Innovation and Commercialization
Objective and Vision
UC Forward: Innovation and Commercialization is a cross-college, multidisciplinary certificate program designed to help students acquire the skills and dispositions needed to identify technological opportunities of high commercial potential and develop product or process designs to realize them.
Students will learn how to cultivate creative ideas, evaluate conceptual designs, and develop prototypes through a combination of focused foundational courses and experiential learning activities.
The certificate brings together faculty and students to enhance core disciplinary skills while challenging deeper fundamental tenets in order to promote innovative and collaborative commercialization & entrepreneurship.
Course Requirements
The certificate requires 15 credit hours of courses. These courses must include one introductory course and no fewer than three elective courses listed below.
Alternative elective courses may be allowed through consultation with an academic advisor and approval of the UC Forward advisory board, but most approved electives will be “T” attribute courses that share the trans-disciplinary focus of the certificate.
Introductory Courses
Students must complete ONE of the following approved introductory courses:
- Inquiry to Innovation (PD2030) (3 credit hours): This multi-disciplinary course helps students develop the skills they need to be effective collaborators and problem-solvers. Topics include strategic thinking, research, design thinking, collaboration, gaming strategies, decision making, brain storming, and community engagement. Students work together to solve an authentic real-world problem that changes each term.
- Innovation and Technology Commercialization (ENTR5093 (ENTR3001)) (3 credit hours): This course will explore issues related to the identification, nurturing, protection, and commercialization of new technologies and associated products. The class will also investigate the challenges of adopting and transforming new technologies into commercial products or services using life cycle and stakeholder models. Students will begin design & creation of ePortfolio in this class.
Electives
Students must complete at least 12 hours of the following approved elective courses.
NOTE: Students who wish to take an elective that is not on this list can petition that it be accepted for credit. This will be determined in consultation with the UC Forward faculty advisor within each representing college. Additional courses that may qualify can be found by searching for the T Attribute in OneStop (T = Transformational).
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| AFST3021 | Black Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| BME3050 | Medical Product Design I | 3 |
| BME4050C | Medical Device Innovation II | 3 to 6 |
| ENTR5093, ENTR3001 | Innovation and Technology Commercialization | 3 |
| ENGR5110 | Effectiveness in Technical Organizations | 3 |
| ENGR5150 | Fundamentals of Leadership | 3 |
| ENTR2001 | Essentials of Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTR3015 | Digital Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTR4001 | Introduction to Innovation | 3 |
| ENTR4005 | Essential Entrepreneurship Skills | 3 |
| ENTR5093 | Special Topics: StartupUC Incubator Experience | 1 to 6 |
| HIST3027 | American Economy and Society | 3 |
| MECH2051 | Engineering Innovation Track, Guidance I *MECH students only | 1 |
| MECH3052 | Engineering Innovation Track, Guidance II *MECH students only | 1 |
| MECH4053 | Engineering Innovation Track, Guidance III *MECH students only | 1 |
| MECH5051 | Design Clinic I *MECH students only | 3 |
| MECH5052 | Design Clinic II *MECH students only | 3 |
| MECH3052 | Engineering Innovation Track, Guidance II *MECH students only | 1 |
| OLHR2050 | Foundations of Leadership | 3 |
| OLHR4051 | Leading Change - Ideas as a Force for Change | 3 |
| PD2030 | Inquiry to Innovation | 3 |
Additional Requirements
The student must maintain an e-portfolio that presents a cohesive and engaging depiction of his or her journey though the certificate program, provides details and illustrations of course work and collaborations, and includes genuine reflections about the process of innovation.
The students must also present a poster at the Undergraduate Scholarly Showcase that outlines his or her certificate program or that is specific to a single trans-disciplinary project completed while in the program.