Grow Your Entrepreneurial Skill Set With an Online Short Course

For more than a decade, GetSmarter, a 2U, Inc. brand, has partnered with the world’s leading universities and institutions to design, develop, and deliver premium online short courses with a focus on learning gain.

If you’re an entrepreneur – or someone who aspires to be – GetSmarter’s portfolio of strategy, finance, and leadership courses can give you the edge. Learn from leading experts and faculty operating at the cutting edge of business, and build a university-verified skill set to stay competitive and confident in the fast-paced world of startups.

GetSmarter’s flexible approach to cohort-based learning is fully tailored to accommodate the lifestyle of the busy entrepreneur and high-touch, personalized support is always on hand to assist you throughout your journey.

Here are just three industry-leading online courses that may be of particular interest to you:  

Do well by doing good

On the Social Entrepreneurship online certificate course from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), you’ll develop the skills to drive positive change, drawing insights from one of the world’s leading social science universities.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to launch a socially conscious organization – or an executive, policymaker, or philanthropist wanting to support one – this course will equip you with the knowledge to make a real impact.

Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll:

• Gain an understanding of the key organizational factors to consider when founding and developing a social enterprise
• Explore what a social issue is and how to solve to it, and examine ways to measure the social impact and value your organization creates
• Create a thorough business plan to guide the development of your social entrepreneurship project
• Enhance your understanding of the need for greater social consciousness across government, business, and civil society
• Work towards an official certificate of competence from LSE, providing validation of your newly acquired skills

Build on solid foundations

In the Entrepreneurship in Architecture, Planning, and Real Estate online short course, from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P), you'll learn to generate profit with purpose by addressing urban problems.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur new to working in the built environment, or someone familiar with this space who’d like to explore the value in the market, this program will equip you with the skills to thrive.

Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll:

• Build a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and processes involved in establishing a venture in the built environment
• Develop an entrepreneurial tool kit to unearth commercially viable, design-based solutions to challenges in your context
• Craft a one-year action plan with guidance from industry leaders to help launch your entrepreneurship venture in the real world
• Gain personalized insights on your proposed concept from the subject matter experts at MITdesignX, the venture accelerator of MIT SA+P
• Work towards an official MIT SA+P certificate, offering validation of your newfound knowledge

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

On the Oxford Entrepreneurship: Venture Finance Programme, you’ll gain a holistic understanding of how startups are financed, from the perspective of both an entrepreneur and an investor.

If you’re in the process of planning a new business venture – or interested in investing in one – this may be the programme for you. Please note: some basic financial knowledge and business acumen is recommended.

Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of how ventures are financed and the types of investments available from various perspectives
• Learn how to navigate the entire funding process, from preparing and presenting a fundraising pitch deck to the final exit strategy
• Build practical skills for calculating and analyzing the financial projections of a venture to determine whether it’s a sound investment
• Gain guidance from leading faculty, and an opportunity to network with a global cohort of like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, and venture capitalists
• Work towards an official certificate of attendance from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and, on successful completion of the course, gain access to the official Oxford Executive Education Alumni group on LinkedIn  

For entrepreneurs across focus areas and experience levels, lifelong learning has become non-negotiable. Equip yourself to stay ahead of the curve and sharpen your competitive edge with an online short course.