Educating Engineering Entrepreneurs: A Multi-Institution Analysis*

Engineering entrepreneurship demands a broad range of skills and knowledge, extending far beyond technical expertise in anengineering domain. Motivation and proactive behavior, professional skills (e.g., communication, leadership, business), andcreativity in problem solving are among the attributes linked with successful entrepreneurship. An extension of the Center for theAdvancement of Engineering Education’s Academic Pathways Study, this survey- and interview-based study of engineeringundergraduates examines the potential of extracurricular activities to help students develop these entrepreneurial attributes. Quantitative analyses show positive relationships between entrepreneurial attributes and involvement in engineering and non-engineering extracurricular activities. Preliminary interview analyses illustrate how these activities foster entrepreneurial attributesand contribute to students’ engineering education experiences, in general.

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