An examination of entrepreneurship educator profiles in business programs in the United States

Purpose – This study aims to assess the profiles of faculty teaching entrepreneurship courses in a sample of entrepreneurship programs in the USA for the years 2007‐2008. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed and mailed to entrepreneurship programs directors to provide information for answering questions concerning the following: educational backgrounds, primary teaching focus, research interests, publications in academic journals, and entrepreneurial experience brought into the classroom. Findings – The results of the study demonstrate that only one‐fifth of the faculty members in the sample held a PhD in entrepreneurship or in combination with another field in a business discipline. Three out of four faculty members concentrated their teaching in the field of entrepreneurship. More than one‐third of the faculty members had a research interest in the field of entrepreneurship. One‐fourth of faculty sampled had published in entrepreneurship journals. The majority of the faculty brought entrepreneurial experience to their classrooms. Research limitations/implications – The fact that the study depended exclusively on the data available from 218 “non‐ranked” entrepreneurship programs in the USA represents a distinct limitation. Future research is needed to compare study results with a sample incorporating top ranked entrepreneurship programs in the country. Originality/value – This study will assist administrators and institutions in preparing new faculty to embrace the field of entrepreneurship education.