Entrepreneurship at MCC
Middlesex Community College is among the region's leaders in entrepreneurial education. Our faculty members offer a diverse mix of experience starting businesses and consulting with a broad range of business leaders in helping launch new innovative products and services.
The curriculum at MCC is action-oriented, interlaced with experiential learning and studies designed to help students acquire the tools, develop the skills, and cultivate the initiative to organize, launch, and manage successful new ventures.
Contact:
Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator
Professor Stacie Hargis
hargiss@middlesex.edu
Upcoming Events -
- Sign up for the IDEA Center enews HERE to stay up to date with all things entrepreneurship at MCC!
-
MCC Marketplace
Support entrepreneurship students as they launch their first businesses. Tables located in Bedford on Main St. in the Campus Center and in Lowell in the Café in the Cowan Building.Tuesdays in Lowell from 11 am – 12:30 pm on Nov 26 & Dec 3
Thursdays in Bedford from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm on Nov 21 & Dec 5
-
Launch at MCC Pitch Contest
Do you…
Have an idea?
Want to start a business?
Want to make a difference in the community or world?
Then join our school-wide, any-major, any-student competition!Participate for a chance to win up to
$3,000 in non-equity seed funding!Every MCC student is welcome.
Spring 2025 TBD
For more info email: hargiss@middlesex.edu
- Check out a flyer HERE
Academic Programs
- Associate of Science in Business Entrepreneurship, a two-year degree with core classes to start a business. Click here to find out more in the catalog.
- Entrepreneurship Certificate is an excellent add on to any Associate Degree offered here at MCC or for anyone interested in entrepreneurship but not immediately launching a business. Click here to find out more in the catalog.
- Launch at MCC Certificate is an action packed semester that has you start your business as you go through the
courses. This program is ideal for anyone looking to launch within the next 4 - 12
months or for those already operating and are looking to grow the business. Click here to find out more in the catalog then visit the Launch at MCC website to learn more about this robust and exciting program.
- In 2018 we introduced the Launch Your Business Now Certificate (LYBN) Program. Designed to be completed over the course of 1 or 2 semesters, it is a 16-credit academic certificate program that provides the knowledge and tools needed to launch or grow a small business and seek seed money – or growth funding – depending on business needs and goals.
- Associate of Science in Business Administration Transfer, a two-year degree with general education courses to satisfy the first two years of a bachelor degree. This is for students interested in transferring to a four year school. Click here for more info. You can still take entrepreneurship courses that will satisfy this degree. If you are interested in doing an entrepreneurship track with your business transfer degree, please reach out directly to Professor Hargis.
Unique Funding Options
- All of our academic programs are financial aid eligible. Please visit the MCC Financial Aid Office and fill out a FAFSA.
- Middlesex Community College also offers scholarship opportunities specific to entrepreneurs. These are awarded through the annual pitch competition and through the Scholarship Office. Find out more here.
- The Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF) is an innovative fund started in Fall 2018 through a generous grant. This fund acts as the "friends and family" round of seed funding for our entrepreneurs.
Since Fall 2018, students have been awarded over $200,000 in seed funding. In Fall 2021, we are pleased to announce that we have received a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation. This grant money will be used to sustain the Everyday Entrepreneurs Venture Fund and provide even more opportunities for budding and growing entrepreneurs.
Currently this funding is awarded during pitch contests. Sign up for enews here to stay in the loop and be the first to know when the next pitch contest is happening!
- Any MCC Student interested in exploring entrepreneurship may apply for a Student Venture Fund friendly loan, made available by the Idea Center. Learn more below.
Other programming
We also host several events, workshops, panels, and competitions throughout the year. Sign up for enews here to stay in the loop!
A virtual center, the IDEA Center welcomes students and faculty from across the college who want to learn more about idea generation, innovation or entrepreneurship.
The IDEA Center will connect you with resources, community, and faculty expertise to advance your entrepreneurial journey. Faculty leaders serve to inspire and mentor students in a variety of for-profit, nonprofit, and social ventures by fostering a wide range of activities that are collaborative, hands-on and results-driven.
- Attend conferences and panels of speakers
- Participate in competitions that allow students to engage their entrepreneurial interests through a variety of experiences
- Apply for funding through the Student Venture Fund.Learn more here.
For more information, visit the IDEA Center website for the newest info and events!