Inventor. Designer. Problem-solver. Entrepreneur. Agent of change. In the twenty-first century, engineers will play a variety of roles as they address global challenges and revitalize the economy. To be effective in these roles, engineers will need to know more and more about entrepreneurship and business practice. The mission of Engineering Business Programs in the School of Engineering and Applied Science is to enable EVERY SEAS student to have the OPPORTUNITY to integrate business and entrepreneurial studies into their technical degree programs.

TRACKS OF STUDY

This minor provides students with the opportunity to learn how modern business organizations function and to acquire the concepts and language they will need to be effective in the corporate world. Click here for more details.

This track is for students who are interested in understanding the ways in which entrepreneurs move ideas from the laboratory benchtop to commercial marketplace. Independent of the business minor, students are required to take four courses covering areas such as finance, intellectual property, entrepreneurship and government, and startup operations.Click here for more details.

This single course introduces engineering students to the business basics that they will need in their technical and scientific careers. Taught by a team from the Darden School, the course covers leadership, accounting principles, marketing, and global issues.Click here for the syllabus.

Profiles in Success

UVa Students Changing the Face of Social Messaging »

[Originally published at Newsplex.com] 2013 Winners A University of Virginia student’s innovative idea has won him $15,000. Brent Baumgartner, a first-year computer engineering major, put his plan up against 37 other entries in the Vonage-OpenGrounds Future of Social Messaging Concept Competition and came out on top. The contest...

Left to Right: Andrew E. Andreae (BME ’13), Dean James H. Aylor, Timothy J. Higgins (BME ’13)

Student Entrepreneurs Find Real-World Applications for Their Design Skills »

[Originally published at SEAS New] By Charlie Feigenoff Photo by Dan Grogan The creativity of engineering students and their teammates from the Commerce School and the College was on ample display at the Engineering School’s Fourth Annual Entrepreneurial Concept Competition, held Nov. 9 for the first time...

Evan Edwards – Allergy relief with Intelliject »

As children, Evan Edwards and his twin brother, Eric, were diagnosed with allergies so severe that they were required to keep EpiPens on them at all times. It was an experience that led them to found Intelliject to develop products that are portable and easy-to-use...

Relay Foods – Solving the Grocery Industry’s ‘Last Mile’ Problem »

A $15 billion gap exists between what grocery consumers spend online in the United Kingdom and in the United States each year. Zach Buckner (EE ’02), founder and CEO of Charlottesville-based Relay Foods, is applying engineering principles to prove in central Virginia that the model...

Steve Huffman – Engineering Leaders »

Steve Huffman (ME ’03, ’05) is often asked for advice from U.Va. Engineering students on becoming an entrepreneur. His primary advice can be boiled down to three simple words: Be very annoyed. “Ideas are easy to come by,” said Huffman, who has rocketed to prominence...

It’s electric: UVa students at transportation’s cutting edge »

Walk into the decommissioned nuclear reactor room at the University of Virginia and you’ll see students pushing toward a new kind of energy future — one in which cars can be powered by electricity from any energy source, including wind, solar, nuclear, or fossil fuels....

Overview

The University of Virginia Engineer is a leader. Whether the goal is creating a technology or product to fill a market need, solving a societal challenge such as the management of natural resources, or empowering people to help themselves, our students and alumni pursue these passions at scale.

Often, this pursuit is carried forward through the business community. To support the endeavor, the Minor in Engineering Business was created in 2003 to provide students the opportunity to learn how modern business organizations function and to acquire the concepts and language they will need to be effective in the corporate world or as entrepreneurs. The minor involves coursework in both Engineering School and the McIntire School of Commerce.

