Online Graduate Certificate in
Family Business and Entrepreneurship

Why Earn a Graduate Certificate in Family Business and Entrepreneurship?

Etown's Graduate Certificate in Family Business and Entrepreneurship equips entrepreneurs and family business owners with essential skills for success in today's dynamic economy. The program covers business ideation, leadership, strategic planning, and family business management, including governance and succession planning, enhanced by expert training through a partnership with the High Center for Family Business.

In addition, a distinctive feature of this certificate is its compatibility with Etown's 36-credit Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Strategic Leadership (MSL) or the 32-credit Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD).

Program Outcomes:

Evaluate the steps to start, innovate, and grow a business.
Analyze the strategies involved in running a successful business.
Articulate leadership skills and practices to optimize business performance.
Critique governance structures and succession planning as a vital component of a business model.
Develop a business plan for a new entrepreneurial business idea or possible innovation.

Online

Program Format

credits required

to graduate

8-Week

courses

Etown SGPS Ranked in the top

For Best Online

Colleges in Pennsylvania

by Forbes for 2024

Build Leadership Skills for the Future

Etown's Family Business and Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate is one of the only programs of its kind in Pennsylvania. Factors that set our program apart from other entrepreneurship-related certificates include:

A partnership with the High Center for Family Business, one of the oldest and largest centers of its kind. A coach is available upon request throughout the completion of the certificate. These experienced individuals will provide students with expertise in developing business growth.
Industry experts facilitate specific modules within individual courses to help students make real-world connections to course topics and gain insights from experienced entrepreneurs.

Also setting this program apart is the fact that credits earned can be stacked into Etown's 36-credit Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Strategic Leadership (MSL) or the 32-credit Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD).

Understand Tuition Costs and Explore Scholarship Opportunities

The Graduate Certificate in Family Business and Entrepreneurship is priced at $695 per credit. Scholarships and financial aid are available to make your Etown SGPS education even more affordable. Below are just a few of the scholarships and programs available to students:

Alumni Scholarship: 15% tuition discount, available to Elizabethtown College alumni.
Affinity Partner Scholarship: 15% discount, offered to employees of organizations partnered with Etown SGPS.
Jay Fellowship Referral Program: This is a referral program that benefits both current students/alumni and prospective students. When a student or alum refers a new student, both the referrer and the referred student receive a complimentary credit for their program of interest.

Tuition and fees are reviewed and subject to change annually.

Tuition & Aid

Online Graduate Certificate in Family Business and Entrepreneurship

The Graduate Certificate in Family Business and Entrepreneurship from Elizabethtown College requires 12 credit hours of academic work. Students must take all 12 credits from Elizabethtown College to be awarded the graduate certificate.

Course Catalog Academic Calendar

Application Requirements & Process

Application Requirements

To be eligible to apply to any of our graduate certificate programs you will need to:

Have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher (waivers can be granted based on professional work experience and other factors).
Have a minimum of three years of professional leadership/management experience (can include undergraduate experience).
Have time to devote to your coursework; in an accelerated program, time spent outside of class is considerable.

Application Process

Contact or meet with our admissions staff for guidance and to find out more information.
Complete the graduate application via the online portal which includes the submission of a $25 nonrefundable application fee, which is waived for Elizabethtown College graduates.
- You will need to request official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions you have attended and upload your current resume.
- Additionally, prepare a 1-2 page essay addressing your motivation for pursuing the graduate certificate, a statement of professional goals, and goals for the application of the graduate certificate to your professional life.
After submitting your application, the SGPS Team will review it and make an admissions decision.
If accepted, you will receive an initial offer letter via the applicant portal, which you must accept to proceed with matriculation.
If there are any questions or concerns, the admissions team will contact you for further discussion.
After successfully completing your Elizabethtown College graduate certificate, students may complete the Advance in Graduate Certificate or Degree form in the JayWeb student portal to apply to a future graduate certificate or graduate degree. Additional materials may be required, depending on the program of interest.