Academic Programs

Undergraduate Certificate in IT Entrepreneurship

This certificate, launched in Fall 2014, prepares IT and engineering students for a successful career as entrepreneurs in the area of information technology. Specifically, they will acquire a unique body of knowledge related to innovation, both on the information technology / engineering / inventive side and on the entrepreneurial side, which will give them a competitive advantage in the difficult market where only very few new companies are able to survive and grow.

This certificate is designed for students who are working on or possess an undergraduate degree in information technology, computer science, engineering or a related domain and want to focus on IT innovation and entrepreneurship.

Students enrolled in the certificate must be part of an entrepreneurship team (E-Team) with the goal of creating an IT Venture. The E-Teams will be mentored by faculty associated with the certificate. Students who will create, or be a core team member of, a start-up company that has cumulated revenues and funding of $10,000 during their enrollment in the certificate will graduate with a Certificate of Excellence in IT Entrepreneurship.

The undergraduate certificate in Information Technology Entrepreneurship may be pursued on a full-time basis except when limited by prerequisite constraints.

For information about requirements, please refer to the University Catalog.

Entrepreneurhsip Concentration - BS AIT

The Department of Applied Information Technology just approved an IT Entrepreneurship concentration within the BS in Applied Information Techonology program. This new concentration will be launched in Fall 2015.

Entrepreneurhsip Concentration - MS AIT

The Department of Applied Information Technology just approved an IT Entrepreneurship concentration within the MS in Applied Information Techonology program. This new concentration will be launched in Fall 2015.

Courses

Below is a partial list of courses that are offered as part of our academic programs.

• IT 495 - Turning Ideas into Successful Companies
• IT 390 - Rapid Development of Scalable Applications
• IT 496 - Decision Making in IT Ventures

IT 495 – Turning Ideas into Successful Companies

Catalog Description | Syllabus

The course is taught by successful entrepreneurs and has a practical approach to entrepreneurship. Class sessions focus on creating a business plan for a business the student team would like to create. Specific topics focused on creating and growing a business include: team creation, business planning, market research, product development, financial planning, funding, people and organizations, competitive strategies, operations, growth and exit strategies, and more. At the end of the semester plans are pitched to investors and the winning team(s) may receive a small grant to start their business.

IT 390 – Rapid Development of Scalable Applications

Catalog Description | Syllabus

The course is taught by professionals with experience in rapid development of complex applications on scalable architectures. The course will cover theoretical concepts related to application design, development and deployment following a hands-on approach. The students will work in teams, coordinated by the instructor, and they will develop an open source application that will be deployed on an open platform at the end of the class. The class follows personalized learning strategies and combines the student special interests and capabilities with the needs of the developed application. This is a new course and will be proposed as IT 390 in the future catalog.

IT 496 – Decision Making in IT Ventures

Catalog Description | Syllabus

The course introduces students to the decision making processes involved in leading IT companies. Topics include: the role of major IT applications in strategic, tactical, and operational decisions; assessment and justification of IT ideas and investments; methodologies to predict decision outcomes; how to measure IT investments performance; strategies to inspire, influence and organize the workforce to accomplish key business goals.