Social Entrepreneurship Certificate
The Social Entrepreneurship Certificate at the LBJ School of Public Affairs is an opportunity to transform your approach to social impact from the inside out, providing you with the knowledge and tools necessary to think like a social entrepreneur. Over the course of 8 months, gain insights from experts, practitioners, and peers on enhancing social impact within your organization and career.
If you would like to participate in the Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Program in Austin, please fill out the application form by Monday, September 15th. Click here to see the full list of application questions/information needed.
This program is presented in collaboration with the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service. It is designed to provide rich learning and engagement opportunities for professionals in the nonprofit/philanthropic, private, and public sectors. It is developed in partnership with Suzanne Smith of Social Impact Architects, a UT alum and Duke MBA, who crafted this experience specifically for working professionals.
Executive Education
Testimonials from past certificate participants:
"I am leaving with a strong network of local thought leaders from nonprofits, government, education, and non-profit organizations. It feels like I received the benefits of an MBA program, but in the package of a small cohort with instructors who were invested in my success.”
“I found this program to both enhance my strengths and create new ones. I cannot say enough about how the practical tools received can immediately be put into practice on the job. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wishes to drive lasting change at the missions they love the most."
“One of the best decisions I've made in support of my start-up is taking the Social Entrepreneurship Certificate course. It provided the resources, applied learning, and expert lecturers I needed to ramp up my entrepreneurship skills."
Program at a Glance
The Social Entrepreneurship Certificate offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip you with essential skills for driving social impact. Participants will develop a toolkit of best practices and skills in:
- Strategy Development
- Storytelling Techniques
- Methods for Measuring Social Impact
- Financial Models for Social Impact
- Ways to Scale
This year, we are excited to open a limited number of seats in this program for currently enrolled UT Austin graduate students. Students should be in at least their second year of graduate study and have experience with social impact and/or entrepreneurial work. Interested graduate students can submit an application through the general application link. Please be prepared to upload a resume and respond to a couple of free-response questions regarding your interest in the program. This certificate program is not currently being offered for course credit.
Meet the Instructors
Suzanne Smith
Founder & CEO of Social Impact Architects
Suzanne Smith has a deep belief that everyone is a change-maker. As a serial social entrepreneur, she strives to harness the powerful force of organizations, including nonprofits, foundations and socially responsible businesses, and individuals, especially students and young entrepreneurs, to maximize the potential of the social sector to create real, scalable impact.
In 2009, Suzanne founded Social Impact Architects, a registered Benefit Corporation, to reshape the business of social change. For her outstanding work as a leading thinker, she was recognized with the Next Generation Social Entrepreneur Award by the Social Enterprise Alliance. Since 2015, Social Impact Architects was recognized as one of the “Best for the World” small businesses by B Corp. Suzanne holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where she was selected as the CASE (Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship) Scholar. Nationally, she was selected as a member of Peter Senge’s Society of Organizational Learning and has served on the national board of the Social Enterprise Alliance. She has advised many federal agencies on their efforts on social entrepreneurship and system change. Read more about Suzanne.
Program Details
When: 11 sessions between October 31st and June 12th | Fridays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Where: Fall term: LBJ School of Public Affairs
Spring term: TBD (Please note that classroom space has not yet been reserved for the spring dates. Spring classes may be held at an alternate location)
Cost: $1,595 for Executive Education students, $249 for graduate students. Payments are due by the first class on October 31 (plus processing fees). Limited scholarships are available for Executive Education students who would otherwise be unable to participate in the program.
Course Schedule
Class topics subject to change. Instructor details to be announced.
- October 31, 2025: Kick-off & Entrepreneurial Culture
- November 21, 2025: Strategy
- December 12, 2025: Storytelling
- January 23, 2026: Design Thinking
- February 13, 2026: Social Innovation
- March 6, 2026: Social Marketing
- March 27, 2026: Social Impact
- April 17, 2026: Social Enterprise
- May 8, 2026: Legal, Operations, & Finance
- May 29, 2026: Scaling
- June 12, 2026: Corporate Social Responsibility
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you decide which participants to admit?
This program seeks to represent a wide array of experience in the social impact sector. We expect the program will have content that resonates to participants from multiple sectors and stages of their career.
How many sessions can I miss?
You can miss up to two class dates and still receive the certificate. If you miss more than two sessions, you’ll receive recognition for participating but not certification.
What is included in my program fee?
- 11 sessions of instruction (33 total contact hours)
- Complimentary on-campus parking pass for each class day
- Printed copies of all class materials
- Physical certificate upon graduation
- Faculty office hours
- Supported networking opportunities, including: a private LinkedIn group for the cohort; outside-the-classroom meetups and educational support
Other Questions? Contact the RGK Center at rgkcenter@austin.utexas.edu.