585.761.81 - Bioentrepreneurship

Expanded Course Description

Course Description

Through lectures, discussion, and business planning, students will learn how to assess the feasibility of a life sciences startup venture. Over the course of the semester students will evaluate financial and market opportunities, build financial projections and author a business plan. Students will debate a wide range of important issues facing entrepreneurs. As a class, students will identify opportunity, assess the skills and talents of successful entrepreneurs, and investigate models and approaches that help leaders navigate the uncertainties of entrepreneurship and creating new life science ventures. Projects relating to imaging, instrumentation, or translational tissue engineering would be eligible for inclusion.

Course Structure

There are 14 modules. 

Course Topics

• Introduction to Entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial Opportunity
• Intellectual Property
• Technology Transfer
• Business Plan / Introduction to Market Research
• Regulatory and Ethics for the Bioentrepreneur
• Business Plan / Operations
• Marketing Plan ·
• Defining Financials
• Financing and Equity
• Team Building and Management
• Elevator and Venture Pitch
• Executive Summary
  

Course Goals

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Evaluate life science based technology and intellectual property as basis of new venture creation.
• Develop a business plan, thereby demonstrating the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for entrepreneurship
• Present a short elevator pitch to a panel of potential investors.
• Research market opportunity, operational and financial feasibility of new venture formation;
• Develop and use basic business planning and financial planning skills;
• Communicate with life science entrepreneurs in order to build personal networks;
• Identify and analyze entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Discuss a wide range of issues of importance and concern to entrepreneurs in both oral and written formats.
• Assess the skills and talents of successful entrepreneurs 
• Utilize models and approaches to navigate the uncertainties of entrepreneurship and creating new life science ventures

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• Evaluate life science based technology and intellectual property as basis of new venture creation.
• Develop a business plan, thereby demonstrating the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for entrepreneurship
• Present a short elevator pitch to a panel of potential investors.
• Research market opportunity, operational and financial feasibility of new venture formation
• Develop and use basic business planning and financial planning skills
• Communicate with life science entrepreneurs in order to build personal networks
• Identify and analyze entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Discuss a wide range of issues of importance and concern to entrepreneurs in both oral and written formats.
• Assess the skills and talents of successful entrepreneurs
• Utilize models and approaches to navigate the uncertainties of entrepreneurship and creating new life science ventures

Textbooks

Not required.

Other Materials & Online Resources

Online resources listed in the syllabus.

Required Software

Internet access.

Student Coursework Requirements

Student Coursework Requirements

It is expected that each module will take approximately 7–12 hours per week to complete. Here is an approximate breakdown: reading the assigned sections of the texts (approximately 3–4 hours per week) as well as some outside reading, listening to the audio annotated slide presentations (approximately 1–3 hours per week), and writing assignments (approximately 3–6 hours per week).

Plan to complete coursework across several days of the week rather than all in one day. Be sure to consider how the group activities impact your schedule as well.

Some assignments require that you work on them for multiple weeks. Be sure to review the assignment directions at the beginning of the course so that you can plan your time accordingly.  Please seek help before becoming frustrated and spending a significant amount of time to resolve an issue.

This course will consist of four basic student requirements:

1. Group Business Plan Project (45% of Final Grade Calculation)

Students will create both oral and written presentations describing a potential new life sciences venture.  Student teams will present their projects to the class on an ongoing basis, and students will be required to critique other teams’ presentations and their approaches to managing the fictional projects presented in the scenarios.  Each team will also be required to submit a written business plan outlining their proposed new venture. I will grade the presentations and written reports using rubrics, which will be distributed at the beginning of the course (around module 02).

The Group Business Plan Assignment will be broken down into the following components

1. Written Business Plan – 25% of the final grade
2. Presentation – 15% of the final grade[MS1]
3. Participate in a Q and A session based on the presentation – 5% of the final grade

2. Group Assignments (30% of Final Grade Calculation)

Each module will contain a graded assignment that students will complete as a team.  Weekly assignments will vary depending on module learning objectives. These assignments will eventually be incorporated into the final business plan document.  These documents and presentations are considered fluid and can be revised and edited over the semester before they are incorporated into the final business plan document.  If, after submitting a written assignment you are not satisfied with the grade received, you are encouraged to redo the assignment and resubmit it. If the resubmission results in a better grade, that grade will be substituted for the previous grade.

All assignments are due according to the dates in the Calendar.

This is a graduate level course so I do not expect group assignments to be turned in late.  However if they are turned in late, they will be reduced by one letter grade for each week late (no exceptions without prior coordination with the instructors).[MS2] 

The weekly group assignments are evaluated by the following grading elements:

1. Student preparation and participation (40%)
2. Student technical understanding of the course project topic (20%)
3. Team preparation and participation (20%)
4. Team technical understanding of the course project topic (20%)

Quantitative assignments are evaluated by the following grading elements:

• 100–90 = A—Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities well defined and understood; individual/ team work product(s) agreed to, well prepared and available to all team members/ instructors]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [rich in content; full of thought, insight, and analysis].
• 89–80 = B—Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities well defined and understood; individual/ team work product(s) agreed to and prepared]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [substantial information; thought, insight, and analysis has taken place].
• 79–70 = C—Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities agreed to; individual/ team work product(s) prepared]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [generally competent; information is thin and commonplace].
• <70 = F—Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities not well understood; individual/ team work product(s) partially prepared]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [rudimentary and superficial; no analysis or insight displayed].

3. Preparation and Participation (Module Discussions) (15% of Final Grade Calculation)

You are responsible for carefully reading all assigned material and being prepared for discussion. The readings will be listed in the E-Reserves section of our Blackboard course.  Additional reading may be assigned to supplement these readings.

Post your initial response to the discussion questions by the evening of day 4 for that module week. Posting a response to the discussion question is part one of your grade for module discussions (i.e., Timeliness).

Part two of your grade for module discussion is your interaction (i.e., responding to classmate postings with thoughtful responses) with at least two classmates (i.e., Critical Thinking). Just posting your response to a discussion question is not sufficient; we want you to interact with your classmates. Be detailed in your postings and in your responses to your classmates' postings. Feel free to agree or disagree with your classmates. Please ensure that your postings are civil and constructive.

I will monitor module discussions and will respond to some of the discussions as discussions are posted. In some instances, I will summarize the overall discussions and post the summary for the module.

Evaluation of preparation and participation is based on contribution to discussions.

Preparation and participation is evaluated by the following grading elements:

1. Timeliness (50%)
2. Critical Thinking (50%)

Preparation and participation is graded as follows:

100–90 = A

• Timeliness - regularly participates; all required postings; early in discussion; throughout the discussion;
• Critical Thinking - rich in content; full of thoughts, insight, and analysis.

89–80 = B

• Timeliness - frequently participates; all required postings; some not in time for others to read and respond
• Critical Thinking – substantial information; thought, insight, and analysis has taken place.

79–70 = C

• Timeliness - infrequently participates; all required postings; most at the last minute without allowing for response time;
• Critical Thinking - generally competent; information is thin and commonplace.

<70 = F

• Timeliness - rarely participates; some, or all required postings missing;
• Critical Thinking - rudimentary and superficial; no analysis or insight is displayed.

Grading Policy

Score RangeLetter Grade100-98= A+97-94= A93-90= A−89-87= B+86-83= B82-80= B−79-77= C+76-73= C72-70= C−69-67= D+66-63= D<63= F

Course Evaluation

Conducted by the university at the end of the course.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.