What is Social Entrepreneurship?  Social Entrepreneurship is the use of creativity to establish innovative projects to help categories of people in need. Sometimes these projects are informal community initiatives, but often they are formal programs run by nonprofit agencies that have received 501(c)3 status from the Internal Revenue Service. Although most social entrepreneurship projects have a nonprofit focus, some fascinating social entrepreneurship projects exist within socially conscious for-profit corporations.

Program Overview

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
SOC 621G	Advanced Sociological Research	3
SOC 664G	Social Entrepreneurship and Grassroots Social Action	3
SOC 671G	Program Development and Evaluation	3
Concentration Core Courses 1
SOC 679G	Community Theory and Development	3
SOC 680G	Nonprofit Organizations	3
SOC 681G	Non Governmental Org: Global Social Innovation	3
SOC 870	Grant Writing	3
Electives
Select 6 credits of the following:		6
GBUS 802	Management and Marketing Concepts
IDS 804	Information Literacy
LDRS 640G	Principles of Civic Leadership
LDRS 650G	Principles of Organizational Leadership
LDRS 810	Qualitative Research Methods
LDRS 818	Ethical Leadership
MGT 611G	Human Resource Management
POLS 616G	Public Personnel Management
SOC 644G	Sociology of Aging
SOC 675G	Seminar in Sociology
SOCW 860	Personal and Professional Development Seminar 2
SOCW 865	Social Work Supervision and Agency Management 2
Internship
Select one course from the following:		3-6
SOC 677G	Internship in Sociology
SOCW 895	Advanced Clinical Social Work Field Practicum II 2
Masters Degree Comprehensive Examination/Assessment
Total Hours		30-33

¹

Students who have taken one or more of the below courses prior to admission into the program may, through consultation with their advisor, substitute a maximum of 15 credit hours from the Elective courses. Students who have taken SOC 664G Social Entrepreneurship and Grassroots Social Action, SOC 680G Nonprofit Organizations, and/or SOC 681G Non Governmental Org: Global Social Innovation must substitute up to 6 credits of SOC 675G Seminar in Sociology courses having a variable topic of Social Entrepreneurship. Students who have taken the grant writing course SOC 470 Grant Writing as an undergraduate will have to substitute a class for the grant writing course SOC 870 Grant Writing.

²

MSW dual degree pathway.

Important General Competencies Developed:

• Listening and effectively communicating ideas
• Creative thinking and problem solving
• Ethical decision-making
• Building respect for people different from ourselves
• Building respect for ideas different from our own
• Analyzing previously unrelated ideas and identifying meaningful patterns among them
• Converting an abstract set of ideas into a specific plan of action

Specific Job Skills Developed:   

• Professional interaction with nonprofit leadership
• Advocacy and networking
• Operating in the public sector
• Program development
• Program evaluation
• Grant Writing
• Needs assessment development, administration, and interpretation
• Constructing and testing measurable client outcomes
• Fluency in statistical principles and analyses
• Using Internet search engines to access relevant literature and data
• Technical report reading and writing
• How to start a nonprofit corporation

Program Coordinator:

Dr. Gary Brinker, gdbrinker@fhsu.edu; 785-628-5233; 785-628-5840 (Sociology Program) 

Accelerated Option

This program has an option for current FHSU students who meet the Accelerated Program Admissions requirements to take graduate courses during their senior year.  This allows up to 9 credit hours to apply to both degrees.  FHSU students interested in this graduate program are encouraged to visit with an advisor or department to learn more about the accelerated option.

Graduate School Graduation Requirements

All Graduate degrees¹ require:

• Maintain a C or higher in all coursework.
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. (Refer to program)
• A minimum of 30-75 hours of Graduate course work. (Refer to program)
• Comprehensive Examination or equivalent assessment is required. (Master of Liberal Studies requires a Comprehensive Examination and Concentration Exam)
• Degree completion within 8 years.

¹

Refer to degree program for any additional requirements.

Note for MLS and MPS degree concentrations:

Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) programs are administratively housed within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences but are listed in the catalog within the academic unit related to the relevant concentration area for ease in navigation.

Master of Professional Studies (MPS) programs are administratively housed within the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences but are listed in the catalog within the academic unit related to the relevant concentration area for ease in navigation.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Hours
SOC 680G	Nonprofit Organizations	3
SOC 664G	Social Entrepreneurship and Grassroots Social Action	3
SOC 870	Grant Writing	3
	Hours	9
Spring
SOC 679G	Community Theory and Development	3
SOC 671G	Program Development and Evaluation	3
SOC 621G	Advanced Sociological Research	3
	Hours	9
Second Year
Fall
LDRS 640G	Principles of Civic Leadership	3
SOC 681G	Non Governmental Org: Global Social Innovation	3
POLS 616G	Public Personnel Management	3
	Hours	9
Spring
SOC 677G	Internship in Sociology	3
Masters Degree Comprehensive Examination/Assessment
	Hours	3
	Total Hours	30

Academic Degree Maps are term-by-term sample course plans that specify milestones, courses, and special requirements that are necessary for facilitating on-time completion. Degree Maps are examples and are not prescriptive. Individualized choices such as concentration options, transfer credits, optional minors, advisory programs (certificates), etc. can alter the recommended coursework. Course offerings are subject to change. Students should consult with their academic advisors for additional guidance on course planning.

To determine courses to take in the directed choices (often listed as Program Elective Course) and directed elective course blocks see the overview tab for courses. To locate approved courses in General Education areas (Undergraduate Programs) see the general education section of the catalog.

The undergraduate course maps typically advise the most efficient route for students to complete the general education requirements. Courses that are required in the major may be listed as fulfilling relevant general education requirements. This will result in more open elective course hours in some maps than is listed on the degree overview page.

Admission Criteria

• 3.0 minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA
• Personal statement no more than 1 page addressing
  1. Why are you interested in receiving an MPS in Social Entrepreneurship,
  2. What category of people in need are you most interested in assisting and why?
• February 1 deadline for admission application
• Have not already earned Sociology's 9-credit Social Entrepreneurship Certificate.
• Those who have taken no more than 15 credits from the Core and emphasis courses as an undergraduate.