With the convergence of an ailing economy, a new generation of political leaders, and a strong public sentiment that change is needed on many fronts within the society and across the world, the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship has found new life and is flourishing within society as a whole and within higher education in particular. Yet, there exists some confusion and debate about the definition of social entrepreneurship and whether it is a useful concept for application across disciplines within the academy. There are also questions about where such programs should be situated within the academy. Do they belong in the business school alongside entrepreneurship education? Are they a better fit for the social sciences? Is social entrepreneurship an interdisciplinary field of study or a multidisciplinary field? This article seeks to shed light on these questions by examining the origin and evolution of the term "social entrepreneurship" and its use by practitioners outside the academy. Drawing upon this background, the article suggests a conceptualization of social entrepreneurship that would situate it broadly in the curriculum rather than limiting it to one discipline.