Welcome, Class of 2026!

Learn to become entrepreneurial inside and outside the classroom

A warm welcome to our first year students! Derby Entrepreneurship Center and our parent organization, Tufts Gordon Institute, are the hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship education at Tufts. We offer numerous academic courses that can be taken alone or as part of an undergraduate minor program. We also offer a rich array of programs, activities, internships and funding opportunities to help you learn and accelerate your progress.

Three Ways To Engage For First-Year Students

Take a course

In collaboration with Tufts Gordon Institute (our parent organization), Tisch College for Civic Life, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, and the School of Engineering, we offer 20+ courses that help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset. Several exploratory courses are open to first-year students. Check it out!

Consider A Minor

Derby Entrepreneurship Center offers the Entrepreneurship Minor (biggest minor on campus) and the Entrepreneurship for Social Impact Minor (in collaboration with Tisch College for Civic Life). Both are open to all. Tufts Gordon Institute offers the Engineering Management Minor (open to all) and the new Foundations for Future Leadership Minor (School of Engineering students only).

Join us for Innovation Month

September is Innovation Month! Derby Entrepreneurship Center is hosting 10 events to induct you into the Tufts innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Have a cookie or taco on us, meet interesting people, learn to ideate and get started turning your passions into action.

Fall courses open to first-year students

ENT100 Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurial Thinking

ENT100 Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurial Thinking

This introductory course is designed for students curious about how to unleash their creative spirits to solve big problems with innovative solutions.
ENT164 Introduction to Making

ENT164 Introduction to Making

Introduction to Making is an exploratory course that gives you the practical, hands-on skills to make working prototypes of your products.
ENT193.01 Building Your Entrepreneurial Toolkit

ENT193.01 Building Your Entrepreneurial Toolkit

In this course students will start to learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, innovation, culture, business models and strategy and how these elements vary across industries.
ENT090 Paths to Entrepreneurship (2 credits, Second Half)

ENT090 Paths to Entrepreneurship (2 credits, Second Half)

In this course, students learn and unlearn what it means to be an entrepreneur and the various paths one can take towards entrepreneurship.
TML 010 | ENT010 Preparing New and Aspiring Leaders

TML 010 | ENT010 Preparing New and Aspiring Leaders

Development and application of leadership skills across a range of contexts including startups, corporations, and nonprofits.
TML011 | ENT011 Developing Financial Literacy

TML011 | ENT011 Developing Financial Literacy

Introduction to sound money management in personal and professional finance.
TML014 | ENT014 Planning your career pathway (2 credits)

TML014 | ENT014 Planning your career pathway (2 credits)

This course guides students through the process of developing a career plan across an individual's professional journey.

Visit us at our Venture Lab at the Joyce Cummings Center.

Our Venture Lab (Room 301, Joyce Cummings Center) is a coworking space when it is not used as a classroom or to host an event. Come on in!

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