Course Syllabus

Download GSE 2025-26 Syllabus

Global Social Entrepreneurship / India is designed to immerse students in management issues faced by mission-driven entrepreneurs in India. Teams of Yale graduate students work with partner social enterprises (SEs) in India to address a specific management challenge faced by the SE, culminating with the development of an analysis and set of recommendations (strategic, operational, financial or otherwise) to meet the identified challenge. We also engage students from the Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B), SOM’s Global Network for Advanced Management partner school in India, to serve as advisers to the GSE teams.

The curriculum weaves together the practical, hands-on nature of the course (e.g., managing teams, framing a consulting engagement, feedback on draft reports and presentations) with academic and thematic content (e.g., social enterprises, theory of change, scaling, “impact” measurement, financing, and case studies). In general, the first half of each class session is devoted to lecture and discussion of the topic at hand, and the second half to project team meetings (in nearby breakout rooms).

During Fall-2, each Yale student team works with its SE partner from India online, to refine a detailed project scope and work plan and then conduct relevant research, interacting regularly with their SE colleagues through email and weekly conference calls. Yale and SOM travel policies permitting, we will travel to India over winter break (January 4 – 14, 2026) for field work with our SE partners.

During Spring-1, teams will continue to work on their projects, culminating in development of a report and presentation to the SE addressing the management challenges they are exploring. Final deliverables for the course include, at a minimum, a written report and a PowerPoint presentation; other deliverables will be based on the needs of each project (e.g., a financial model, a marketing survey, etc.).