Acquire the knowledge, skills, and networks you need to create new schools, launch ed tech ventures, and drive innovation in educational organizations and corporations around the world. 

The world's first master’s degree program in Education Entrepreneurship equips you with the expertise, tools, and experiences necessary to chart new solutions in education. To accommodate your career, the accelerated program is delivered through a blend of on-campus and online weekends and summer intensives — meaning that you can continue working full-time and be based in your home community while earning your master’s degree in just 12 months. 

What Sets Us Apart

1st
The world’s 1st master’s degree or dual-degree M.S.Ed./MBA in Education Entrepreneurship.
4 Schools @ Penn Renowned faculty from Penn GSE, The Wharton Business School, The Weitzman School of Design, and The School of Engineering, along with ed tech and industry leaders.
250 ventures built Global network of students and alumni leading transformative education projects in 25 countries.

About the Program

A unique program experience designed to help you create, test, and build innovative solutions to critical problems in a rapidly changing global landscape. Coursework provides a strong foundation in education, business, design, and entrepreneurship with a focus on increasing access, equity, and impact. The capstone experience prepares you to identify a new opportunity, either for an existing or new venture, and design your own school, education program, service, or product.

Application deadline
Rolling admission
Entry term(s)
Summer
Course requirements
10 courses (including a capstone project)

Duration of programAccelerated 12-month program (summer program start)
Two 10-day intensives (Summer I, Summer II)
Six three-day weekends (Fall, Spring)

Culminating experienceCapstone: Practical focus on a real-world venture/innovation of your choice 

Schedule
  • Executive-Style
Programs for Working Professionals
Overview

Through its unique design at the intersection of education, innovation, business, and entrepreneurship, the Education Entrepreneurship master’s program empowers current and aspiring leaders with the critical academic knowledge, cross-sector tools, business skills, and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to create innovative solutions in education.

Built for working professionals seeking to innovate within an existing organization, and for education and business leaders, entrepreneurs, and others interested in building and accelerating new ventures, students develop expertise in three key domains: Education Foundations, Business Essentials, and Entrepreneurial Leadership. This curriculum is complemented with premier access to Penn GSE and Wharton startup resources and clubs, education and ed tech networks, school design labs, and professional development across the innovation ecosystem.

Across the program, students work with renowned faculty from Penn’s Graduate School of Education, The Wharton Business School, Weitzman School of Design, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science to identify emerging opportunities and create the next generation of high-impact education programs, products, and services. In the 12-month Capstone project, students work with industry leaders and entrepreneurs to identify a new opportunity for education innovation based on their own personal mission and professional goals.

Curriculum

Students learn and apply new knowledge, theory, and skills in three domains: Education Foundations, Business Essentials, and Entrepreneurial Leadership. For a full list of courses in the Education Entrepreneurship program, please click here.

1. Education Foundations uses leading research, case studies, simulations, EdLab site visits, and lived experience to dive deep into the connections between education philosophy, practice, culture, and innovation.

Students explore the future of teaching and learning using education theories, learning sciences, design innovation, and next-generation platforms. This domain connects students with researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and education leaders to understand the rapidly changing global landscape and evolving role of innovation in classrooms and institutional settings. The foundations strand also provides opportunities to meet thought leaders across the new schools’ movement and the edtech and investment landscapes. The program includes three education courses. 

2. Business Essentials explores marketing, finance, management, and operations as they pertain to organizational innovation and venture creation—both generally and in particular to schools, universities, and educational organizations.

Students learn about the financial, operational, legal, and marketing aspects of building and managing educational programs, products, and services. This domain provides students with core business skills and experiences that can be leveraged by innovators in emerging or established companies, and by entrepreneurial leaders in education and other startup environments. The program includes three business courses.

3. Entrepreneurial Leadership focuses on ideation, research, strategy and execution, and on managing areas such as technology, intellectual property, communications, and evaluation.

Students learn about how innovators and entrepreneurs influence the creation, development, and successful production of new education models. This domain explores how entrepreneurial insights are tested and developed, how competitive advantages are gained and protected, and how entrepreneurs think about social return on investments. Students examine how academic and field research can be leveraged to improve the viability, impact, and sustainability of emerging innovations. The program includes three entrepreneurship courses.

For more information on courses and requirements, visit the Education Entrepreneurship M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog.

