Launch of Major in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise

The Alberta School of Business is proud to launch a major/minor for Bachelor of Commerce students in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise, the first of its kind in Canada and unique to the world. This area of specialization was created to recognize the economic significance of entrepreneurial activity and family business in the Edmonton area, Canada and the world. This initiative complements the teaching, research, and service activities of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise and the Alberta Business Family Institute.

The major is open to all BCom students but will be particularly relevant for students pursuing three distinct career paths: 1) those intent on creating, owning and/or managing a business venture; 2) those destined to become the next-generation leader of an existing family enterprise; and, 3) those who envision themselves as professional advisors to entrepreneurial and/or family-controlled firms in the future.

Students who choose the Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise major will take core courses in new venture creation, small business management, managing family enterprise, international family enterprise and advising family businesses (depending on their specialization). Through collaboration with the U of A Human Ecology department, students  will also take courses in family dynamics, parent-child relationships, family finance or community studies.

Students specializing in Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise will graduate with a strong conceptual understanding of how to engage in entrepreneurial activities and the unique challenges and strengths inherent in family businesses. They will have developed an appreciation for the importance of family-controlled firms throughout the world, and a solid set of practical tools for organizing, managing and governing family business systems more effectively. This set of skills will allow graduates to succeed in the Edmonton business community or throughout the world.

Innovative programming continues to advance our international reputation as an educational leader. Business graduates in family business will take important roles in entrepreneurial families, their business endeavours, and the communities in which they operate.