phoenix metro area—one of the fastest-growing business markets in the country—provides an ideal backdrop for building your entrepreneurial future.
Entrepreneurship & Venture Creation
Learn to identify opportunities, evaluate market potential, develop business plans, and launch new ventures. You'll integrate finance, marketing, and management skills into a comprehensive approach to starting a business.
Leadership Principles
Study the theories, practices, and personal qualities that define effective leadership. You'll develop self-awareness, communication skills, and the ability to inspire and direct teams.
Small Business Management
Master the unique skills needed to manage a small business—from operations and cash flow to customer acquisition and team building in a resource-constrained environment.
Organizational Behavior & HR
Understand how people and teams function within organizations, and develop expertise in recruiting, developing, and leading employees—critical skills for any entrepreneur who plans to grow a team.
Strategic Management
Learn to think at the executive level, integrating knowledge from every business discipline to develop and execute organizational strategy for both startups and established businesses.
Starting a business is about more than making money—it's about creating value, solving problems, and serving people. At ACU, you'll develop a Biblical framework for understanding the purpose of entrepreneurship and the ethical responsibilities that come with building something new.
Value Creation as Stewardship
Explore entrepreneurship as a form of stewardship—using your skills, resources, and creativity to create genuine value for others. You'll develop a framework for business that goes beyond profit to include service and impact.
Entrepreneurs who see their work as stewardship build businesses that attract loyal customers and dedicated teams.
Risk, Faith & Courage
Study the relationship between calculated risk-taking and faith. You'll examine how Biblical principles of courage, perseverance, and trust inform the entrepreneurial mindset.
Founders who combine strategic thinking with principled courage navigate uncertainty with confidence.
Ethical Business Building
Consider the ethical dimensions of building a business from the ground up—hiring practices, pricing, marketing claims, investor relationships, and competitive behavior—through a Biblical lens.
Entrepreneurs who build on ethical foundations create businesses that earn trust from the start.
Business as Mission
Explore how businesses can serve as vehicles for ministry, community development, and cultural renewal. You'll study how entrepreneurs across the world are using business to address social challenges.
Founders who see business as mission create ventures with lasting significance beyond financial returns.
Core courses that define the Entrepreneurship concentration.
Entrepreneurship graduates don't just start businesses—they bring an entrepreneurial mindset to every organization they join. Whether you launch your own venture or drive innovation within a larger company, this concentration prepares you to create value wherever you go.
Startup Founder
Launch your own business—from concept through funding, team-building, and market entry.
Small Business Owner
Start or acquire a small business and manage all aspects of operations, finance, and growth.
Business Development Manager
Identify growth opportunities and build strategic partnerships for established organizations.
Innovation Manager
Drive new product development and process innovation within larger companies.
Social Entrepreneur
Launch a venture that addresses social challenges while maintaining financial sustainability.
Management Consultant
Advise organizations on strategy, growth, and operational improvement.
Franchise Owner / Operator
Acquire and operate a franchise business with proven systems and brand recognition.
Graduate Study (MBA)
Pursue an MBA with an entrepreneurship or innovation emphasis.
Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting a company—it’s a mindset. It’s about seeing opportunities, taking calculated risks, building teams, and creating something that didn’t exist before. Our Entrepreneurship concentration is designed to develop that mindset on top of a rock-solid business foundation.
What makes our approach distinctive is the integration. The ENT 454 Entrepreneurship course requires finance, management, and marketing as prerequisites—so when you get there, you’re not just brainstorming ideas. You’re evaluating them with real financial analysis, real market research, and real management planning. It’s the capstone of everything you’ve learned.
Combined with leadership training, small business management, organizational behavior, human resources, and strategic management, you’ll graduate ready to launch a venture, join a startup team, or bring an entrepreneurial approach to any organization. And because we’re at ACU, you’ll do all of that through a Biblical Worldview—understanding business not just as a way to earn a living, but as a way to create value and serve others.
Ryan Lunsford
Chair, Department of Business Administration
For students who want to build something new—or bring an entrepreneurial mindset to any organization they join.
Integrated Entrepreneurship Course
ENT 454 requires finance, management, and marketing as prerequisites—so you evaluate opportunities with real business skills, not just ideas.
Leadership Development
DevelopmentDedicated Principles of Leadership coursework develops the personal qualities and skills every entrepreneur needs.
Small Business Skills
Hands-on coursework in small business management prepares you for the realities of running a resource-constrained venture.
Strategic Thinking
The Strategic Management capstone teaches you to plan and execute at the organizational level—essential for growing any business.
Full Business Foundation
The 39-credit business core ensures you understand accounting, finance, marketing, management, law, and economics—every tool an entrepreneur needs.
Phoenix Market Access
ACU's location in the Phoenix metro area—one of the fastest-growing business markets in the country—provides real-world entrepreneurial opportunities.
Ethics & Biblical Worldview
Build a business with integrity from the start. Ethics coursework and faith integration prepare you to lead with conviction.
Versatile Career Preparation
Entrepreneurial skills transfer to any setting—startups, corporate innovation, non-profit ventures, ministry, and freelance work.
Take the next step toward a business education that equips you to launch, lead, and grow with excellence and integrity.