The value of entrepreneurship to recent engineering graduates: A qualitative perspective

Engineering students are increasingly being exposed to entrepreneurship education and activities as a part of their academic programs in order to equip them with the knowledge and skills increasingly valued in today´s economy. Data collected from a large sample of senior-year engineering students as part of an NSF-funded study titled “Entrepreneurship Education and its Impact on Engineering Student Outcomes: The Role of Program Characteristics and Faculty Beliefs,” suggested that these experiences increased students´ perceived self-efficacy for entrepreneurship and their intention to pursue entrepreneurial careers. This study expands on the results of previous research by conducting post-graduation interviews with recent engineering alumni who were exposed to entrepreneurship education and/or related activities. Telephone interviews were conducted with alumni who had graduated within the past 2-5 years. The study finds that engineering graduates place high value on their entrepreneurship education and the benefits that it has brought to their careers.