PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use social cognitive theory to investigate entrepreneurial intent among participants in graduate entrepreneurship programs. Specifically, the authors test whether students' creative potential is related to their intention to engage in entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachTheoretically derived hypotheses are tested using multiple and ordinal regression analyses.FindingsHigh scores on a creativity test and prior entrepreneurial experiences are positively associated with entrepreneurial intentions, whereas perception of risks has a negative influence.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors' theoretical predictors of entrepreneurial intention received strong support, indicating that creativity should be considered in models of entrepreneurial intentions. However, the use of intentions as dependent variable has its own weaknesses in that it may not distinguish between “dreamers” and “doers”.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that exercises in creativity can be used to raise the entrepreneurial intentions of students in entrepreneurship education. Heterogeneity in creative styles among students also points to the problems of a “one‐size‐fits‐all” approach to entrepreneurship education.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to investigate the importance of creativity in entrepreneurship education and theoretical models of entrepreneurial intentions.