Innovation Is Our Business.
The Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems (SDEIS) develops students into leaders in entrepreneurial, IT, and analytics industries. With synergistic degree offerings, co-curricular activities, and innovative minors, students receive captivating classroom and experiential learning that prepares them to succeed in any technology-based or entrepreneurial career.
Entrepreneurship students develop an entrepreneurial mindset and gain the knowledge and skills needed to start a business or become an innovative leader within an existing organization. Students of information systems build tech-based solutions to address complex strategic and operational challenges for all types of organizations. Developing a consulting mindset and project management skills are integral parts of each degree.
While these paths are different, both are crucial to the industry and help position
you at the forefront of the workforce.
Explore Our Degree Programs
Researchers in entrepreneurship and information systems seek to improve the understanding of complex entrepreneurial issues and discover creative data-driven decisions that lead to operational efficiency and innovation. Learn about the ground-breaking research from the SDEIS faculty.
Our faculty are elite researchers who combine current theories and methods with hands-on learning and projects in their courses. They publish articles in top academic journals, write textbooks, and are entrepreneurs, resulting in a well-rounded education from theoretical and real-world perspectives.
Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute
The Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute (SEI) fosters entrepreneurial practices through co-curricular activities and community outreach.
SEI seeks to inspire, innovate, integrate, and implement new ways of thinking to positively impact students and the regional economy. In support of its mission, SEI offers the J Terrell Brown Venture Challenge, Startup Weekend, Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs, and more.
Space to Innovate
Floating above the BEC Rotunda is the Mark and Judy Weaver Ideation Lab — a creative space for students running or starting a business while at LSU.
It is designed to meet the needs of entrepreneurship, venture development, mentorship, and engagement in the regional business community. In the lab, students can access innovative equipment, including a 3-D printer.
Meet The Stephensons
LSU alumni Emmet and Toni Stephenson made generous investments in the E. J. Ourso College. Their vision and gifts enabled the establishment of the Bachelor of Science in entrepreneurship and the expansion of the Entrepreneurship Institute. Through their monumental investments, the Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems and the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute were named in their honor. Entrepreneurial visionaries committed to education and opportunity, the Stephensons have left an indelible mark on LSU and the Louisiana entrepreneurial ecosystem. Learn more about these visionary entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
The LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business has appointed Dr. Andrew Schwarz, professor in the Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems, as the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Faculty Coordinator.
What began as a whiteboard sketch in LSU's first Large Language Model Development course has evolved into a thriving startup that translates LSU AgCenter research on crop management and weed control into practical tools for agricultural professionals.
Prismera, a solution that automates bottlenecks in commercial real estate by utilizing artificial intelligence to streamline lease abstraction, won first place in the 2025 J Terrell Brown Venture Challenge and received an $18,000 award.