Early-Entry Courses

• ENTR 201 is a fully online, mostly asynchronous 3-credit course that will fit into any schedule.
• ENTR 201 satisfies 3 General Education credits (B).
• Get a jump start on your college career and the Entrepreneurship Minor or Certificate.
• Take a unique class not offered at your high school and gain hands-on experience.
• Build your network with like-minded students, accomplished professors, and the Center’s community of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
• Standout on scholarship applications and gain priority for future scholarships through the Center for Entrepreneurship.
• Discounted tuition, which can be a substantial savings on your education.
• Start a business venture with the support of NDSU’s expert faculty and resources.
• Free up time in your future college schedule for opportunities like internships or the Possibility Fellowship.

ENTR 201 will introduce you to the entrepreneurial process, evaluating the market feasibility of new products and business ideas, and launch an entrepreneurial venture. You will analyze social structures that predict human behaviors and affect consumer decision-making through practical hands-on exercises. Building on researched theories surrounding various ideation methods, such as design thinking, you will apply higher-level problem-solving skills to discover core customer problems and generate original solutions.

Dr. Onnolee Nordstrom, Chair of Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Management. Onnolee is an award-winning business school professor and entrepreneurship researcher. Her work has been published in numerous journals including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development and the Entrepreneurship Research Journal. Onnolee also serves as the academic director of The Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business.

If you are a student in grades 10, 11, and 12, you may be eligible to take early-entry courses through NDSU. We recommend you have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. You should first speak with your high-school counselor or teachers to determine your academic readiness to participate in a college-level class.

Students from any state are welcome to apply to take the course whether or not they plan to attend NDSU for their full degree.

Early-entry classes are charged at about a third of the cost per credit of standard undergraduate tuition. Because early-entry students do not pay full student fees, you will have to pay separately to use the wellness center, get student tickets to sporting events, or check out materials from the campus library.

The 2024-25 academic year tuition is set at $153.96 per credit including tuition and fees. Course materials for ENTR 201 are estimated to be $100 for the semester. A $400 scholarship opportunity is now available through the Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business. Click here to apply.

There are two scholarships available. Click on the links below to learn more and apply.

$200 NDSU Early-Entry

$400 Center for Entrepreneurship & Family Business Early-Entry

To be considered for these scholarships, please submit the applications by July 31, 2024. Note: You must be enrolled in ENTR 201 to receive the scholarship. Scholarship recipients will be notified 2 weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Complete the free application by August 15, 2024 and indicate the Early Entry option. Start your application by clicking here.

Have your official high school transcript sent directly to the NDSU Office of Admission from your high school.

Will this course count towards high school graduation?
NDSU college classes may or may not substitute for classes required for high school graduation. North Dakota students must initiate the appropriate application with a high school counselor to count college credit toward graduation requirements.

How can I fit this course into my current high school schedule?
The course is entirely online and mostly asynchronous. In the middle part of the semester, you will work through an excellent 6-week-long entrepreneurship simulation. The simulation requires that student groups log on to complete the simulation at a set time each week. Students will be grouped if there are 3 or more from the same school. The Center will work with each school and students to select the best 1.25-hour time block for the students to work on the simulation.

When will I be notified if my application is accepted?
Students are usually notified within 2 weeks of their submitted application, often sooner. Applications are reviewed as they are received.

When does class registration begin?
Registration for Fall 2024 courses will begin in mid-April. You will be notified in the Campus Connection ‘Student Center.’

When is the first day of classes?
Classes begin at 4:00 PM on August 26. The first full day of classes is August 27.

For questions regarding the application process, contact Kylee Davis, Admission Counselor in the Office of Admission, at (701) 231-5132 or kylee.davis@ndsu.edu.

For all other Early Entry questions, contact the Office of Teaching and Learning at (701) 231-7015 or ndsu.otl@ndsu.edu.