Changes

Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship is a foundation of Wichita State University’s curriculum and strategic plan. Wichita State holds Kansas’ only entrepreneurship major as well as an entrepreneurship minor for both business and non-business majors, a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation and an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship. New Product & Technology Development and Growing & Managing an Entrepreneurial Firm are just a couple of the courses students can enroll in. In Spring 2016, WSU has expanded its degree opportunities by offering an a Master of Innovation Design Masters degree, which started Spring 2016. The schools Colleges of Fine Arts, Health SciencesProfessions, Business, Honors, and Engineering are offering courses that incorporate entrepreneurship into the foundations of their curriculum. The school College of Applied Studies now offers a course in Workplace Leadership, as well as a Bachelor's in Applied Studies which focus focuses on innovation in the workforce. 

Beyond academics, there are several programs encouraging entrepreneurship on campus. Every year students can compete in the Shocker New Venture Competition, where winning student groups are awarded startup capital to aid in the launch of their new venture. Other entrepreneurial competitions that happen yearly include the Koch Innovation Challenge, Shocker Innovation Corps, and Invent for the Planet. Students also attend inspirational and informational speaker series focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and design, such as the Business Booster Series, Shocker Startup Impact, LaunchPrep, and Lunch and Learn.

The Wichita State campus is expanding to reflect the innovation and entrepreneurship demands of the economy. In spring of 2017, a new makerspacenamed GoCreate, located in the Experiential Engineering BuildingJohn Bardo Center, opened to cater to innovative Wichita State students from all majors and backgrounds. The WSU makerspace has the GoCreate's purpose to be a special place where people can meet, collaborate and make things happen – it is part manufacturing plant, part design studio and part garage workshop. It’s a place where creative people of all ages and skill levels have access to sophisticated equipment and training, shared work spaces and a supportive community.