Other students will have that opportunity as well with Loyola’s recently implemented entrepreneurship minor.

During his senior year, Rowland, A’15, found that what he most wanted was to work for a startup, and he was able to achieve that goal. Rowland said that the entrepreneurship classes he took at Loyola were instrumental in allowing his hopes to take form.

Rowland said that his class “The Entrepreneurial Process” with Felipe Massa, assistant professor of management, prepared him for a job post-graduation.

“What Dr. Massa is great at is teaching us what the real world is like. Dr. Massa was getting us ready for an environment rather than just a specific task. Startups aren’t easy, you’re challenged everyday by different problems, and he taught us the mindset to attack those problems,” Rowland said.

Jon Atkinson, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, said that the entrepreneurship minor will help more students achieve their goals.

“Students with passions in all different fields can empower themselves to create different organizations and businesses that embody those passions. Whether a student’s core passion is music, journalism, technology, or graphic design, the skills are applicable,” Atkinson said.

Massa will be teaching the core classes for this minor, and he believes it is a powerful initiative.

“It’s where you start to be exposed to the language and tools of entrepreneurship. Anywhere from how to generate an idea, to figuring out if the idea is a good one, and figuring out how to create values for a set of customers out of that idea, ” Massa said.

Atkinson said he believes part of the program’s power is that it will balance theoretical knowledge with practical experience, and emphasize involvement with the local New Orleans business scene.

“Students will be practically implementing business skills within the community,” Atkinson said.

In doing so, they will gain valuable contacts and become familiar with the processes needed to keep a business running, according to Atkinson.

The minor will bring together many classes that have existed for a long time, as well as introducing brand new classes.

Atkinson said that the goal of the launch is to develop a program for all students who are interested in starting a business or working in a startup environment. It is also made for students who are interested in working on a business organization that is designed to bring something new to the world.

Students can start taking classes that contribute to the entrepreneurship minor during this academic year and can declare the minor in August 2016.