This course is part of the Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization

4.8
stars
38 ratings

Wilson L. White +1 more instructor

2,830 already enrolled

Offered By

Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship SpecializationUniversity of Maryland, College Park

About this Course

6,864 recent views

By its nature, the law touches on many aspects of entrepreneurship, making it an applicable and versatile topic of study. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it's important to understand how to form the business and work with the initial customers. For active entrepreneurs, there are critical considerations on employment law and operating policies. For everyone, the role that the law plays in managing the company, and its associated risks, must be properly understood to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
With the aspiring and active entrepreneur in mind, this course focuses on the foundational elements of law. We'll begin with an introduction to the nature of law and modern legal systems and sources. Initial priorities, including what legal activities you may pursue on your own, versus when and how to select and work with an attorney, are explored. Business formation choices and considerations are also central points of discussion. Employments laws and liabilities are examined, with the closing topic being entering and existing your business.

"Legal Foundations for Entrepreneurs" is one of three courses in the "Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization" by Coursera and the University of Maryland. This specialization explores the critical legal and business issues entrepreneurs face as they build and launch a new venture. Learners examine real-world scenarios and address legal and business issues from ideation to all of the important junctures along the path to success. Significant attention is placed on new venture formation, intellectual property management, and contracts and financing arrangements.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 3 in the

Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization

Beginner Level

No prior experience required.

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

What you will learn

Understand how the law influences the success of entrepreneurs.
Know your options for establishing and managing a new company.
Build awareness of employment laws and policies impacting entrepreneurs.
Avoid the legal pitfalls that can encumber new and established entrepreneurial ventures.

Skills you will gain

Entrepreneurship
Business Law
Business Formation

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 3 in the

Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization

Beginner Level

No prior experience required.

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.87/5 (8 Ratings)

Wilson L. White

Lecturer

Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute

5,392 Learners

3 Courses

Dr. James V. Green

Managing Director of Learning and Development

Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute

106,517 Learners

13 Courses

Offered by

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 47 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion fundraising campaign.

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

28 minutes to complete

Introduction to Legal Foundations for Entrepreneurs

28 minutes to complete

4 readings

2 hours to complete

Legal Fundamentals

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 47 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Mechanics of Business Formation

2 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 41 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

2 hours to complete

Organizing Your Business

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 62 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

Week3

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Employee Status

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 26 min), 1 reading

1 hour to complete

Employment Law and Liability

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 34 min)

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Entering and Exiting Your Business

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 42 min), 1 reading

1 hour to complete

Next Steps

1 hour to complete

4 readings

Reviews

4.8

5 reviews

5 stars
84.21%
4 stars
15.78%

TOP REVIEWS FROM LEGAL FOUNDATIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

by LJNov 26, 2021

It was a great course. It is refreshing to review my knowledge on Corporation Law, Partnership, and even Employment law. Thank you, Coursera and University of Maryland.

View all reviews

About the Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization

By its nature, the law touches on many aspects of entrepreneurship, making it an applicable and versatile topic of study. For aspiring entrepreneurs, it's important to understand how to form the business, work with the initial customers, and hire. For active entrepreneurs, there are critical considerations on employment law, operating policies, and managing contracts. For everyone, the role that the law plays in managing the company, and its associated risks, must be properly understood to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. With the aspiring and active entrepreneur in mind, this Specialization focuses on the foundational elements of law with initial attention to business formation and organization. Our second course focuses on intellectual property, and how patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets can influence or impede your success. The final course focuses on contracts and financing arrangements important to business creation and growth. In every course, learners examine real-world scenarios and address legal and business issues in a practical manner. Learners will develop an understanding of what legal activities they may pursue on their own as well as when and how to select and work with an attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Build employee skills, drive business results

Discover Coursera for Business

Legal Foundations for Entrepreneurs

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain