Nah no need for a masters degree in "entrepreneurship," it's not something that can be taught. It's more about trial and error, and then not making the same mistake twice. Just give it a shot. It's not like a new internet business is going to require significant startup capital.

If you really want some formal business training, I would go to the local college, take the business courses they offer, and save yourself 30 grand.

Still in college, but have a lot of exposure to small and start-up businesses:

You don't even have to do that. If you can graduate a top school, you can pick up a book on basic accounting, basic marketing, basic management, etc and teach it to yourself. A lot of the things you need to know for a small business involve memorization. If you come on something you're stuck on, then you should take a class (or get involved in an online community like WSO that focuses more on a business education). If you're looking to do something similar to 4 HWW, an MBA is a hugely unjustifiable expense. You don't even need a college degree for that, though it does add some validity to what you're doing.

If I were you I'd try and get a corpfin job at a smaller company for a year or two and see how it operates. If you can get in a financial leadership program at a large company that does rotations through different areas, then do that. The training there will be unmatched. While you're doing that, make sure you're teaching yourself stuff outside of work.

Doing a degree in Entrepreneurship is the exact opposite to what an Entrepreneur would do. Go to your local library and pick up a few business books.

save yourself tuition money and invest it into a real business, learn it through trials and errors

1) The trial and error approach - where I go into this not really knowing what I'm doing...and hoping to learn through trying - seems like a good equation for failure to me.

2) Teaching myself through personal reading. I don't know. I think I learn better in the actual classroom environment...getting to know professors...hearing their stories...getting to ask them questions...etc.

3) Getting a job at a similar company. This sounds like a great idea to me. But given my qualifications - a history degree (from a good school) - I feel like I'll probably get stowed away doing something unimportant and not all-encompassing, if I'm lucky enough to even get hired. I see almost a decade of working my way up the ladder before I'm able to learn anything there. Maybe after I got a business-related degree from a good school that might be a more realistic possibility.

To clarify, you are scared to start a business until you go to school to learn to start a business? But you are not scared to spend $50,000-$200,000 earning your MBA because even if you fail at that you can keep going to school and get a PhD and become a professor?

Yea man, sorry to tell you this, but you don't sound like the entrepreneurial type. Not that that means you would definitely fail starting a business. Just keep in mind that what sets the very successful entrepreneurs apart is their insistence on doing what needs to be done, teaching themselves what needs to be done, seeking out help when they need it, etc. You don't need school to start a business, you need a mindset. A good place to start is, "I can find my education without paying $50k for it." You've got at least a year and a couple months until you'd be able to start b-school. What can you teach yourself in 6 months?

No...I said that I'm not interested in pursuing an MBA. I'm interested in attending a masters program in Entrepreneurial education (or something similar), or designing my own personal program somewhere. And yes...having a relevant masters degree - so that I can go on to earn a PhD, or get hired by another company (which I'd have a hard time doing with just a history undergraduate) - is most definitely reassuring. More importantly, I think that it will make starting my own business a possibility...because as little as I know about business right now, I'm not sure that it is.

I would go work for a start-up. There are a lot out their that are looking for top talent. Depending on what you do there you will get some good exposure and you will see it you would like that type of work environment or not.

You don't seem to be the entrepreneurial type and nothing wrong with that. You just need to find out what you want to do.

1) If you think that you can tell that I, or anyone else, is not the "entrepreneurial type" based on a couple of message board posts...then please leave this thread...because you're an idiot, and I don't care to hear what you have to say.

2) Someone above mentioned that entrepreneur's need to 'seek out help when they need it.' Well, I know nothing about the business world, and I'm seeking help in acquiring it. There are a million different books out there, written by a million different 'get-rich' authors, giving a million different takes on all the approaches there are to running a business. I'd much rather learn from some respected business professors.

3) I do like the working for a similar start-up idea. Problem is, it will probably be tough to get hired into a position where I'd be able to learn all the interworkings of the business without a business-related degree. Pushing paper around for 3-4 years isn't going to do me any good.

Okay, here we go:

1) You said you would pursue a Masters in entrepreneurial studies. The only thing close to that is an MBA with an emphasis in entrepreneurship (that I'm aware of, and I've done a lot of looking for degrees related to business)

2) You came here asking for our opinions. My opinion, judging by your lack of a go-got-'em attitude, is that you aren't cut out for this specific career. It's your fault for not accurately representing yourself.

3) You're not seeking help in acquiring more knowledge, you're asking us to validate your decision to pursue some sort of non-MBA entrepreneurship Masters, which I've never heard of.

4) You use the word can't way too fucking much for someone who wants to be an entrepreneur. That word is not in an entrepreneur's dictionary. Try thinking more along the lines of, "I'm not sure if I can do this, but I'm sure as shit going to try and find a way to do it."

5) Guess what, there's more than one good book on business. Start reading reviews, pick up a couple of books, and figure out what you like. Maybe someone here would have been kind enough to point you in the right direction if you had asked for some help finding literature.

