Grow your skills. Earn a graduate degree. Launch into life.

woman pitching to an audience
Kelsey Davis ’19 Newhouse and G’20 Whitman used her MS-EEE experience to grow her venture, CLLCTVE, while actively participating in the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars network. She completed her graduate degree in one year, participated in the LaunchPad Lift program delivered through Techstars, and was also a Rubin Family Innovation Mentor at the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University. She graduates with a MS-EEE degree in May, and will be launching her company full-time with those new skills sets, along with an extra year of innovation ecosystem resources.

Syracuse University seniors have an extraordinary opportunity to continue their academic career, build new skills sets, or continue work on their venture idea through a new donor-funded “2020 Forever Orange Scholarship” program that will offset half of the tuition costs to pursue a full-time graduate degree or certificate program at SU.  To make it even easier to consider this option, the application deadline to graduate school has also been extended.

The goal of the program is to help students complete a graduate degree, explore new skills sets, or continue to work on research or venture development – especially in an uncertain job market. 

In some cases, traditional application requirements have been waived.  For instance, GMAT/GRE requirements are currently waived for Whitman MS programs. “This might be a prime opportunity for student entrepreneurs to complete a MS in Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises (MS-EEE degree) as a way to finish off their SU experience, with continued access to mentoring, and additional campus resources to build additional success,” says Alexander McKelvie, associate dean, undergraduate and master’s education and EEE professor.

The scholarship cannot be combined with other funded awards such as fellowships or various assistantships that are also available for graduate students.  It cannot be deferred another year. 

A good option for student startups is Syracuse University’s EEE program, which is ranked among the top in the nation in 2019 by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine. The 30-credit MS-EEE program provides immersion in a rigorous curriculum and relevant practical experience to give graduate students the preparation and confidence to navigate a path to entrepreneurial success. The program is designed for students with a passion for entrepreneurship in any industry or type of business, and offers pragmatic academic courses, combined with access to resources and mentorship.  A number of successful Syracuse University student ventures have taken advantage of this option to add a second degree, expand their skill sets and build acceleration for their startups.

For more information about the MS-EEE opportunity, contact Whitman professors: