Entrepreneurship Education in Dual Study Programs

Entrepreneurship refers to the study of seeking, finding, and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities. It primarily relates to founding of innovative companies (start-ups), while intrapreneurship covers the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities by individuals in existing companies. Given leaps in digitalization and the emergence of disruptive business models, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship endeavors as well as respective educational formats are gaining momentum. Entrepreneurial education shall comprise both views to match the interests of higher education institutions and companies. Dual study programs comprise entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial modules, provide a high practical orientation, fit the needs of existing companies and are therefore a valid measure. Based on the experience of the Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, the authors conceptually posit the effectiveness of dual, practice-integrated and joint degree programs for entrepreneurial thinking. Curricular and extracurricular teaching as well as a respective certificate program are discussed. The focus of these study formats builds on the synergies that result from cooperation with other universities in the regional Ostwestfalen-Lippe start-up ecosystem.