Finally, if this is what you really want to do, MY OPINION is that you should not get a Master's. The PhD track isn't something you should do as a backup, or just in case. If you honestly think that might interest you, then go for it. If you want to be an entrepreneur, go back to undergrad and get a second degree in business. Your states school will cost about $25,000 for 2 years. That's about, depending on the MBA program, 1/4-1/6 the cost of an MBA (NOT including living expenses). If you can get in-state tuition at an MBA program that suits you, then that might be worth it.

Nobama: I see what you're saying, but as you noted ("not necessarily OPs") OP's business is probably not going to be the type of business that requires a lot in start-up. He wants to use the 4-Hour Work Week model, which would only require about 10k-20k in startup capital (on the high side), and makes me wonder if he wants to do something similar to that, why he hasn't started yet.

1) you're either a liar, or a bad searcher then, because I turned up about 50 masters programs in entrepreneurship in one night of searching.

2) like i already said...judging by your willingness to assign concrete labels to people you know next to nothing about, I do not think that you are very intelligent, and I'm not giving any of your advice any consideration as a result...so...please feel free to stop giving it.

3) no...i am looking to learn about the business world...and i was asking the board for advice about methods of doing so.

4) shut up. i'll use whatever words i want. go put your stupid ideas on a poster.

5) not knowing anything about business, my personal taste in business books is rather irrelevant.

6 --- if you read my posts clearly, you would see that one of the options i suggested - designing my own program with a willing school - is exactly what you are now suggesting. i've already stated several times that i'm not interested in an mba.

7 --- the more start up capital i can get for marketing, the more successful the business will be...so, no, you are wrong again. for example, if i'd have ever heard of tim ferriss' 'brainquicken,' i would have purchased mass quantities of it all throughout high school and college, and so would most of the people i knew there (i've been purchasing it since reading the book). if that company put one add on tv during the nba finals tonight, profits orders would go off the charts. they're leaving a lot of money on the table in that regard, imo.

Actually starting your own business will be a far better education in entrepreneurship than any masters program in the world.

Really appreciate. Very happy to have gotten in touch with someone that's got some real experience. I'll send you a PM once I get some free time later tonight.

My only personal issue is with your idiocy. And, the beauty of this forum (and most forums, for that matter) is, I'm allowed to tell you how much of an idiot you are.

yeah, you're right, you don't seem to have any personal issues. i stand corrected.

Oh snap, you CAN admit when you're wrong.

You know the best way to get a masters in entrepreneurship? Starting a business...

I'm not in a shitty mood anymore, so I'm going to go back to not being a dick here.

If you want to be an entrepreneur, reading stories about successful entrepreneurs is the best way to learn how to be successful yourself. Everyone will have a different view. I've met successful CEOs that got their MBAs from top b-schools, that never went to college, that finished their degrees 10 years after starting college, etc. Everyone is going to take a slightly different route, but there are factors that remain constant. First and foremost is their drive and their inability to accept someone telling them "you can't do this".

If you want to learn about what it takes to be an entrepreneur from the men who have been most successful, I'm creating a list of books for you to check out. These books will be eye-opening and should be inspiring. You may not be looking to start a billion dollar company, but the principles and necessary traits to run a good business are still applicable. Make sure to pay specific attention to their teenage years and early 20s, as this is where you are right now. These are numbered, but they're in no particular order. Read the reviews/blurbs and decide what you might think is most interesting.

1. The Snowball, Warren Buffett and the Business of Life - A great book by one of the all-time greatest investors. It's not about running a business, but how he got to where he was and a basic idea of what he looks for in a company.

2. The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, 2nd Ed. - Another book on Buffett, specifically his letters to his investors over the years. It will give you more insight into what he thinks is a good company and why than Snowball.

3. Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way (Richard Branson) Branson discusses his business and success.

4. The Fountainhead (by Ayn Rand) - Ayn Rand is an objectivist, much lauded by Libertarian, but the attitudes of her characters is what's needed for an entrepreneur. Take this quote as an example, "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me."

5. The Four Hour Work Week (Tim Ferriss) - You mentioned this book already, but for the business you said you want to start it's worth reading again... and again... and again. It's a how-to guide to being successful, if you can do what he lays out in his book, you can build a solid business with good cash flow.

6. Rich Dad, Poor Dad - One of the best books on personal finances and the proper mindset for handling your finances. Many of the philosophies introduced in this book are applicable to running a small business.

7. Out of the Crisis (Deming) - One of the best books for entrepreneurs. he lays out what makes a good business AND what are the most prevalent mistakes managers make.

8. Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Build a Company One Cup at a Time - Written by the CEO and Chairman of Starbucks, Howard Schultz. A great read detailing Starbucks' expansion (and the philosophies can be extrapolated to how to expand your business and the mindset that you need for it).

If none of these pique your interest, think of a few large companies or entrepreneurs that are successful that you like, look up the CEOs (past and present) for those companies, and see if they have written any books. I would, however, make sure to at least read "The Snowball", Warren Buffett's autobiography at some point. It's not necessarily for entrepreneurs, but for business in general.