Faculty

To introduce students to business concepts and to help them hone their skills as entrepreneurs, we have recruited faculty from across disciplines and across the University. The faculty team includes the following experts:

	W. Bernard Carlson, Program Director and Professor of Science, Technology, and Society (STS). Innovation studies; history of technology and business. Ph.D. in the History and Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania and postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Business School. Teaches “Engineers as Entrepreneurs.”
	M. Ishrat Ali, Ph.D. Candidate, Darden School of Business. Firm performance, institutional influences on entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and start-up decisions. MBA from UVa. Teaches module in “Business Fundamentals for Engineers” and Teaching Associate for “Engineers as Entrepreneurs.”
	Bret D. Crane, Ph.D. Candidate, Darden School of Business. Leadership, high performing teams, and organizational change. MBA from Brigham Young University. Teaches module in “Business Fundamentals for Engineers.”
	Reid Eikner, Lecturer in STS. De novo business startups and turnaround management. B.S. in civil engineering and MBA from UVa; law degree from the University of Maryland; MBA is from the University of Pittsburgh. Teaches “New Product Development.”
	R. Edward Freeman, University Professor and Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration. Business ethics and stakeholder theory. Ph.D. from Washington University. Coordinator for “Business Fundamentals for Engineers.”
	Letitia Green, Lecturer in STS. Managing Partner and Co-Founder of the Virginia Active Angel Network, LLC (VAAN) and President of the Virginia Investment Capital Group, Inc. MBA from Pepperdine University. Teaches “Entrepreneurship & Financing for Tech Ventures.”
	Megan Hess, Ph.D. Candidate, Darden School of Business. Ethical decision making, employee voice, social networks, and corporate governance. MBA from Texas A&M University. Teaches module in “Business Fundamentals for Engineers.”
	Michael L. King, Brenton S. Halsey Distinguished Visiting Professor. Technology and Project Management, Strategy Development and Execution, Organizational Design, Manufacturing Operations. Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Teaches “New Product Development.”
	Douglas A. Muir, Lecturer in STS. Serial entrepreneur, with multiple businesses in Charlottesville and elsewhere. B.S. in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Teaches “Startup Operations for Entrepreneurs.”
	Bryan Pfaffenberger, Associate Professor of STS. Anthropology of technology, history and social implications of information technology. Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. Teaches “Intellectual Property, Engineering, and Society.
	Lauren Purnell, Ph.D. Candidate, Darden School of Business. MBA from Dartmouth College. Teaches module in “Business Fundamentals for Engineers.”
	David Slutzky, Research Associate Professor in STS. Broad background as a policy-maker at the national and local level as well as experience as an entrepreneur and businessman. Current research interests include protection of sensitive ecological systems through effective land use policy decisions and strategies for converting existing internal combustion vehicles to electric drive. J.D. from Chicago-Kent School of Law. Teaches “Technology and Policy: Intent Meets Practice.”

Board

Entrepreneurship Advisory Board Members
Fred Stubblefield (Entrepreneur) BS 1964, Chemical Engineering Charlotte, N.C. President, Controls SouthEast, Inc.	David McLean (Venture Capital) BS 1982, Electrical Engineering Dallas, Texas General Partner, Sevin Rosen Funds	Lee Buck (Venture Capital) BS 1986, Systems Engineering Chapel Hill, NC Founder of Blue Bright Ventures
Rick Ramsey (Investor/Entrepreneur) BS 1976, Applied Math Richmond, Va.	Glenn McGonnigle BS 1984, Mechanical Engineering Atlanta, Ga. General Partner, Techoperators	John B. Muleta BS 1986 Systems and Information Engineering, JDMBA 1993 Arlington, Va. Atelum LLC
Patti Melcher (Private Equity – Oil & Gas) BS 1982, Systems Engineering Houston, Texas CEO, EIV Capital Management	Steve Huffman (Entrepreneur) BS 2005, Computer Science San Francisco, Ca. Founder, Hipmunk.com, co-founder Reddit.com	Evan Edwards (Entrepreneur/Inventor) BS 2002 Mechanical, MS 2004 Systems Engineering Richmond, Va. Vice President, Product Development at Intelliject LLC
Carl Showalter (Venture Capital – Telecom) BS 1989, Systems Engineering Menlo Park, Ca. General Partner, Opus Capital	Justin Turner (Entrepreneur) BS 1998, Computer Science Philadelphia, Pa. Co-founder Brownstone Real Estate Partners	Doug Garland (Entrepreneur) BS 83, MS 87, Systems Engineering Palo Alto, Ca. Chief Revenue Officer, Shazam
Zack Buckner (Venture Capital - Seed Stage) BS 2002, Electrical Engineering Charlottesville, Va. CEO, Relay Foods	David Leon (Venture Capital - Seed Stage) BS 1986, Engineering Hampton Roads, Va. Managing Director, Pixides Fund I

Courses | Engineering Business Minor | Technology Entrepreneurship Focus

Courses

Currently Scheduled Courses

Fall 2012

ENGR 1559 Business Fundamentals for Engineers. Freeman and Darden Team.
Tuesday/Thursday, 9.30-10.45 AM. Open to all students.