Schedule

The Education Entrepreneurship program is designed to fit the schedule of full-time working professionals. The program meets onsite eight times over 12 months and includes virtual supplemental learning opportunities between onsite sessions. The format and schedule allow students to continue residing in their home communities and maintaining their full-time employment.

The program will provide hotel accommodations (single rooms) and meals during on-campus sessions.

Sample Cohort Schedule

2023-2024  Cohort
TermDates
Summer 2023July 31 - August 10
Fall 2023September 29-Oct 1
 November 3-5
 December 1-3
Spring 2024January 26-28
 March 22-24
 April 19-21
Summer 2024June 22-28
 
2024-2025  Cohort*
TermDates
Summer 2024July 28 - August 4
Fall 2024September 20-22      
 October 18-20
 November 15-17
Spring 2025January 10-12
 February 21-23
 March 28-30
Summer 2025June 23-30

* 2024-2025 intensive dates subject to change. Please refer to this webpage for the most up to date schedule.

Capstone

In the culminating capstone project, students identify a new opportunity—either for an existing entity or for the creation of a new venture—and implement the skills they have built in the program to launch their own education program, service, or product. Students build a business case, executing experiments that validate or invalidate key hypotheses governing the opportunity. The capstone culminates with a demo day where students pitch their ventures to a distinguished panel of judges.

The exploratory work for the capstone project begins on day one, with discovery-driven planning, ideation, and pitch practice. The second stage includes design thinking, market research, and rapid validation testing using lean methods. Designing learning environments, building venture financial models, and developing marketing plans are key elements in the third stage. In the final stage, students build integrated businesses cases for their education ventures, including financial models and pitch decks. Throughout the 12-month project, students pitch, test, iterate, pivot, and refine venture ideas through meetings with a team of mentors—including ed tech and school entrepreneurs, education intrapreneurs, business leaders, researchers, practitioners, and investors.

Project Components

At the completion of capstone project, students develop a strong business case for a real-world education solution or innovation that allows them to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge to potential employers, partners, and investors.

Common Topic Areas

  • New school designs and programs
  • Ed tech teaching and learning solutions
  • Curriculum innovations
  • New communities of practice
  • Ed products and marketplaces

Sample Capstone Projects

New ventures(*) and existing entities that students strengthened through their programmatic work as both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs:

The Arcadia School: The Arcadia Secondary School helps expatriate students in Dubai South prepare for universities and society with a holistic English approach to secondary school education.

Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership: Prepares students to change the world through an entrepreneurial mindset—a mindset of curiosity and courageous creativity.

Neverbore*: Demystifies the process of creating student-centered, active learning environments for academically rigorous high school classrooms.

Nomad Minds*: Creates experiences which promote dialogue, understanding, and appreciation among globally interconnected local cultures.

Raise.me: Expands access to higher education, especially among low-income and first generation students, so that every student has a shot at the American Dream.

e squared Labs: Increases empathy and equity by elevating the needs, voices, and visions of youth and marginalized communities

GYE Zone: Brings real-world challenges to global high school students and prepares them for college and career readiness through youth entrepreneurship education.

Joint Degree from Wharton School (MBA) and Penn GSE (M.S.Ed.)

The M.S.Ed. in Education Entrepreneurship dual degree is an exciting opportunity for Wharton MBA students who recognize new challenges and opportunities due to the tectonic shifts underway in society, in business, and in education. Combining the masters in Education Entrepreneurship with a MBA from Wharton creates a unique, highly marketable degree. By acquiring complementary knowledge and skills in the fields of teaching and learning, ed tech, educational leadership, social impact investment, and education entrepreneurship, dual-degree students prepare themselves to take on organizational leadership roles that now almost universally include creating and managing continuous training, development, and re-skilling programs for a dynamic global workforce.

The unique program design allows Wharton students to graduate within the same two years at an incremental cost, making the dual MBA/M.S.Ed. program a strong value. This 9-course program is designed for Wharton MBA students to start during the summer semester after their first year of studies at Wharton. Students apply six elective courses and one transfer course to the Education Entrepreneurship program and complete both programs by the end of June of students' second summer at Wharton. Three quarters of the Education Entrepreneurship program tuition can be funded through the Wharton MBA.

