Find Your Path
Student Learning Paths

“Before Stanford, I built an EdTech product that empowered 11,500+ students to achieve their early career goals. But I came here to study International Policy, so I had to learn to plug into Stanford’s entrepreneurship landscape from non-traditional entry points. At the student-run accelerator Cardinal Ventures, I learned first-hand about common founder pitfalls and how to push through them. As a Threshold Venture Fellow, I heard from remarkably candid speakers about their experiences - good and bad - as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. As a recipient of the Botha Chan Innovation Grant, I spent the past summer validating a workforce learning idea to help young professionals excel in their first jobs." – Angela Chen, International Policy, MA’23
Angela Chen's Learning Path

"I came to Stanford with no entrepreneurship experience. At the student-run accelerator Cardinal Ventures, I got a front-row seat to an incredible array of startups and the challenges they face. STVP guided me towards courses that inspired me. Professor Katila's MS&E 175 brought in leaders from PayPal's product innovation lab, which catalyzed my interest in product management and creative cultures. I then joined the founding team of a startup as product manager during my gap year." - Michelle Schwartzman, MS&E ’23
Michelle Schwartzman's Learning Path

"Having worked in the startup space, I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur when I came to Stanford. As such, I deliberately sought out an entrepreneurial community and found it at STVP. One of the most formative courses was ENGR 148/248, where I not only got to know fantastic entrepreneurial students on a deep, value-based level but also developed my own principles for my entrepreneurial journey.After completing ENGR 148/248, I looked for hands-on experience and worked on a deep-tech medical startup. Our team participated in “Lean Launchpad” and received financial support from Botha Chan (GSB) and Ovo Fund (VC) over the summer. After all, the most powerful entrepreneurial learning experience comes from doing my own project." – Anna-Julia Storch, Education Data Science, MS’23
Anna-Julia Storch's Learning Path
Courses
Design your entrepreneurial learning path with STVP-affiliated courses. We welcome students from any background, any experience level, and any field of study to accelerate their journey with STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center.-
Foundational Skills
Build a toolkit of fundamental skills for the venture ecosystem.
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MS&E 140Instructor(s): John Lord
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MS&E 178Instructor(s): Ravi Belani, Emily Ma
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MS&E 193Instructor(s): Herb Lin
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ME 208Instructor(s): Jeffrey Schox, Diana Lin
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MS&E 240Instructor(s): John Lord
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MS&E 275Instructor(s): Ann Miura-Ko
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MS&E 276Instructor(s): Tom Byers, Trevor Loy
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MS&E 278Instructor(s): Jeffrey Schox, Diana Lin
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MS&E 293Instructor(s): Herb Lin
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ME 306BInstructor(s): Gregory Horowitt, Ade Mabogunje, Larry Leifer, Neeraj Sonalkar, Phillip Wickham
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ME 378Instructor(s): Barbara Karanian
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Purposeful Entrepreneurship
Define and harness values to motivate principled decision-making and lead mission-driven organizations.
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MS&E 79SIInstructor(s): Tom Byers
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ENGR 148Instructor(s): Jack Fuchs
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CSRE 161PInstructor(s): Valerie Red-Horse Mohl
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BIOE 177Instructor(s): Drew Endy, Tina Seelig, Lisa K Solomon
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MS&E 188Instructor(s): Pamela Hinds
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CHEMENG 189Instructor(s): Joseph DeSimone, Crista Leigh Farrell, Prima Dewi Sinawang
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ENERGY 203AInstructor(s): David Danielson, Joel Moxley, Jane Woodward
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ENERGY 203Instructor(s): David Danielson, Joel Moxley, Jane Woodward
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EARTHSYS 213Instructor(s): Chris Field, Brian Sharbono, Steve Weinstein
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ENGR 248Instructor(s): Jack Fuchs
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EE 292HInstructor(s): Leslie Field
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BIOE 375Instructor(s): Narges Baniasadi, Lyn Denend
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BIOE 394Instructor(s): Narges Baniasadi
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Tech Leadership
Develop knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead technology-intensive teams and organizations.
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ENGR 140BInstructor(s): Tom Byers, Ann Miura-Ko
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ENGR 140CInstructor(s): Tom Byers, Ann Miura-Ko
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ENGR 140AInstructor(s): Tom Byers, Ann Miura-Ko
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MS&E 146Instructor(s): Blake Johnson
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MS&E 180Instructor(s): Kathleen Eisenhardt, Rosanne Siino
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MS&E 182BInstructor(s): Robert Sutton
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MS&E 182AInstructor(s): Robert Sutton
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CEE 246AInstructor(s): Michael Lyons
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MS&E 249Instructor(s): Blake Johnson
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CEE 250Instructor(s): Anand Subramani, Jiaona Zhang, Gunguk Kim
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MS&E 270Instructor(s): Kathleen Eisenhardt
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MS&E 271Instructor(s): Lynda Kate Smith, Victoria Woo
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MS&E 277AInstructor(s): Tom Byers
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MS&E 277BInstructor(s): Tom Byers
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MS&E 280Instructor(s): Robert Sutton, Rosanne Siino
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ME 368Instructor(s): Perry Klebahn, Kathryn Segovia, Jeremy Utley
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MS&E 372Instructor(s): Chuck Eesley
