This is an introductory course in business and entrepreneurship. Students examine the main disciplines (accounting, finance, marketing, management, operations and entrepreneurship) within business and learn business terminology. The course introduces company, market and industry research and statistics to analyze new business ideas. The various types of entrepreneurship, business formation, ethics and social responsibility are discussed.

This seminar-style course delves into how artists and designers prepare applications and interact with potential patrons and customers at gallery openings, markets, and fairs, including participation in MICA’s Art Market. Students will reflect on their creative practice and work to develop cohesive written, visual, and verbal communications. They will apply these communication skills when completing sample applications for exhibition opportunities, art fairs, and MICA’s Art Market application. Additionally, students will receive feedback on the types of works they plan to sell, tips on pricing their offerings, coaching on booth setup, and strategies for building rapport with potential customers at their booth. This course presents essential Marketing strategies used by professional artists and designers.

This seminar-style course delves into how artists and designers prepare applications and interact with potential patrons and customers at gallery openings, markets, and fairs, including participation in MICA’s Art Market. Students will reflect on their creative practice and work to develop cohesive written, visual, and verbal communications. They will apply these communication skills when completing sample applications for exhibition opportunities, art fairs, and MICA’s Art Market application. Additionally, students will receive feedback on the types of works they plan to sell, tips on pricing their offerings, coaching on booth setup, and strategies for building rapport with potential customers at their booth. This course presents essential Marketing strategies used by professional artists and designers.

Students work independently to produce creative items for sale in MICA’s Art Market. Building on ENTR 212, students will complete an intermediate level mini-course on creative business practices in preparation for MICA’s holiday market. This course covers pricing, marketing, and branding. All students are expected to engage with MICA Art Market for a minimum of one 10-hour day utilizing their skills acquired in this Entrepreneurship course.

In this course, students learn to approach social and market-based problems with an entrepreneurial mindset. Through research, students identify areas ripe for innovation, and learn strategic approaches for developing and marketing creative projects, products, and services. Topics covered include core entrepreneurial thinking; design thinking strategies; appropriate business models; research and marketing; business ethics, and options for financing. Students wishing to investigate new or existing ideas using entrepreneurial thinking are encouraged to take this course.

This course offers students the opportunity to work in teams to create a pop-up shop or other sales venture. The collaborative activities provide real-world learning for students interested in working as an independent artist or designer producing items for retail sale. In this course, students explore current practices in the creative economy, and how to develop and apply business knowledge to creative endeavors, especially with attention to the practices of creating multiples for sale. Students learn about various types of professional practices; stages of product development, business plan development, financial responsibilities, retail merchandising and marketing, and sales management. Topics such as market segmentation, materials research, strategic budgeting, branding, online marketing, sales tax, and site analytics are discussed. Over the course of the semester, students develop fundamental knowledge and skills that will help them apply sound business practices to their own creative work. The course culminates with a real-world sales project to take place in the MICA store or in an e-commerce store.

Taken the fall semester of students’ last year at MICA, this course provides an accelerator experience for students to learn and implement the business concepts needed to prepare the launch of an arts based business or social venture. Students work through a lean business model canvas to create a business plan. Topics include design thinking, market and customer research, financial modeling, validation and pitching. The capstone culminates with students participating in a pitch competition, Kickstarter campaign or similar experience to propel their business forward.