Three Reasons this MBA Student Helped Pioneer a New Dual-Degree Program in Education Entrepreneurship

Application Process

Prospective students apply for the dual degree by submitting separate applications simultaneously to both The Wharton School and Penn GSE. A limited number of program openings may be available to enrolled 1st year Wharton MBA students. Please contact Admissions at admissions@gse.upenn.edu for additional information.

Program Timeline

Year 1
SemesterCourses
FallMBA at Wharton
SpringMBA at Wharton
Summer

MBA at Wharton
Education Entrepreneurship at Penn GSE (11-day session on campus in July/August)

Year 2
SemesterCourses
FallMBA at Wharton
Education Entrepreneurship at Penn GSE (3 extended weekends on campus)
SpringMBA at Wharton
Education Entrepreneurship at Penn GSE (3 extended weekends on campus)
Graduation from Wharton
SummerEducation Entrepreneurship at Penn GSE (8-day session on campus in June) 
Penn GSE M.S.Ed. degree conferred in August

Cohort Profile

The Education Entrepreneurship program welcomes students from all over the world with diverse backgrounds and broad interests.

Average Number of Students Per Cohort 45
Average Number of Students Per Section 25
Age Range 24 - 60+
International Students 20%

Ethnicity

White 43%
African American 27%
Asian 22%
Hispanic or Latino/a 6%
Mixed Race2%

Gender

Male 38%
Female 62%

Professional Backgrounds

K-12 30%
Business 24%
Non-Profit 13%
Entrepreneurship 13%
Higher Education 13%
Technology7%

Ready to launch or expand your social enterprise?

The Jacobs Education Impact Prize provides seed funding of up to $15,000 and network to power your start-up.

Funded by the Jacobs Foundation, the award gives select currently enrolled GSE Education Entrepreneurship students practical and financial support to develop and launch their own social impact ventures in the education sector.

As an awardee, you will receive a cash award and join the community of Jacobs Fellows—allowing you to share knowledge and experiences with a network of leaders from all over the world.

Read more about the Prize and how to apply here.

Creating What’s Possible

The first-of-its-kind Education Entrepreneurship Master's program at Penn GSE is part of the School's commitment to academic innovation.

A group of students walks in front of Wharton's Huntsman Hall.


Joint Degree Program: Penn GSE (M.S.Ed.) and Wharton School (MBA)

The M.S.Ed./MBA is a joint program sponsored by Penn GSE and the Wharton School. This dual-degree option is ideal for Wharton MBA students interested in topics related to education entrepreneurship, including pedagogy, educational leadership, scaling social impact initiatives, and the education marketplace. Admitted students complete both degrees over the course of two years.

Read more about why students choose the joint degree program

Our Faculty

Penn GSE Faculty Gad Allon
Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions, The Wharton School
Ph.D. in Management Science, Columbia Business School
Penn GSE Faculty Dee Asaah
Lecturer
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Jeffrey Babin
Practice Professor, Penn Engineering
M.B.A., The Wharton School
Penn GSE Faculty Brad Beshara
Senior Strategist and Advisor, Marketing and Entrepreneurial Finance Instructor
M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Sujata Bhatt
Director, Capstone
M.A., University of Michigan
Penn GSE Faculty H. Gerald Campano
Professor
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Betty Chandy
Director for Online Learning, Catalyst @ Penn GSE
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Peter Eckel
Senior Fellow
Ph.D., University of Maryland
Penn GSE Faculty L. Michael Golden
Executive Director, Catalyst @ Penn GSE
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Liza Herzog
Education Evaluation Instructor
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Caroline I. Hill
Instructor, Capstone
Ed.M. Harvard University
Penn GSE Faculty Laura Huang
Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
PhD in management from the University of California, Irvine
Penn GSE Faculty Amanda Jones-Layman
Assistant Professor, Neumann University
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Shahab Kaviani
Instructor, Capstone
B.A., University of Maryland, College Park
Penn GSE Faculty Rich Kochman
President, Adaptive Consulting, LLC
B.S., University of Maryland
Penn GSE Faculty Harvey R. Koeppel
President, Pictographics, Inc.
B.S., University of Pittsburgh
Penn GSE Faculty Igor Kouzine
Marketing and Entrepreneurial Finance Instructor
M.B.A, University of Chicago
Penn GSE Faculty Barbara "Bobbi" Kurshan
Senior Fellow
Ed.D., Virginia Tech University
Penn GSE Faculty Donna Murdoch
Instructor, Schools as Organizations: Adult Learning and Digital Ecosystems
Ed.D., Columbia University Teachers College
Penn GSE Faculty Robert Nashak
Instructor, Capstone
M.A., Oxford University
Penn GSE Faculty Roger Osorio
Fellowship Coach, Jacobs Education Impact Prize
M.S., Walden University
Penn GSE Faculty Rachel Pacheco
Management in Education Instructor
M.B.A., The Wharton School
Penn GSE Faculty Jason A. Presley
Vice Dean, Finance and Administration, Penn GSE
Ph.D., New York University
Penn GSE Faculty Rand Quinn
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Stanford University
Penn GSE Faculty Sarah Rottenberg
Executive Director, Integrated Product Design Program
Master of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago
Penn GSE Faculty Sarah B. Steinberg
Capstone Instructor
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Penn GSE Faculty Amrit Thapa
Senior Lecturer
Ph.D., Columbia University
Penn GSE Faculty Stanton Wortham
Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean, Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Penn GSE Faculty Susan A. Yoon
Graduate School of Education Presidential Professor
Ph.D., University of Toronto
Penn GSE Faculty Jenny Zapf
Senior Fellow
Ph.D., University of Virginia

