Develop Entrepreneurial Skills to Direct Your Journey

Mindset Scholars cultivates and supports a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of undergraduate students from across Santa Clara University, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

Mindset Scholars take 1 - 3 units per quarter of Academic Coursework that covers the entrepreneurial mindset from the perspective of each school.  Explore the required coursework spread across the first year:

• College of Arts & Sciences - 2 units in Creative Thinking around Theme of “Belonging for all Broncos”, one of the four Strategic Priorities for SCU, as described in the University’s "Impact 2030" strategic plan.
• School of Engineering - 1 unit of Design Thinking. There is no math in the Engineering course.
• Leavey School of Business - Contemporary Business Issues taught by a former CEO - 4 units (BUSN 70) for Business students.  Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences students will take a briefer version specially offered to Mindset Scholars.
• Starting your Entrepreneurial Mindset Journey - 1 unit of a course specifically designed for Mindset Scholars to build entrepreneurial leadership skills in interdisciplinary teams.

Mindset Scholars also includes unique co-curricular and experiential opportunities:

• Early Arrival -  Mindset Scholars move in to campus early and participate in fun and engaging activities and community building hosted by Ciocca Center
• Field Excursions - opportunities to explore the entrepreneurial mindset in Silicon Valley.  
• Other special workshops and opportunities, including breakfast with President Julie Sullivan

Mindset Scholars are connected into resources at SCU related to their personal interests.  For example, a Mindset Scholar interested in Creative Writing can be connected to the Santa Clara Review, the HUB Writing Center and other resources related to writing, whereas a Mindset Scholar interested in building a business can be connected to MakerLab and Ciocca Center Bronco Ventures Accelerator and other resources related to building a business. 

Mindset Scholars is estimated to be about a 5-10 hour time commitment per week on average.

Check back in May of 2025

• As part of the application process, we’re using a one-way video interview platform, which gives you the flexibility to record your responses at a time that works best for you. The application will include written and video responses.
• Please avoid using ChatGPT for written responses within the application. 
• You’ll receive an update about your application status and next steps by late May.

If you require accommodations for the interview process, please contact rcramer@scu.edu as soon as possible and no later than April 24. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for all applicants. Let us know how we can support you!

For students Class of 2026, Class of 2027, and Class of 2028

If you have questions about course requirements, please contact cioccacenter@scu.edu.  General requirements for class of 2026, 2027, and 2028 are listed below.

• In the Leavey School of Business, students take BUSN 70 - Contemporary Business Issues (4 units), which is taught by a former CEO of a company. 
• In the College of Arts & Sciences, students explore empathy through a sociology course. SOCI 1, 49, 149, 134 are the current approved courses for this requirement.
• In the School of Engineering, students are exposed to topics like Design Thinking, Product Opportunity Analysis, and more, to identify solutions to real challenges.  There is no math in the Engineering courses and students complete 2 units in these topics. ENGR 162, ENGR 165, ENGR 166A, ENGR 166B, ENGR 171, ENGR 171A, ENGR 172A, and ENGR 179 are the current approved courses for this requirement.

Students additionally engage in unique co-curricular and experiential opportunities:

• Idea Lab - Mindset Scholars are advised on which section of Idea Lab to take based upon their interests.
• Career Launch & Networking - Mindset Scholars are provided the tools to be stronger at networking as well as networking opportunities to connect them to unique internships.

Each Mindset Scholar is matched with a mentor, who is a current SCU student in their major, minor, or school.  They provide insights on navigating SCU and opportunities to get engaged on campus.

Each Mindset Scholar additionally has quarterly advising hours with a Ciocca Center advisor, where they are supported by a professional at SCU. These advising hours are personalized for each Mindset Scholar to connect them into resources at SCU related to their personal interests.  For example, a Mindset Scholar interested in Creative Writing would be connected to the Santa Clara Review, the HUB Writing Center and other resources related to writing, whereas a Mindset Scholar interested in building a business might be connected to MakerLab and Ciocca Center Bronco Ventures Accelerator and other resources related to building a business.  These advising hours are used for a variety of topics to support success, such as, making appointments at SCU's Career Center, finding an on-campus job, connecting with tutors on campus, and all sorts of other questions.

Mindset Scholars is estimated to be about a 5-10 hour time commitment per week on average.