T. Ryan Rogers - And the award for dumbest college program of the year goes to

2026-05-03

And the award for dumbest college program of the year goes to

This ad was shown to me while innocently scrolling social media one day.

I've redacted identifying marks to protect the guilty.

Take a look at the ad screenshot above, and let me know what you think.

"M.S. IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION"

Pretty normal, right? Some university trying to advertise a new program they're proud of.

But this might be the dumbest college program I've ever heard of. Don't ever pay for a course/program like this. Not because you won't learn anything from it (you might), but because:

So many of the skills they're claiming to teach will not be learned in a classroom. Period.
Suppose you get them to bestow upon you this "Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation." No one cares. And no one will give you a SINGLE brownie point for having this "degree."

"Entrepreneurs are differentiated from small business owners by whether the product or market is unproven." (From Winning in a Hostile Environment, by Steve Caldwell.)

How does this university plan to teach you about that which is, fundamentally, unproven, new, and unknown?

Consider a couple items they're claiming to teach you:

Product Design and Development: Sure, if they've got someone with experience here, there's plenty to teach, and plenty to learn that can be taught. ✅
Corporate Entrepreneurship: What does that even mean? If you're embedded in "corporate," you're probably not an entrepreneur. And if you are an early stage entrepreneur (like the one you'd be the day after graduating this M.S.), you've not got any "corporate" around you. Maybe someday; but not initially. ❌
Innovation & Change: What are they going to teach you innovation *about*? If you need to know what "innovation" is, just pick up your dictionary. If you want to *make* an innovation, go find your area and get to work! ❌
Growth Strategies: I'm sure there's a textbook for this. But which, if any, will work in the business you start after this degree? You don't know (and neither does your professor). ❌

Suppose you ignore my opinion, and spend your good money on this program (please don't). What next? Presumably you'll want to start a new business for an unproven product or market...

Precisely 100% of 0 people will give you a job/loan/help/success/sale on the basis of having this "degree." (Contrast to an M.D., which is a definite and valid prerequisite for getting a job as a surgeon in the USA.)

Incendiary? A little.

But this is an example of a university just pushing their sale on a current cultural trend. Not everything needs a college course or a degree. (Comes from someone who spent 11+ years in higher ed.)

Apologetic? No.

"Entrepreneur" has become such a buzz word that it almost holds no value. I don't take any pride or value in the word; it's merely the word used of the businessman of an unproven product or market.