STS 2160 Intellectual Property, Engineering, and Society. Pfaffenberger.
Monday 3.30-4.45 with discussion sections on Wednesday afternoon. Open to all students.

STS 2500 Entrepreneurship & Financing for Tech Ventures. Green.
Tuesday/Thursday, 2-3.15 PM. Open to all students.

STS 2500 Technology and Policy: Intent Meets Practice. Slutzky.
Tuesday/Thursday, 11-12.15. Open to all students.

STS 4110 New Product Development. King.
Enrollment limited to students in the engineering business minor.

Spring 2013

ENGR 1559 Business Fundamentals for Engineers. Freeman and Darden Team.
Tuesday/Thursday, 9.30-10.45 AM. Open to all students.

STS 2500 Engineers as Entrepreneurs. Carlson.
Day and Time TBA. Open to all students.

STS 2500 Startup Operations for Entrepreneurs. Muir.
Day and Time TBA. Open to all students.

STS 4110 New Product Development. Eikner.
Day and Time TBA. Enrollment limited to students in the engineering business minor.

Click here for Faculty that teach these courses.

Engineering Business Minor

Minor in Engineering Business

Thanks to gifts from the Clark Construction Group, Inc. and Bill Utt (SEAS ’79, ’80, Darden ’84), SEAS students may pursue a minor in engineering business. This minor provides students with the opportunity to learn how modern business organizations function and to acquire the concepts and language they will need to be effective in the corporate world. The minor involves coursework in both Engineering School and the McIntire School of Commerce. The minor is open only to Engineering School students.

When Can I Apply for the Minor?

SEAS Students apply during the month of October in their second year. Doing so helps us match student demand with the number of seats available in the required courses. Students are selected for the minor based on their cumulative GPA.

What if I Want to Get an Early Start on the Minor?

It’s recommended that you take ECON 2010 or 2020 since those courses do not require being enrolled in the minor. We also suggest that you look for an internship or job during the summer that helps you to learn about careers that combine business and engineering.

What Courses Do I Need to Take?

The Engineering Business Minor requires the successful completion of three required courses and three electives. Students pursuing the minor should declare the minor as early as possible since COMM 2010 and STS 4110 are restricted to students in the minor. Students generally take STS 4110 in their fourth year of study.

Required Courses:

All students, regardless of graduating class, must take:

ECON 2010 Principles of Economics: Microeconomics

STS 4110 The Business of New Product Development (Formerly TMP 351/STS 4510)

Students, beginning with the Class of 2013, must take:

COMM 2010 Introduction to Financial Accounting

Students in the Class 2012 can take either:

COMM 2010 Introduction to Financial Accounting (Recommended) OR

COMM 1800 Making Business Work

Electives

(Students choose three):

COMM 2010 Introduction to Financial Accounting (if not taken in lieu of COMM 180)
COMM 2020 Introduction to Management Accounting
COMM 2600/SOC 2600 Leadership across Disciplines (best for SEAS students in spring)
COMM 3410 Commercial Law I
COMM 3420 Commerical Law II
COMM 3600/ARAD 3100 Principles and Practices of Arts Administration
COMM 3660 Business of Consulting (J-term) [not currently offered]
COMM 3800 Business, Government, and Society
COMM 3810/RELG 2290 Business Ethics
COMM 3845 Foundations of International Business (requires 4th year status)
COMM 4200 Project Management (best for SEAS students in spring)
COMM 4230/4777 Information Technology in Finance
COMM 4240 Electronic Commerce
COMM 4650 Business, Politics, and Culture in the European Union (offered May term)
COMM 4570 Topics in Finance: Investing in a Sustainable Future
COMM 4821 Managing Sustainability Development
COMM 4822 Investing in a Sustainable Future

