Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Education
Program Overview
The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Education graduate certificate equips current and aspiring educators, educational leaders, and changemakers with the mindset, skills, and tools to drive positive transformation within educational systems and communities. Drawing from the fields of entrepreneurial thinking, design thinking, and social innovation, this program supports educators in developing initiatives that address complex educational challenges and inequities through creative, inclusive, and sustainable approaches.
Grounded in both theory and practice, the certificate cultivates leadership that is empathetic, action-oriented, and responsive to diverse cultural, socio-economic, and institutional contexts. Whether leading change within an existing school or organization, launching a new social enterprise, or collaborating with communities to co-create solutions, participants will develop through this certificate the capacity to envision and implement meaningful change.
Program Details
In-person residency and online courses held in both an asynchronous environment (D2L) and a synchronous (real-time) environment (Zoom) which allows instructors to virtually meet and talk with students and experience a live exchange of ideas, hear class presentations and do group work with access to a whiteboard. For additional information regarding online delivery, refer to the eLearn website.
Given our complex local and global landscapes, complex problems need solutions that can be embedded in social entrepreneurship. The process of understanding design thinking, entrepreneurial mindsets, and methods to engage in these areas can only help the educational community grow in this regard. Being able to understand from a user perspective as a result of engaging in this certification, can build the foundation for applying these methods in K-12 classrooms.
This certificate offers a unique opportunity to:
- Develop an entrepreneurial mindset to creatively solve complex educational problems.
- Design and lead innovative educational initiatives that make a measurable social impact.
- Learn frameworks such as design thinking, lean startup, and social entrepreneurship—highly transferable across K–12, postsecondary, community, and non-profit education contexts.
- Build leadership capacity for equity-centered, community-engaged innovation.
- Earn a formal credential that is relevant to leadership, innovation, grant writing, policy, and social enterprise roles in and beyond education.
Prospective students include current educators, instructional leaders, community-based educators, or aspiring changemakers, who are increasingly looking for opportunities to build meaningful, practical skills that go beyond traditional education coursework.
A registration package will be sent to new students after they have been admitted. Registration for the summer term will be available in late winter. Fall and Winter registration opens in the spring. Your Graduate Program Administrator will send more information about registration to you.
Fee details are available through the University Calendar. An explanation of fees is available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies' website.
The University of Calgary offers multiple ways to meet the cost of your education. Please refer to the Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries page to learn more about options available to students. For additional information, please contact Student Financial Support.
Please refer to Admission Requirements for Master's Programs.
Program Schedule & Course Descriptions
- Program begins each July (summer term 1)
- Outlines are normally available 1-2 weeks prior to the start of term in D2L
- 3 units per course
Term 1 - Summer
Introduction to Entrepreneurship in Education
This foundational course introduces students to core concepts of entrepreneurship with a focus on educational environments. Students will explore entrepreneurial thinking, opportunity recognition, value creation, and lean startup approaches as they apply to formal and informal education systems. Through case studies, interactive activities, and reflective practice, students will identify their personal entrepreneurial strengths and explore how entrepreneurial principles can drive innovation in education.
Key Themes: Entrepreneurial mindset, problem identification, value proposition, lean startup principles, opportunity mapping in education.
Registration info:
TBA
Term 2 - Fall
Design Thinking in Education
This course immerses students in the design thinking process as a framework for human-centered problem-solving and innovation in education. Students will engage in the iterative stages of empathizing with users, defining challenges, ideating, prototyping, and testing. Emphasis is placed on cultivating empathy, working collaboratively, and designing for equity and inclusion in diverse educational settings.
Key Themes: Human-centered design, empathy interviews, rapid prototyping, creative ideation, systems thinking, and user experience in learning environments.
Registration info:
TBA
Term 3 - Winter
Social Entrepreneurship in Education
Focusing on mission-driven entrepreneurship, this course explores how social enterprises and ventures can advance educational equity, access, and outcomes. Students will analyze models of social entrepreneurship, develop social impact strategies, and explore how educational ventures balance purpose and sustainability. The course supports students in developing a social venture concept or initiative aligned with a pressing educational need.
Key Themes: Social enterprise models, theory of change, impact measurement, financial sustainability, education equity, ethical innovation.
Registration info:
TBA
Term 4 - Spring
Understanding Social Entrepreneurship from Different Contexts
This course expands the lens of social entrepreneurship by examining how culture, geography, policy, and socio-economic factors shape social innovation in education globally and locally. Students will analyze case studies from Indigenous, rural, urban, international, and historically marginalized communities to understand the complexities and possibilities of socially entrepreneurial work in diverse contexts.
Key Themes: Place-based innovation, decolonizing entrepreneurship, global perspectives, contextualized leadership, culturally responsive solutions, equity in innovation.
Registration info:
TBA
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