Business & Entrepreneurship Program

This full-year course offers a broad introduction to a range of core business concepts, principles, and practices that impact organizations. With a focus on practical and relevant applications, case studies, and projects, students will develop knowledge and skills across a variety of topics ranging from organizational structures, operations, and the business legal landscape to communications, emotional intelligence, ethics, economics, accounting, finance, and investments. An integrative approach connects these topics and contextualizes them within current organizational environments and business situations across various industries. This course is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors and meets three times a week. Full-year, one credit

This full-year course explores the sports and entertainment industries (including all forms of digital media - movies/TV/streaming platforms/audio, video games, concerts, theme parks, college, professional, fantasy, and gambling), all of which have significant economic and social impacts across the globe. The course will explore a range of topics including: business models, consumer behavior, product development, licensing/sponsorship, marketing/advertising/communications, sales, cultural/ethical/legal considerations, and more. Through a series of case studies, projects, and guest and in-house presentations, students will develop and practice tools to think critically and creatively about these rapidly evolving industries. This course is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors and meets three times a week. Full-year, one credit

The world around us is shaped by makers, designers, and innovators. Everything you interact with was made by someone. In this course, you will learn to create something of value to contribute to the world. To be a successful entrepreneur, one must do the proper research to identify a good problem and then work to solve that problem through iteration. This full-year class will explore the fundamental elements of entrepreneurship through the design thinking process. This class is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. There will be an application process if there is high demand for this class. This course is Pass/Fail and meets one period a week. Full-year, 1/2 credit.

Building on a strong foundation developed in Entrepreneurship I cultivating, researching, and evolving innovative ideas, this course will push students further into an understanding of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur: doing the research to determine what a good and innovative product is, understanding what will actually sell, finding financial backers to help build a product, and exploring how to market a product so that it becomes financially viable. There will also be opportunities in this course to attend outside entrepreneurship conferences and to interact with leaders in this field. This class is for seniors and there will be an application process. This course is Pass/Fail and meets one period a week. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Entrepreneurship I and approval of the Entrepreneurship faculty. Full-year, 1/2 credit.

This full-year course blends group instruction and guided, independent project work around developing entrepreneurial business ventures. Through the support of a lead teacher, scholars in residence, and industry mentors, students in this program will build on their design, planning, and/or early venture implementation work from Entrepreneurship I and/or II or other contexts. The course is meant to support students in their active quest to achieve major development milestones in all aspects of the launch of their entrepreneurial ventures and ideas. This program is open to juniors and seniors, meets two times a week, and is Pass/Fail. Full-year, 1/2 credit

This full-year course is designed to provide a foundational understanding of accounting and finance concepts, tools, practices, and ethics. The course will focus on practical, real-world applications to develop student understanding and facility with a range of financial transactions and analysis, critical in the business world. Using actual companies, students will demonstrate their acquired accounting abilities by completing business simulations and other projects throughout the year and developing experience in analysis and forecasting. This course is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors and meets three times a week. Full-year, one credit

This full-year honors course offers students the unique opportunity to be the first group of students to work with industry-leading experts, including Dr. Lisa Damour and Dr. Timothy McCarthy and a team of peers to research, design and deliver a new pilot peer education program. This public health and leadership-focused program involves a brand new partnership between Thayer Academy and other private/public schools to create peer-led education programs in two content areas: health topics (particularly mental health) and civil discourse. Students will partner with the faculty director and our visiting experts to research, refine, and learn to effectively deliver content, manage in-person and virtual classroom spaces, and will in the spring semester teach classes for middle school students at Thayer and virtually at schools across Massachusetts. This course is supported by a two-year grant with the intention of the program being replicated and expanded across the state and beyond. Space is limited and there will be an application process for the program. The program is open to juniors and seniors and meets three times a week. Full-year, one credit

This full-year course will examine how to develop successful marketing strategies by recognizing, analyzing, and capitalizing on evolving economic, social, political, and technological landscapes. Through practical applications and projects, students will understand and practice market analysis, including the Four Ps (product, pricing, place, and promotion). Students will be introduced to the analytical tools and methods crucial to understanding the role of these variables in achieving marketing goals and reaching performance metrics. Students will learn how to develop and communicate value propositions and explore issues associated with: social media, marketing research and marketing analytics, buying behavior, market segmentation, branding, retailing, value-based pricing, advertising, sales, and other marketing topics as they are applied to the management of marketing goods and services. This course is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors and meets three times a week. Full-year, one credit