STS 2500 Science and Technology in Social and Global Context: Engineers as Entrepreneurs
STS 2500 Science and Technology in Social and Global Context: Entrepreneurship and Finance
STS 2500 Science and Technology in Social and Global Context: Service Science, Management, and Engineering
STS 2500 Science and Technology in Social and Global Context: Business Ethics (not currently offered)
STS 2140 Earth Systems Technology and Management
STS 2160 Intellectual Property, Engineering, and Society
STS 3020 Science and Technology Policy for Interns
STS 2620 Science and Technology Policy

ENGR 1559 Special Topics in Engineering: Business Fundamentals for Engineers
ENGR 4880 Business and Technical Leadership in Engineering
ENGR 4599 Special Topics in Engineering: Business Intelligence

CS 4753 Electronic Commerce Technologies
CE 4000 Construction Engineering
CE 4500 Special Topics in Civil Engineering: Introduction to Construction Management

SYS 2057 Management of E-Commerce Systems
SYS 4000 Financial Aspects of Engineering
SYS 4044 Economics of Engineering Systems
SYS 5044 Economics of Engineering

ECON 2020 Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics
ECON/HIUS 2060 American Economic History
ECON 3030 Money and Banking
ECON 4210 International Trade: Theory & Policy
ECON 4350 Corporate Finance

APMA 3501 From Data to Knowledge (Special Topics in Applied Mathematics)

When should I plan on taking these courses?

We recommend that you take the courses for the minor in the following semesters:

ECON 2010 either fall or spring, first year

COMM 2010 either spring, second year or spring, third year

Three electives any semester beginning in the spring, second year

STS 4110 either fall or spring, fourth year

What if I have more questions about the engineering business minor?

You should contact the Minor Coordinator, Professor W. B. Carlson. His email is wc4p@virginia.edu and his office is Thornton A220.

Technology Entrepreneurship

Currently being organized, this track allows students to take four courses that investigate different aspects of entrepreneurship related to launching technology enterprises. Upon completing the four courses, the track will be listed on their transcript. Students may pursue this track without declaring the engineering business minor. The track will involve the following courses which can be taken in any sequence:

Resources

Competitions

$100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge
Annual business plan competition encouraging students from all universities throughout the southeastern United States to develop business plans for new clean energy companies.

Beyond U.Va.

BizPlanCompetitions.com
Here you can find the world’s most complete listing of entrepreneurship contests and business plan competitions.

MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition
This annual year-long competition highlights new ideas and innovations of students and researchers in the MIT community.

Global Social Venture Competition
GSVC provides aspiring entrepreneurs with mentoring, exposure, and $50,000 in prizes to transform their ideas into businesses.

Venture Labs Investment Competition
The University of Texas at Austin hosts this annual world-wide investment competition.

Help Us Grow

Invest in Student Entrepreneurs!

The SEAS Entrepreneurship Program – indeed, the entire SEAS business curriculum – was founded on the generosity and vision of alumni and friends. Private support provides virtually ALL funding for this high-impact opportunity for SEAS students as they follow their entrepreneurial passion.

Your gifts will support curriculum expansion, increased capacity in the program, business plan competitions, awards and prizes, and an ever-growing range of exciting initiatives in the SEAS Entrepreneurship Program.

For more information on how you can make a difference, please contact:

Jeff Sands
Associate Dean for Advancement, SEAS
Executive Director, UVEF Foundation
jeffsands@virginia.edu

Or go online now to make a gift. Please be sure to specify “Entrepreneurship Program.”

Thank you!

News

UVa Students Changing the Face of Social Messaging »

[Originally published at Newsplex.com] 2013 Winners A University of Virginia student’s innovative idea has won him $15,000. Brent Baumgartner, a first-year computer engineering major, put his plan up against 37 other entries in the Vonage-OpenGrounds Future of Social Messaging Concept Competition and came out on top. The contest challenged students to come up with the next great evolution in social …

Student Entrepreneurs Find Real-World Applications for Their Design Skills »

[Originally published at SEAS New] By Charlie Feigenoff Photo by Dan Grogan The creativity of engineering students and their teammates from the Commerce School and the College was on ample display at the Engineering School’s Fourth Annual Entrepreneurial Concept Competition, held Nov. 9 for the first time in Rice Hall. The six individuals and teams were vying …

Evan Edwards – Allergy relief with Intelliject »

