Information Technology Entrepreneurship, Undergraduate Certificate

This certificate prepares IT and engineering students for a successful career as entrepreneurs in the area of information technology. They 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 a 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.

Undergraduate certificates are awarded concurrently with the bachelor’s degree, i.e., at graduation.  (Individuals already holding a bachelor’s degree will be awarded the certificate upon completion of the certificate program.)  

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.

Admissions Requirements

Students must have information technology experience at the level of IT 106, IT 206, IT 213, IT 214, and IT 223 and either a BS in a technical field (with a 3.00 GPA or higher) or current enrollment in a technical undergraduate major.

Certificate Requirements (28 credits)

  • MBUS 300 - Managing Financial Resources (3 credits)
  • MBUS 301 - Managing People and Organizations in a Global Economy (3 credits)
  • IT 343 - IT Project Management (3 credits)
  • Four courses from the following:
    • IT 315 - Mobile Development (3 credits)
    • IT 390 - Rapid Development of Scalable Applications (3 credits)
    • IT 436 - Agile Web Development with Open Source Frameworks (3 credits)
    • IT 490 - Application Maintenance and Spiral Development (3 credits)
    • IT 495 - Turning Ideas into Successful Companies (3 credits)
    • IT 496 - Decision Making in IT Ventures (3 credits)
    • MBUS 304 - Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing a New Enterprise (3 credits)
  • IT 492 - Senior Design Project I (3 credits) (special section on IT Entrepreneurship)
  • IT 493 - Senior Design Project II (4 credits) (special section on IT Entrepreneurship)

Opportunities

This certificate 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.

This information is being provided here for your planning purposes only. For official catalog information, please refer instead to the official George Mason University Catalog Website at https://catalog.gmu.edu.