About the Technology Based Entrepreneurship Cluster
Total number of credits in this cluster: 9
The Technology Based Entrepreneurship Cluster helps students develop entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial mindsets for technology-based products and businesses. Courses in this cluster are based in the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs (SEDTAPP), and will use some courses from the Engineering Entrepreneurship (E-SHIP) Minor.
This cluster brings together faculty with real-world business start-up experience and those students who are seeking entrepreneurial experiences in a technology-based strategic direction. This cluster is designed for any undergraduate student interested in being a product innovation leader in an existing or new technology-focused company. This cluster provides unique "cross-skills" courses for students to thrive in multi-disciplinary teams—the ones seen in industry—and encourages individual start-up technology-based companies. These cluster courses support development of consumer-based products and business-to-business products.
Students who complete this cluster will develop broad-based entrepreneurial skills in: new technology product development, new product launch, financial accounting for start-ups, product and service marketing, pricing strategies, and intellectual property management. The orientation of classroom examples will be more product-focused than service-related. This cluster is open to all undergraduate students, and students will develop a clear understanding of the design process.
Students who complete this cluster develop skills and knowledge in eight areas:
- Design technology-based products and services.
- Develop and implement business models and execution strategies to actualize technology-based ventures and products.
- Entrepreneurially evaluate products and business opportunities and understand the value proposition that they create.
- Develop and create business pro forma documents, which will enable financial projections of the venture.
- Determine the most appropriate and ethical solutions for specific real-world situations after careful consideration of the most salient facts, stakeholders, consequences, duties, virtues/underlying values, and relationships.
- Function effectively in multi-disciplinary cross-functional teams.
- Communicate complex ideas to a wide swath of stakeholders in a concise and precise fashion.
- Understand and be able to manage and leverage the various types of intellectual property (patents, trade secrets, copyright, trademarks).
Preferred Sequence of Courses for the Technology Based Entrepreneurship Cluster
| Core Courses #1 and #2 | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| MGMT/ENTR 215 Entrepreneurial Mindset | 3 | 1-5 |
| ENGR/ENTR 310 Entrepreneurial Leadership | 3 | 3-6 |
| Technology Based Entrepreneurship Cluster (9 credits) | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR 411 Entrepreneurial Business Basics | 3 | |
| ENGR 407 Technology-Based Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| Credits | Semester | |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR 415 Technology Launch for Entrepreneurs | 3 |
| 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)
Technology Based Entrepreneurship Course Options
- ENGR 407 Technology-Based Entrepreneurship; Prerequisites: ECON 102 or ECON 104 and must be enrolled in the ENTI Minor
- ENGR 411 Entrepreneurial Business Basics; Prerequisite: 3 credits in economics or economics-related course and must be enrolled in the ENTI Minor
- ENGR 415 Technology Launch for Entrepreneurs; Prerequisite: MGMT 215 and must be enrolled in the ENTI Minor
