ASU, Draper University to partner on cutting-edge entrepreneurial program

Draper University and Arizona State University announced today that they are partnering to launch what they expect to be the No. 1 entrepreneurial program in the country.

The Draper/ASU Entrepreneurial Program will combine Draper University’s innovations in education for entrepreneurs with ASU’s entrepreneurial curriculum and access to a large group of talented students. The program will offer the most exciting and the most practical academic experience in entrepreneurship, culminating in a business plan competition. The program will offer the most exciting and practical academic experience in entrepreneurship, culminating in a business plan competition, where Tim Draper — who founded Draper University — will invest at least $1 million.

The residential program will run for nine months starting this fall and will be held at Draper University in San Mateo, California. The program will combine Draper’s signature “Hero Training” and out-of-the-box teaching methods with ASU’s outstanding content.

The curriculum will include forward-thinking simulations, headline speakers, “Survival Training,” team challenges, and hack-a-thons. Key coverage areas will be finance and empowerment, design and coding, robomarketing and growth hacking. The final module of the program will be titled, “Go!!!” and will include personal mentorship and career guidance.

“We are thrilled to be working with ASU,” said Draper. “Our program will be enhanced by ASU’s full curriculum combined with their expertise in scaling. Because of ASU, more and more students will learn the challenges and excitement of starting a business.”

Amy Hillman, dean of ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, called the new partnership “a fantastic combination of academics and practical application of entrepreneurial lessons.”

“Draper U is an innovator in real-world education, and we are a highly ranked creative business school grounded in research,” she said. “Our students will have the best of both worlds, and they will emerge from the experience stronger and better prepared for the modern economy.”

The Draper/ASU Entrepreneurial Program is accepting applications for the pilot program, which starts Sept. 26. Apply at www.wpcarey.asu.edu/draper (ASU students) or http://www.draperuniversity.com/masters/ (non-ASU students). Applications will be read on a rolling basis; the deadline to apply is Aug. 12.