Professional/Graduate Certificate Progams:

Strategic Technology Management (STM)

The Strategic Technology Management (STM) certificate program is designed for students with an engineering background who aspire to lead a venture, make higher level strategic technology/business decisions, and develop leadership skills. From an innovation viewpoint, this program will provide students with the understanding and the tools to incubate new ventures and participate in the process of innovation and market adoption within corporate environments.

The certificate program is composed of up to three fundamental courses and at least two hours of elective courses. The required portion integrates concepts of business strategy and the entrepreneurial process of innovation. Electives are intended to allow students to choose one or more focus areas in order to develop strengths in marketing, finance, design, or quality issues and to complement the main focus of technology strategy.

Business Management for Engineers (BME)

The Business Management for Engineers (BME) program is designed for students with an engineering or technology background who aspire to rise in management, make higher level strategic business decisions, and hone leadership skills. This program will provide students with the tools necessary in proposing and managing initiatives and evaluating technology innovation from a business standpoint.

This program is designed to provide a multiplier effect on the value of an engineering degree by offering students the opportunity to explore the ways that technological innovations are created and adopted throughout the modern world. This certificate curriculum includes leadership and innovation material for those engineers who are interested in managing in an existing enterprise, rather than exclusively starting or leading a venture.

*Strategic Technology Management and Business Management for Engineers courses are taught by Fortune 500 executives, leading innovators in engineering, top domain experts, and distinguished academics.

**These graduate programs are available for on-campus graduate students. For off-campus individuals through the college’s Office of Online and Professional Engineering Programs (O2PEP). For more information regarding registration for O2PEP, please visit online.engineering.illinois.edu.

Undergraduate Certificate Programs:

Technology Commercialization (TC)

The Certificate in Technology Commercialization (TC) is for undergraduate engineering and science students. Understanding the commercialization of technology is becoming increasingly critical for engineers and technologists. With an emphasis on creativity and innovation, this certificate program is designed to provide students the knowledge base needed to explore the various options for commercializing technology. The goal of the program is to help produce the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Technology Commercialization courses are developed and taught by outstanding faculty members in the department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, legal experts, and notable innovators.

The program is composed of one fundamental course and three hours of elective courses. The courses are designed to allow students to gain a general understanding of the technology commercialization landscape, then to apply that knowledge in a practical manner to an innovation.

Professional Skills Certificate

The Professional Skills certificate is on the Urbana campus, administered jointly by the Technology Entrepreneur Center and Engineering Career Services.

This is a series of courses that complement the technical aspect of the engineering students’ curriculum by concentrating on business and interpersonal skills and the lifelong process of career management; areas of focus that are necessary for successful workplace experience from a first job through retirement.

This certificate will provide engineers with the understanding and the tools to succeed in the workplace, and to manage their careers. It offers students the opportunity to learn how to contribute immediately in an internship or new career position by exposing them to topics such as business strategy, writing for business and technical audiences, leadership, effective communication, as well as legal and other issues that students may face in their transition from campus to the workplace.

Courses

Visit the Office of Online and Professional Engineering Programs (O2PEP) to learn how you can complete the certificates online. On-campus students should register for the on-campus courses.