Entrepreneurial Skills
The core of our pedagogy is active learning by engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Many courses entail project work—either independent or collaborative.
Developing your capacities for managing projects will not only prepare you for your own Division III project, it will also prepare you for taking on the world.
What you might learn by engaging with entrepreneurial skills:
- Define and carry out your own project plan
- Confidently use and access appropriate tools and resources
- See multiple ways of doing things well
Your Division I seminar will be your first introduction to projects at Hampshire. But the work isn’t limited to one course—or even to courses at all. You can develop projects under the supervision of faculty, staff, and community organizations called “Special Projects” that go onto your transcript just as a course would. We value project work that much! You can use one Special Project as one of your 7 courses in Division I.
In Division II, you will complete a semester-long “Supported Project” designed to help you improve your project development and management skills. You’ll work under the guidance of faculty, staff, and/or community partners and peers. A supported project culminates in a tangible outcome (a policy, report, proposal, product, art piece, performance, community event, etc.). Through this process, you’ll further develop the skills you’ll need to complete an independent project and to relate your work to a broader community context. (Don’t confuse Supported Projects with Special Projects—you can do Special Projects any time in your Hampshire career).
In Division III, every student completes a year-long capstone project. The Div III project is the central activity of your final year of study. It comprises a major piece of independent scholarship or art that demonstrates your ability to handle complex questions, complex concepts, and skills in your area of academic focus. Of course it isn’t only the product that matters. You’ll continue to learn more about bringing your ideas into action.