Cogswell Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programs - Cogswell graduates entrepreneurs & accelerates entrepreneurial ventures

MA ENT Course Descriptions

ENT500 Fundamentals of Creative Ventures (Internal). (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

All aspects of financial and operational systems are presented for the launch, management, and growth of a new venture. Material provides an understanding of how to measure, analyze and manage the new venture through key metrics. Financial statements, accounting methods, operational assessments, and personnel performance are topics of focus. Project based learning through close observation of multiple firms in action with emphasis on life cycle implementation. Prerequisite: None

ENT505 Fundamentals of Creative Ventures (External). (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

The basic foundations and processes of contracts, business development, intellectual property, and business law. How to enter contracts and evaluate their execution is presented. The tasks and processes necessary for developing the venture beyond its current capabilities, the support and implementation of growth opportunities, and the analytic techniques required to develop the business successfully are presented. Legal structures of the new firm are evaluated including the impact regulations and rules have in such areas as employment law, liabilities, and taxation. Project based learning through close observation of multiple firms in action with emphasis on life cycle implementation. Prerequisite: None

ENT510 Skills for Creative Ventures (Internal). (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Develops the key entrepreneurial skills necessary for creating and managing a new venture. Effective communication, team building, leadership, networking, and goal setting are studied and assessed through applied learning. Feedback through evaluative techniques and instruments are used around each skill to enhance strategies for improvement. Role playing, exercises, presentations, and assessment instruments are used. Prerequisite: None

ENT515 Skills for Creative Ventures (External). (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

The basic foundations and processes of effective marketing, selling and negotiation. Examines the full range of marketing strategies for new products and services including such methods as subversive marketing, disruptive marketing, radical marketing, guerrilla marketing, viral marketing, and expeditionary marketing. Students practice cross-cultural negotiation, dispute resolution, coalition formation and multiparty negotiations, competitive negotiations, and negotiating via information technology. Uses cases, role-plays, and simulations for hands-on practice to develop skills in dealing with real situations. Prerequisite: None

ENT520 Creative Ventures in Action (Internal). (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Topics and exercises around creativity, innovation, business modeling and project management are presented. Techniques to enhance creativity and innovation are applied to situations to evaluate market potential. Consideration of multiple business models is covered based on revenue goals and market potential. Applications of project management techniques are presented with students developing specific tasks, sequence of activities, a timetable, and establishing results. Project management will be used for commercialization of products, marketing plans, launch of a new venture, and to compliment strategies for business development. Prerequisites: ENT510, ENT515, ENT520, ENT525

ENT525 Creative Ventures in Action (External). (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Techniques and methods for commercializing products, identifying and capturing opportunity, recruiting and developing advisory boards and boards of directors, and the art of pitching for early stage funding are presented. Identifies how to develop a path for commercialization and evaluate the resources needed for its successful execution. Different ways to position the product with the market opportunity is provided. Successful recruitment for boards and their engagement is evaluated. Successful techniques for preparing and presenting a pitch to capture early stage funding is practiced. Prerequisites: ENT510, ENT515, ENT520, ENT525

ENT590 Creative Ventures Practicum (6 credits) (6 lecture, 0 lab)

The practicum is the Masters program capstone project. With mentoring, students will address a business challenge; research a new direction or a new opportunity; move to a new level or to a different market; or apply the knowledge and skills they have learned otherwise to develop or improve some aspect of their venture. Practicums are a minimum of 6 weeks full-time, or equivalent, including preparatory work. Success in the practicum is determined by the ability to delivery on the goal, or, if not successful, to demonstrate that they understand why on a deep level. Prerequisites: ENT530, ENT535

Specializations (6 credits)

Technology

ENT530 Technology Venture Finance and Management (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Activities and resource gathering for the venture launches are studied, including team formation, bootstrapping and financial backing. Financial concerns throughout venture growth cycles are a focus, along with fundamental methods by which decision are made. Provides methodologies to measure, analyze and manage the growing business, as well as techniques for working with advisory boards and Boards of Directors. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

ENT533 Technology Product Development (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Brings together best practices for creating a technology-based venture from the ground up, including lean start-ups, design thinking and user-centered innovation. Progresses from technology development or acquisition through market assessment, business model development, venture funding and preparing to launch. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

Animation

ENT540 Animation Film Marketing (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Students get hands-on experience in marketing a product from Cogswell's animation production studio. Activities include creating marketing plans and executing on them via, for example, film festivals, television, and Internet media marketing, as well as designing marketing collateral. May involve some travel. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

ENT543 Animation and Visual Effects Production Management (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

This class focuses on management and production of an animated short or short film featuring VFX (Visual Effects). Students get hands-on experience, learning the approaches, tools and techniques to run a professional-quality production. Topics include creating and tracking milestones; SCRUM management methodology and the team dynamics of complex creative ventures. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

Audio

ENT550 Audio Production (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Graduate-level project in audio content production. May be a soundtrack for a film or video game, or a standalone music or sound design project with potential for distribution. Individual and team projects with critique by audio faculty and guest audio professionals. Requires an initial proposal, a plan, documentation of the implementation steps and a final written report with oral presentation. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

ENT553 Audio Engineering (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Graduate-level project in audio engineering. Typical projects include the design and constructions of audio device, software or subsystems for interactive media. Individual and team projects with critique by audio faculty and guest audio engineering professionals. Emphasis on audio products that are ready for distribution. Requires an initial proposal, a plan, documentation of the implementation steps and a final written report with oral presentation. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

Games

ENT560 Game Development: Concept to Greenlight (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

In teams, students create, evaluate and iterate game concepts using various techniques such as proofs of concept, prototypes and vertical slices, in interactive and non-interactive ways. Promising concepts will be further developed into interactive demonstrations with corresponding business models. Teams will pitch their games and produce pitch materials, along with design documentation and game specifications. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

ENT563 Game Development: Preproduction to Proof-of-Concept (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

This class focuses on how to take an existing game concept from preproduction to commercial launch. Topics include marketing, funding, personnel recruitment, budgeting, project planning and scheduling. Students create and prepare to execute on plans that address key concerns such as team communication processes, source control, task management, schedules and asset pipelines. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

Interactive Marketing

ENT570 Analytics, Brands and Conversations (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

Students will study social engagement models, social value creation and social metrics for not-for-profits, government agencies and social enterprises as well as commercial enterprises. Topics include how content and conversations are shifting between new and old media; social gaming and gamification; and new ways of measuring campaign impact. Students will ideate engagement models and create metrics for an enterprise of their choosing. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.

ENT573 Interactive Campaigns (3 credits) (3 lecture, 0 lab)

This class will focus on effective communication for a wide range of stakeholders. Pitch, produce, and promote a campaign in a rapid cadence for a local client, from organizational need analysis through segmentation, channel selection, campaign design, narrative development, deployment, and outcome measurement. Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and Program Director.