About the Food and Bio-Innovation Cluster

The Food and Bio-Innovation (F&BI) Cluster helps students develop as entrepreneurs and innovators in the food, agriculture, bio-renewables, community, ecosystems, and life sciences spaces. Entrepreneurial and innovative action is needed for the wise and sustainable use of biological materials and natural resources (plants, animals, ecosystems, and organisms, etc.) to meet the nutritional, community, material, and energy needs of society. Students select courses in the cluster that complement their personal interests.

Students who complete this cluster develop skills and knowledge in seven areas:

  • Identifying and assessing the feasibility of opportunities for entrepreneurism and innovation within food, agriculture, bio-materials, and/or community
  • Organizing and marshalling resources to act upon an opportunity with food, agriculture, bio-materials, and/or community
  • Developing professional networks, collaborative skills, and work team skills
  • Practicing leadership in peer-influence environments, as well as development of skills from leaders in practice and academics
  • Using adaptive logic and poise to tap into their own creative abilities with problem solving in high paced/uncertain environments
  • Communicating and proactively dealing with conflict and failure, utilizing well-established ethical frameworks and experiencing character development
  • Developing understanding and practice with core business concepts used in entrepreneurial, small business, non-profit, and corporate environments.

Preferred Sequence of Courses for the Cluster

9 credit Food and Bio-Innovation Cluster
Core Courses #1 and #2 Credits Semester
MGMT/ENTR 215 Entrepreneurial Mindset 3 1-5
ENGR/ENTR 310 Entrepreneurial Leadership 3 3-6
Followed by...
Food and Bio-Innovation Cluster (9 credits) Credits Semester
AgSci 200-300 level course options (3-6 credits) listed below 3-6 3-6
AgSci 400-level course options (must have a minimum of 3 credits) listed below 3-6 3-7
Followed by...
Core Course #3 Credits Semester
MGMT/IST/ENGR 425 New Venture Creation 3 4-8

To meet the prerequisite requirement for MGMT/IST/ENGR 425, you must take:

  • (ECON 102 or ECON 104 or ECON 14 or MGMT 215; an ECON course is not required for the ENTI minor) and (CAS 100 or CAS 137T or EMSC 100S)

Food and Bio-Innovation Course Options