Careers in Entrepreneurship Research

Imagine getting a doctorate with a major or specialization in entrepreneurship. Clearly, such a degree program is designed for those who wish to pursue an academic career at a reputed business school in a large university – a career that prioritizes scholarly research followed by teaching and service to the academic community. How does this reconcile with the ‘real world’ nature of entrepreneurship? Should PhDs or assistant professors of entrepreneurship also engage with the local startup ecosystem? Should they instead expend effort in collecting reams of empirical data about new venture creation, growth, failures, and exits in order to facilitate analysis and theorizing? These and similar questions are central to those who wish to pursue a career in entrepreneurship – not as a practitioner but as a scholar, teacher, and life-long student.

The job market for entrepreneurship scholars continues to expand as governments, corporates, and academia are keen for insight into entrepreneurial success. An entrepreneurship career, usually following a PhD degree, involves a mix of research, teaching, and service. Some doctoral graduates in entrepreneurship may also pursue careers as analysts and policy-makers.

Besides tenure-track academic positions, there also exist non-tenure-track options such as visiting faculty, lecturer, etc. Moreover, the PhD degree itself can be the beginning of a career in entrepreneurship. In such cases, the doctoral candidate is expected to work on a specific, funded, sharply defined research project.

To suggest relevant career profiles, please share via Twitter or LinkedIn. Thanks!