Entrepreneurial Career Perception of Master Students: Realistic or Rather Enthusiastic?

The importance of entrepreneurship for the economic development has been, for a long time, undeniable, and the preparation of the new generations for this reality enjoys a special attention. Understanding entrepreneurship as an option for their future career, the entrepreneurial orientation and attitudes among students, the entrepreneurial programs integration in academic curricula are theoretical and practical research topics everywhere in the world. The results can influence both the public policies aiming to stimulate entrepreneurship, and the development and improvement of academic programs, in order to meet the expectations of young people and of the economy as a whole. In this paper, we focus on investigating how entrepreneurship is regarded as an opportunity in life and career, the forms in which master students perceive their entrepreneurial future, the personal advantages and threats that will trace these career prospects. The paper is based on a survey research, carried out among post-graduate students in Business Administration (1st and 2nd year students) from a public university in Romania, namely University of Oradea. We found out that master students are attracted by riskier and difficult forms of entrepreneurship (i.e. start-ups), often in stereotyped patterns. Furthermore, in their future entrepreneurial career, they believe that they will have suitable knowledge, skills and opportunities. Furthermore, the threats are often independent of their efforts. Although a lot of expressed intentions are marked by a naive enthusiasm and an exaggeration of their personal skills and knowledge, in declarative forms, the entrepreneurship is a real and noteworthy option for the graduates, but also for the higher education institutions (HEI). Our paper, in line with other researches in the field, points once again the constant HEIs’ responsibility to adapt academic programs to the requirements of a challenging economy, to the correct orientation of students and graduates potential towards an inspiring and prosperous entrepreneurship.