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Northwestern University

Farley Bay Area Quarter

Dive into innovation

Farley Bay Area Quarter

Embark on a journey that takes your entrepreneurial spirit to new heights. The Farley Center Bay Area Quarter program is an immersive, experiential adventure that will redefine the way you learn and engage with innovation.

Experience entrepreneurship at the heart of innovation

A quarter in San Francisco gives you a front-row seat to the rapid pace of tech innovation. Picture yourself at the doorstep of industry giants like Google, mingling with innovative startups, and learning from faculty who are also leaders at companies such as Airbnb and DoorDash. 

Unleash your curiosity with real-world experiences

In the Bay Area Quarter program, learning goes beyond the classroom. You’ll experience entrepreneurship through site visits and externships where you'll gain insights directly from people who’ve turned their ideas into reality — an experience unmatched in a traditional classroom. 

Embrace the vibrant beat of San Francisco

San Francisco isn’t just a city; it’s a hub of inspiration and possibility. Surround yourself with creative thinkers and visionaries who thrive in an ecosystem of creativity, tech, and entrepreneurship. Take classes at Northwestern's 44 Montgomery educational space, a high-rise building situated in San Francisco's financial district. This program is all about getting you out of your comfort zone. 

Escape Chicago winter and make new connections

Tired of frigid Chicago winters? Pack your bags and head to the West Coast. Not only will you escape the cold, you’ll build connections with like-minded students who share your passion for innovation and creativity. Together, you’ll form a strong cohort community, supporting each other every step of the way. Read about the 2023 cohort.

What Students Are Saying

"The Bay Area Program was my favorite quarter at Northwestern. I have never spent a quarter like this- feeling like everything I learned was valuable and would directly help me in my career and life.” 
– Mckenna Troy ('24, Bienen) 

 

"Taking part in the San Francisco program was the best decision I've made at Northwestern. It's a deep dive into the entrepreneurship scene that you just won't get in Evanston. The program is packed with real-world insights and networking that's truly inspiring. For anyone curious about startups and eager to learn outside the classroom, this is your ticket. It's an eye-opening experience that pushes you to think bigger. Definitely give it a go if you're ready to jump into the world of innovation."
– Irem Ozsavasci (’24, Weinberg)

 

Curriculum

Together as a cohort, you’ll take four courses that leverage the unique resources of the Bay Area and focus on experiential learning in areas such as entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, and business ethics. The courses have been uniquely designed for students interested in innovation who want to apply entrepreneurial skills to any domain.  

Projected Coursework 

  • ENTREP 365: Tech Ethics and Business Integrity — This course will explore the unique ethical challenges that face the technology industry, utilizing recent and historical case studies. This course serves as the leadership requirement for the Farley undergraduate entrepreneurship minor.

    • Faculty: Rob Chesnut, former general counsel and chief ethics officer at Airbnb 

  • ENTREP 380: Bay Area Experiential Seminar — In this experiential class, students will gain exposure to work culture in the Bay Area. This will include externships at companies, from startups to Big Tech, in which students will shadow and/or interview employees to gain an understanding of the organization. This course satisfies the experiential or elective course requirement for the Farley Undergraduate entrepreneurship minor.
    • Faculty: Hayes Ferguson, director of the Farley Center, and Joe Morrow, entrepreneur in residence at Mach49
  • ENTREP 395: Tech Product Management — This course equips students with the frameworks, tools and direct experience to become effective product managers, focusing equally on being a product manager in tech startups and large firms, as well as being a member of a cross-functional team prepared to work closely with product managers. This course serves as the experiential or elective requirement for the Farley undergraduate entrepreneurship minor.
    • Faculty: Anya Cheng, CEO of Taelor, and Harrison Shih, senior director of labs at DoorDash
  • ENTREP 395: Strategies for Financing New Ventures — This survey-style course introduces students to some of the most common ways that entrepreneurs secure funding for new ventures. This course serves as the finance requirement for the Farley undergraduate entrepreneurship minor.
    • Faculty: Leonard Lee, head of accelerator ops at 500 Global, and Rishi Taparia, co-founder of Garuda Ventures

Admissions

The Farley Bay Area Quarter is open to all Northwestern undergraduate students.

All Northwestern undergraduates are encouraged to apply. However, preference may be given to rising second, third, and fourth years. Students must complete ENTREP 225 Principles of Entrepreneurship by the start of the program and take ENTREP 380: Bay Area Experiential Seminar in Evanston in the fall quarter preceding the start of the program. 

Applications for the Winter 2025 Bay Area Quarter cohort have closed.

Sign Up for Emails

Sign up to receive emails about Farley Bay Area Quarter information sessions and application deadlines. 

GET BAY AREA QUARTER EMAIL UPDATES 

Questions

If you have questions that are not answered on our FAQ page, please contact Farley Center staff at farley@northwestern.edu. 

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