As children, Evan Edwards and his twin brother, Eric, were diagnosed with allergies so severe that they were required to keep EpiPens on them at all times. It was an experience that led them to found Intelliject to develop products that are portable and easy-to-use by both patients and untrained individuals in an emergency. “If …

Adarsh Ramakrishnan – Creating a Team and Envisioning a Future on Their Own Terms »

As a third-year, Adarsh Ramakrishnan (MAE ’12) and his friends decided to get a head start on their careers. While courses in product development awaited as part of the fourth-year curriculum, the group was not inclined to wait to gain real-world experience. Together with Mike Michon (MAE ’12), Kevin Ruth (MAE ’12) and Hyatt Gumble …

Relay Foods – Solving the Grocery Industry’s ‘Last Mile’ Problem »

A $15 billion gap exists between what grocery consumers spend online in the United Kingdom and in the United States each year. Zach Buckner (EE ’02), founder and CEO of Charlottesville-based Relay Foods, is applying engineering principles to prove in central Virginia that the model can succeed throughout our nation as well. According to Buckner, …

Katherine Clopeck – Innovating Solutions »

Majoring in aerospace engineering, Katherine Clopeck (MAE ’06) spent much of her time at the University of Virginia imagining solutions that lay among the stars. Instead, she has created a career grounded in one of humanity’s most basic needs, making an often lifesaving difference in the lives of thousands of people every single day. Clopeck …

Steve Huffman – Engineering Leaders »

Steve Huffman (ME ’03, ’05) is often asked for advice from U.Va. Engineering students on becoming an entrepreneur. His primary advice can be boiled down to three simple words: Be very annoyed. “Ideas are easy to come by,” said Huffman, who has rocketed to prominence based on a few of his own. “Think about a …

Adam Malcom – Translating a Passion for Boating into a Solution for Unnecessary Tragedy »

The facts about boating deaths are clear. Seven in 10 of all boating deaths are caused by drowning. Fully 80 percent of those victims were not wearing a life preserver. That equates to more than 440 lives unnecessarily lost every year in the U.S. alone. Adam Malcom (MS, MAE ’06) is a boating enthusiast. He …

Buddy System – Two Undergrads Win Big at SXSW »

If you’re a tech startup with a winning idea, hold on to your hats: Things can move pretty fast. Just ask fourth-year electrical engineering major Ashutosh Priyadarshy or third-year Duylam Nguyen-Ngo, who is studying mechanical engineering. The two undergrads’ proposal to create a mobile app to improve campus safety (called WalkBack) earned them the chance …

From Family Room to the Factory Floor »

Between November 2010 and January 2011, Microsoft sold 8 million units of the Kinect, a motion-sensing input device for the Xbox 360 video game console. This pace, an average of 133,333 units per day, earned it a Guinness World Record as the “fastest selling consumer electronic device” to date. Andrew Adderley (SEI ’14) and Raymond …

U.Va. Venture Summit: Turning Ideas Into Businesses »

April 13, 2012 — Technology and business ventures with ties to the University of Virginia will be pitched to an audience of investors from across the country, representing roughly $20 billion in active capital funds, at U.Va.’s fourth annual Venture Summit, being held April 19 in the Old Cabell Hall auditorium and April 20 in …

Two local firms head to clinical trial stage for cancer treatment medications »

Cancer treatment drugs developed by two Charlottesville-based biotech firms are set to begin clinical trials in a few weeks. Diffusion Pharmaceuticals has opened enrollment for clinical trials of its product, trans sodium crocetinate, as a first-line treatment for newly diagnosed primary brain cancer. Also this month, Tau Therapeutics announced that its investigational new drug application …

University of Virginia’s ‘PureMadi’ Brings Clean Water to Developing Countries »

February 9, 2012 — A ceramic water filtration device that looks like a clay flowerpot may someday play a large role in reducing waterborne infectious diseases in developing countries. Faculty and students from an array of disciplines at the University of Virginia are working together to build a mini-industry in South Africa and Guatemala aimed …

First-Year Engineering Team Creates Technology for the Disabled »

January 31, 2012 — Adam Maguire, a first-year student in the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, and his classmates in “Introduction to Engineering” have built a prototype of a device that will enable people with limited or no use of their limbs to operate a computer using their tongues. Funding for …