Frequently Asked Questions

What is STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center?

For more than 25 years, STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, has been developing and delivering entrepreneurship and innovation education and research. Based in the Department of Management Science & Engineering, our core commitments are to serve all undergraduates and all STEM graduate students at Stanford University with rigorous education in entrepreneurship and innovation through affiliated courses, fellows programs for students, extracurricular programming and also to empower educators around the world with engaging educational tools and experiences via STVP’s digital learning platform Stanford eCorner.

But you’re the entrepreneurship center. You create startups, right?

Brace yourself, but STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, believes entrepreneurship and innovation are about more than startups. We are solely a teaching and research center that helps students build their entrepreneurial mindset by developing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and networks. Doing so allows a student to fully leverage their education, in any discipline, to discover breakthrough ideas and create maximum value for the world. Other Stanford-affiliated groups do an incredible job of technology licensing, accelerating startups or supporting entrepreneurship. We all play a part in this diverse ecosystem.

I’m a Stanford student. What does STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, have for me?

Congrats on getting in, and welcome to The Farm! Here are a couple of things we suggest:

I’m a faculty member interested in entrepreneurship education. What does STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, have for me?

STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, has a number of offerings for US and international faculty:

Is STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, taking action to improve systemic inequity in entrepreneurship education?

Yes, STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, is committed to dismantling systemic barriers and forging more equitable pathways for educational, vocational, and personal achievement, especially for those historically underrepresented in entrepreneurship and innovation education. Read our Diversity Statement and learn more about what STVP is doing to foster change.

Does STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, offer degrees or certificates?

No, we do not offer degrees or certificates. Ph.D. students studying with STVP-affiliated faculty receive degrees from the Department of Management Science & Engineering. If you’re interested in a certificate, we highly recommend the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate, offered by our friends at the Stanford Center for Professional Development.

How can individuals, companies or organizations support STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center?

STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, is sincerely grateful to our many past and present sponsors who help us advance entrepreneurship education and research. If you’re interested in getting involved or supporting our work, please email stvp@stanford.edu.

Do you offer seed or venture funding to students or the public?

No, we do not offer funding of any kind.

Can my group get a tour or talk from STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center?

STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, does not currently have the capacity to receive or present to tour groups. If you are visiting Stanford, we invite you to take a campus tour.

Can STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, help me connect with Stanford students to work at my startup?

No, as an academic unit at Stanford, STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, is unable to serve as a recruiting or marketing conduit between students and outside organizations. You are welcome to reach out to student groups directly regarding these issues or explore the Management Science and Engineering Career Collaborative Program.

May I pitch my business idea to someone at STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, to get feedback?

STVP, the Stanford Engineering Entrepreneurship Center, faculty and staff do not accept pitches or provide feedback on proposed products or business plans.

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