So, you’re ready to go to the deep end? You’re in the right place. The Startup Minor is for those who want to take their entrepreneurial capabilities to the next level. It’s for those who are not afraid of being the first to go where no one’s been before. It’s for you.
The minor consists of the Entrepreneurship Lab course and several topic courses based on your interests, as listed below. Entrepreneurship Lab provides you with indispensable skills for an entrepreneur, and lets you try out your skills in practice. The course can be replaced by taking part in Ignite by Aaltoes, as it provides a similar deep dive into the topic while being even more hands-on. The topic courses cover important and integral skills of entrepreneurship: leadership, design thinking, finance, innovation, prototyping, and much more. These are more specific courses and are great for both providing an overview as well as a way to start accumulating expertise in a specific skill.
Compulsory courses
Choose one or the other:
TU-E4101 — Entrepreneurship Lab
TU-E4420 — Aalto ES Ignite
Optional courses
Choose 10–15 credits:
TU-E4400 — Startup Leadership
TU-E4300 — Introduction to Digital Business and Venturing
TU-E4031 — Startup Finance
TU-E4040 — Opportunity Prototyping
TU-E4060 — Design and Innovation in Context
MEC-E3020 — Methods in Early Product Development
ABL-E2611 — Entrepreneurship Law
ABL-E2613 — Entrepreneurship Law in Practice
TU-E4200 — Sustainable Development Goals as Entrepreneurial Business Opportunities
TU-C2090 — Starting Up
TU-C2080 — Entrepreneurship Essentials
The project course Entrepreneurship Lab or Ignite by Aaltoes is required for the minor. For topic courses, you can also suggest alternative entrepreneurship-related courses available elsewhere at Aalto University. Work with the Kiuas accelerator or other players in the entrepreneurship ecosystem can be credited as part of the Startup Minor on a case-by-case basis.
The minor is available for all Aalto students. You can add it to your personal study plan. If you have any further questions, have a look at the frequently asked questions below, or feel free to contact professor Mikko Jääskeläinen.
FAQ
What’s the very first step that I need to do in order to start the Startup Minor?
You need to confirm the Startup Minor in your HOPS (personal study plan). It is open to all students.
What are the courses that I can/should take?
You should take either Entrepreneurship Lab or Ignite, the rest is up to you. Feel free to choose based on your own interests, there is a lot to choose from! We’ve put together a pretty good list above, but you can also suggest alternative entrepreneurship-related courses available elsewhere at Aalto University.
I am a bachelor student. Can I also take this minor?
As we mentioned before, the minor is open for all students. That being said, it’s recommended that BSc level students would focus on BSc level minors. It is not forbidden to take an MSc level minor, which Startup Minor is, but it’s not something we encourage.
Is it possible to do double minors?
Different schools at Aalto University have different degree structures. For example in Aalto SCI, an obligatory minor is not included in all programmes. If a student is taking a long major, then they can include one minor in elective studies. In some programmes, however, the curriculum already contains an obligatory minor and in these cases, you can also include a second minor in elective studies. This is not a simple question because degree structures and curricula vary. We’d recommend you discuss with your study advisor more in detail for your specific case.
I’ve received 1-2 credits from “Varying contents”. Could I include this in the Startup Minor?
If you have participated in entrepreneurial ecosystem activities such as Junction or Slush and received credits with varying contents title, then yes, you can include those into your minor. We believe that what you need to learn is not only limited to academics, but that hands-on experience is also important. If you have actively worked in the ecosystem and you’d like to get credits for it, please discuss more with professor Mikko Jääskeläinen. In this case, you will be asked to write a 5-8 page reflection essay by a given deadline.
I am not from Aalto University. Is there a way for me to take this minor?
There might be! It’s not completely up to us though — if you’re in another university, you’ll need to consult with them first. Exchange studies, flexible study rights (JOO) or non-degree studies could be an option. Read more to find out about the different possibilities.