UIT Startup is a new 11-month program based out of Cape Breton University. The goal is incredibly inspiring: Developing Startup Founders. This is currently considered a pilot program with enrolment limited to 10 students, and 5 spots specifically reserved for woman.
A recent survey by RBC suggested that there are more than 821,000 women entrepreneurs in Canada, who annually contribute in excess of $18 billion to Canada’s economy, so this initiative of UIT attracting women and developing the necessary skills to succeed is a noble cause.
Those accepted into the UIT will receive 45 university credits (15 total courses, 5 courses per semester, 3 credits per course) and the curriculum includes 3 topics: technology, business and product development. UIT states the courses and mentoring will “help students understand how the worlds most successful startups have achieved their goals. The program will teach students to code, create effective designs, pitch ideas, attract co-founders, raise money, recruit a team, and grow a company.”
The deadline to submit your application is August 15th and the program starts this September. To entice students to apply and “to celebrate our first year,” UIT tuition is free and those accepted will “also be provided with a MacBook Air.”