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Poole College of Management
Jenkins MBA

Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization

The TEC curriculum provides graduate students from management and other disciplines across campus the opportunity to engage in all stages of a company’s formation and growth.

Overview

Students studying Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) within the Jenkins MBA Program can choose to focus on two paths: 

  1. The commercialization of intellectual property – developing that into a product, good or service.
  2. Traditional approach to entrepreneurship.

Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC)

North Carolina State University ranks top ten in patent generation, yet most of those patents sit on the shelf. Students and faculty with a focus on commercialization are the arms that get those patents off the shelf and into new businesses as products, goods, and services.

This practical program ensures the production of new business start-ups is part of each student’s educational experience. Students can expect to learn about technology opportunity analysis, building technologies from real intellectual property, and finding ways to create ideas and explore potential high growth business opportunities.

Traditional Entrepreneurship

For students who want to start a company or design a product to meet the needs of a customer segment, the traditional entrepreneurship focus provides more opportunity to explore customer needs. Through courses and engagement with faculty and with customers, students go through the process of building a value proposition and identifying a product or service that solves a problem.

Entrepreneurship courses immerse students into the daily hustle and bustle of real business decision-making. The program offers a practicum experience where students work with existing companies to develop a solution to solve a specific challenge.

Life After TEC

Most students with a TEC focus do not start a business upon graduation. Instead, they turn to “intrapreneurship” within an existing organization, using their skills to identify and champion successful projects in their early stages or they enter into innovation management-related positions, such as new product development.

“People who adopt this [the TEC] orientation tend to be very valuable to companies even if they don’t pursue an entrepreneurial launch,” said Jon Carr, Jenkins Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship.

Curriculum

Technology and Entrepreneurship (TEC)

This innovative course offering focuses on evaluating the commercial potential of technologies and breakthrough discoveries for new and established organizations. MBA students team up with technical graduate students for practicum courses that run through the entire commercialization cycle. The teams work closely with the technology owners and with seasoned entrepreneurs throughout the process.

Full-Time MBA Concentration

Required

  • MBA 576- Technology Evaluation and Commercialization Concepts (3hrs)
  • MBA 577- High Technology Entrepreneurship (3hrs) *P
    (prerequisite MBA/MSE 576)

Additionally, students are required to take two of the following courses:

  • MBA 555- Product Design and Development (4hrs)
  • MBA 572- Venture Opportunity Analysis Analytics (3hrs) *A
  • MBA 578- Venture Launch Practicum (3hrs) *P
    (prerequisite MBA 576/MBA 577 or MBA 570/MBA 571)
  • MBA 579- Entrepreneurship Clinic Practicum (3hrs) *P
  • MBA 582- Sustainability and Business (3hrs)

Notes:
Practicum courses are marked with *P
Advanced Analytical courses are marked with *A
TEC electives are typically offered on Main Campus