Engineering Entrepreneurship Summer Institute (E2SI)

7 Weeks • 16 Credits • One Minor

Open to all majors, not just engineers or technologists, Villanova University’s Engineering Entrepreneurship Summer Institute (E2SI) challenges students to further develop their problem-solving and creative thinking skills while applying fundamental engineering principles. You’ll learn how to take your idea from paper to venture pitch—no technical knowledge required!

Why Engineering Entrepreneurship?

The need for entrepreneurial skills is much broader than the focus on starting on a new enterprise. Employers value self-starters who take initiative, show persistence and demonstrate leadership. These entrepreneurial competencies are invaluable in any career and differentiate students from the competition.

Program Benefits

Gain practical, hands-on experience in many entrepreneurial activities.
Develop and implement solutions necessary to transform ideas into action.
Identify and manage risks through analysis, problem solving, creativity and flexibility.
Develop leadership, business and management skills to run and strengthen any enterprise.
Understand the principles of existing and emerging technologies and how they apply globally.
Prepare an entry for the B. PHL College Innovation Classic.
Submit a patent application on your idea.
Gain a competitive advantage in the job market.

Program Details

Tuition: $10,715—includes all textbooks and field trips

Acceptance Deposit: $500—due within two weeks of receiving an offer of admission. The deposit is refundable, and will be applied toward tuition.

General Fee: $15—this is a University fee for the summer semester

Housing: TBA

Financial Aid: Regular financial aid is not available for E2SI, however all students will be considered for funding support (based on financial need) through the E2SI program.

Questions concerning additional grants and loans should be addressed to the Office of Financial Assistance. E2SI is not eligible for tuition remission.

Application deadline extended: April 15, 2022

Scholarship/funding support decisions: April 22, 2022

Program dates: May 23 through July 13, 2022 with classes held Monday through Friday, from 9AM - 5PM with an hour break at noon for lunch.

Holidays Observed: No class, Monday, May 30, June 20, July 4, 2022

EGEN 2100: Creativity and Innovation: (1 credit) An introduction to various methods, practices, and tools that can be effectively used to develop creative solutions to problems.

EGEN 2150: Introduction to Entrepreneurial Technologies: (3 credits) Students will gain a working understanding of technologies of interest to entrepreneurs.

EGEN 2200: Opportunity Identification and Business Principles: (3 credits) Foundation course for moving an idea from concept to reality.

EGEN 3100: Feasibility Analysis for Entrepreneurs: (3 credits) Learn and apply techniques to prove or disprove the technical and business feasibility of product and service concepts.

EGEN 3200: Product and Service Prototyping: (3 credits) Focused on the design and construction of a proof-of-principle prototype which demonstrates a product or service.

EGEN 4100: Market, Finance, and Venture Plan (3 credits) Students will experience the detailed steps in designing and commercializing a product.

The curriculum in E2SI has been designed to create a unified, immersive experience for cohorts of students, so the program must be completed in a single summer (courses cannot be taken individually). Classes take place on Villanova’s campus in the Center for Engineering Education and Research (CEER), primarily CEER 104.

E2SI is open to any current Villanova student in good standing.

A complete application to E2SI will include:

A short, informal essay (500 words max) telling us a little about yourself, and why you think E2SI would be an important addition to your academic program. You should save your essay as a PDF and upload it along with your completed application.
Your unofficial transcript.
Submit the online application and upload your essay and unofficial transcript.

Deadline extended to April 15th!

Hear from our Students

Hear from our Students

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Deadline extended to April 15th!

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

MENTORS PROVIDE INVALUABLE INSIGHT

“E2SI exceeded my expectations. Despite the program’s virtual setting, the experience was truly immersive. Our mentors provided thoughtful insights and taught us to visualize our product in a unique way. I particularly enjoyed the Introduction to Entrepreneurial Technology Class, for it allowed me to realize how every type of product or service directly relates to entrepreneurship. Through the program, I learned to approach problems in a new way, and think like an entrepreneur.” — Lauren Munari ’21 Civil Engineering

DEVELOP CREATIVE SKILLS AND MORE!

“I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone who is curious about how to implement their creativity, learn in a fun environment and learn a variety of important, intangible skills.”— Simon Brooks ’21, Chemical Engineering

EXPLORING IDEAS, SOLVING PROBLEMS

“The most valuable thing that I learned in E2SI was how to approach a problem from every possible angle and make sure that I was finding the best solution. We did endless exercises to help us expand our ways of thinking and really worked on playing off every member of our teams, using every idea.”— Isaac Elder ’19, Psychology

DISTINGUISH YOURSELF WITH E2SI

“It was definitely my Entrepreneurship Minor in Engineering that helped me to stand out and create a brand for myself while looking for post-grad employment. The skills to think not only analytically but creatively and with a business sensibility are skills that not every engineer has.” — Paige Innamorato ’16 Chemical Engineering

ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MAJORS

“As a psychology major, I worried that I would not really be able to keep up with the curriculum. However, there was no point where I felt unable to do the work. Of all the classes that I have taken at Villanova, this has given me the most applicable lessons for entering the work force after school.”— Isaac Elder ’19, Psychology

TEACHING TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS

“Always wanting to create my own invention, I fell short due to my lack of both engineering skills and entrepreneurial knowledge. However, E2SI helped change that. We were guided through every step of the process, from brainstorming ideas, to refining an idea, to filing a patent, to actually CREATING the invention, and to finally presenting our invention. Each step was advised by multiple highly credible professors. E2SI not only provided me with a minor and a patent to write on my resume at the end of freshman year, it also allowed me to create countless friendships and connections all while fulfilling my passion to be an entrepreneur.” —Caroline Huang ’22, Finance