Enhancing Entrepreneurial Activity through Advanced Entrepreneurship Courses

This study examines the role of an advanced entrepreneurship course in addressing the critical research gap in the intention-to-behavior transition within higher entrepreneurship education. Leveraging the university's robust entrepreneurship ecosystem, the course targeted students with prototypes and entrepreneurial aspirations. Four teams, comprising 14 students, engaged in an ethnographic setting featuring cross-faculty coaching and personalized mentorship. Findings highlight significant variability in participants' entrepreneurial backgrounds and intentions, with team dynamics and critical project evaluation emerging as key determinants of entrepreneurial behavior. The course effectively bridges foundational entrepreneurship education and incubation programs, facilitating the progression to advanced startup development. Challenges such as varying entrepreneurial readiness, hesitance to pivot, and credit recognition underscore the need for tailored, iterative course designs that accommodate diverse student needs. This approach enhances the pipeline from academic projects to ventures and advances university-driven innovation.