Affiliated Faculty

The Education Entrepreneurship program is an interdisciplinary learning community where theory and practice from numerous disciplines and fields intertwine with the goal of driving meaningful, positive change in education. Our faculty reflect this interdisciplinarity and come from all across the University of Pennsylvania, as well as from outside institutions, and industry. The faculty listed below currently teach within the program or are engaged as close program advisors.

Denise Dahlhoff
Senior Researcher, Consumer Research, The Conference Board
Doctorate, Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Rita Ferrandino
Capstone Instructor
M.B.A., Pennsylvania State University

Serrano Legrand
Research Advisor
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania

Rebecca A. Maynard
Professor Emerita of Education and Social Policy
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison

Natalie Nixon
President, Figure 8 Thinking
Ph.D., The University of Westminster

Sharon M. Ravitch
Professor of Practice
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Janine Remillard
Professor
Ph.D., Michigan State University

Howard C. Stevenson
Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education
Ph.D., Fuller Graduate School of Psychology

Blair Stevenson
Global Entrepreneur in Residence
Ph.D. University of Oulu

Queenstar Akrong

What drew me to Penn was knowing that from the start I was going to work on my own educational problem—and eventually walk away with a tangible product.

Queenstar Akrong

Education Entrepreneurship M.S. Ed., 2019

Our Graduates

Graduates of this unique program leave with the tools necessary to create new schools and initiatives, launch education startups, fund and manage technology ventures, scale leading-edge programs, and drive innovation in educational organizations and corporations.

Our alumni have gone on to careers such as:

  • Founders and founding teams of K-12 schools like Ethos Classical, Villa Bella Expeditionary School, and STEM Preparatory Academy
  • Higher Education Directors of Innovation at Wharton Entrepreneurship, Arizona State University Learning Futures Collaboratory, and the Lab Student Innovation Center
  • Leaders in educational technology startups like Coursalytics, Matific, Raise.me, and Tembo
  • Intrapreneurs at Digital Promise and Amazon
  • Teacher-preneurs at businesses like Neverbore, NomadMinds, Scholas Occurrentes, R.E.A.L Discussion, and e² labs
  • Deans & CFOs of private international schools like the Arcadia School in Dubai, Vin University in Vietnam, the American College of Greece and Kings Academy Jordan
  • Directors at leading nonprofits like Harlem Children’s Zone, Communities in Schools, KIPP, TFA, and the Community Engagement Building
  • Directors and Deans at U.S. private schools like Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, McCallie School, Bethesda Academy, Philips Exeter Academy, and the Westminster Schools
  • VPs and Directors at multinational education businesses like ACT, McGraw Hill, and the College Board
  • CEOs and Directors of education policy centers and investment firms like The Center for Education Reform, and Global Silicon Valley Advisors

Meet Some of Our Alumni

Admissions & Financial Aid

Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements, as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.

Contact Information

Contact us if you have any questions about the program.

Office of Admissions and
Financial Aid

Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu

Program Contact

Brad Beshara
gse-edent@gse.upenn.edu

Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.

Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.