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BIOE 376Instructor(s): Stefanos Zenios
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MS&E 489Instructor(s): Perry Klebahn, Kathryn Segovia, Jeremy Utley
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Experiential Learning
Learn by doing with project-based courses.
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ENGR 145Instructor(s): Chuck Eesley, Rebeca Hwang, Pedram Mokrian
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CHEMENG 196Instructor(s): Ricardo Levy, Howard Rosen, Valerie Niemann
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ENGR 245Instructor(s): Steve Blank, Jeff Epstein, Steve Weinstein, Mar Hershenson, Heidi Roizen, Tom Bedecarré
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CEE 246Instructor(s): Raymond Levitt, Michael Lyons, Pedram Mokrian
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MS&E 272Instructor(s): Chuck Eesley, Vimbayi Kajese
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MS&E 273Instructor(s): Raymond Levitt, Michael Lyons, Pedram Mokrian
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MS&E 274Instructor(s): Edison Tse
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EDUC 295Instructor(s): Sergio Monsalve, Ryan Brennan
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CHEMENG 296Instructor(s): Ricardo Levy, Howard Rosen, Valerie Niemann
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MS&E 297Instructor(s): Steve Blank, Joe Felter, Steve Weinstein, Tom Bedecarré
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ME 301Instructor(s): Perry Klebahn, Jeremy Utley
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BIOE 377Instructor(s): Stefanos Zenios
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Innovation/Creativity
Develop strategies to drive technology innovation and spark creative solutions.
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MS&E 175Instructor(s): Riitta Katila
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CHEMENG 289Instructor(s): Joseph DeSimone, Crista Leigh Farrell, Prima Dewi Sinawang
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MS&E 370Instructor(s): Kathleen Eisenhardt
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MS&E 371Instructor(s): Riitta Katila
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EALC 402TInstructor(s): Richard Dasher
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MS&E 472Instructor(s): Ravi Belani, Tom Byers, Emily Ma
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All Areas
These courses are a curated list of Stanford entrepreneurship offerings. The Stanford Graduate School of Business provides an MBA student perspective. ExploreCoures offers an expansive list with the ability to search by quarter and key term.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I’m not an engineering student. Can I take STVP-affiliated courses?
- Yes! We encourage students from any Stanford school, discipline, major, background, and experience level to take STVP-affiliated courses and develop their entrepreneurial knowledge, skills, mindsets, and networks.
- I’m curious about venture capital (VC) and finance. Which classes do you recommend?
- Which student organizations should I join? How do I join them?
- Visit the Stanford Entrepreneurship Network to discover groups focused on entrepreneurship.
- Attend the Student Engagement Fair in fall quarter. There, you can chat with current student club members, sign up for email lists, and learn more. You can also contact club officers via CardinalEngage.
- Which STVP fellows program is right for me?
- Every STVP fellows program will connect you to a vibrant network of fellows and mentors,
while you develop skills in entrepreneurial leadership and venture creation.
- Mayfield Fellows Program – Learn to lead principled and responsible tech ventures while participating in a paid summer internship with mentorship from experts and peers. Runs Spring through Fall for Stanford undergrad and co-term students.
- Accel Leadership Program – Build the leadership skills to solve real-world problems in a program anchored on case-based team learning. Runs Winter through Spring for Stanford juniors, seniors, and grad students.
- Threshold Venture Program – Develop leadership skills for the venture ecosystem. Runs Winter through Spring for Stanford Engineering master’s students.
- PEAK Fellows Program – Develop principles for entrepreneurial leadership. Runs Summer through Fall for Stanford undergrad and co-term students.
- Every STVP fellows program will connect you to a vibrant network of fellows and mentors,
while you develop skills in entrepreneurial leadership and venture creation.
- How can I engage with research at STVP?
- For undergrads, we recommend you start by learning about the undergraduate research landscape at Stanford. If you are in the School of Engineering, the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) may be a great fit. We also encourage you to apply to applicable Diversity in Research programs, such as this one, hosted by the Management Science and Engineering department.
- For master’ students and undergrads interested in pursuing a doctoral degree, learn more and apply to the STVP doctoral program in the MS&E department.
- Learn more about STVP-affiliated faculty, reflect on which professor’s research closely aligns with your interests, and take a course taught by them. When contacting a professor, be sure to include your resume, mention shared interests in their research focus, and any relevant coursework you have taken. It can be helpful to read the abstracts of their research publications in advance.
- In which classes can I work on my startup idea?
- ENGR 145 – Technology Entrepreneurship
- ENGR 245 – Lean LaunchPad
- MS&E 273 – Venture Creation for the Real Economy
- ME 301 – LaunchPad: Design and Launch your Product or Service
- MS&E 272 – Entrepreneurship without Borders
- MS&E 297 – Hacking for Defense
- BIOE 376 – Startup Garage: Design
- BIOE 377 – Startup Garage: Testing and Launch
- CSRE 161P – Entrepreneurship for Social and Racial Equity
- EARTHSYS 213 – Hacking for Climate and Sustainability
- BIOE 375 – Biodesign and Entrepreneurship for Societal Health
- Where can I find Stanford-affiliated funding for my startup?
- There are equity-free grants available through Stanford pitch competitions (BASES 100k Challenge), accelerator programs (Cardinal Ventures, SPARK, Innovation Medicines Accelerator, SENSA Labs), and other funding sources (Stanford research grants, Bio-X). This list is not comprehensive and we suggest you conduct your own search.
- Many campus activities facilitate learning from and speaking with venture capital investors, such as Cardinal Ventures, ASES’ VC3 program, Lean LaunchPad, and Startup Garage.
- Check out these videos from STVP’s Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series on fundraising:
Acknowledgements
