Halifax Program Gives Entrepreneurs Skills To Succeed

Traditionally entrepreneurship is a learn-while-doing venture. However, the vast majority of entrepreneurs have little-to-no business experience.

You may have a great idea. But without a little business know-how, bringing your idea to fruition may be difficult.

Enter Dawn Jutla. Dawn is starting a Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MTEI) program at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. Affiliated with the Sobey School of Business, the program aims to arm individuals interested in starting their own business with the tools and education to do so.

The program is the third of its kind (there are also MTEI programs in Waterloo and Hamilton), and the first outside Ontario. Unlike most Master of Business Administration programs, which take two years and only partially cover entrepreneurship, an MTEI requires only eight months of class, followed by another eight of either thesis writing or hands-on learning.

The program will be heavily affiliated with Nova Scotia’s current entrepreneurship infrastructure, including angel investors, Innovacorp, and Nova Scotia Business. Other Universities are also in talks to join the program, including Mount Saint Vincent and Dalhousie Universities, as well as the Nova Scotia Community College.

“Our vision is to stitch together a lot of the efforts already going on around Atlantic Canada,” said Jutla in an interview with the Chronicle Herald. “It’s great that we have so many of these pieces popping up.”

The program will accept 50 new applicants per year and starts this September. For more information follow the link.