Master of Business Administration in Technology Commercialization (MBATC)

Örn Bodvarsson, Dean

Dax Jacobson, Associate Dean

William Shiflett, Director, MBA & Graduate Business Operations

Deborah Marzano, Graduate Business Programs Coordinator

Michael Keene, MBATC Program Director

Master of Business Administration in Technology Commercialization Courses

Admission to the Master of Business Administration in Technology Commercialization Program

Specifically designed to meet the needs of professionals with science and engineering backgrounds, the MBATC program allows students to prepare for executive roles in technology-driven business environments without interrupting their careers. CEOs and entrepreneurs in technology-intensive industries, ranging from Aerospace and Biotechnology to Software, have played an instrumental role in the development and delivery of MBATC course modules. The program emphasizes the practical and applied aspects of commercializing innovative products and managing the businesses that develop them.

While a number of core classes are taken together with MBA students, the MBATC program focuses on the distinctive marketing, financing, management, product development, and intellectual property issues facing the technology-based firm in a global strategic context. Core requirements of the MBATC program are not directed at specialization in one area of either business or technology; instead, they develop cross-functional frameworks that stress balance in using managerial skills to achieve effective leadership. The program develops skills and models that can be used for both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial technology managers.

 

Program Goals

Graduate programs in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business prepare students for executive decision making in dynamic business environments. Students build skill in decision making through a combination of coursework, experiential projects, and skill-building exercises and simulations. Innovative delivery of courses gives students expertise in the functional areas of business.

In addition to building expertise in the functional areas of business, students completing graduate programs in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business are required to demonstrate mastery in the following competency areas:

Program Requirements

The program requires 39 credit hours for completion. Courses are completed in the following areas: Fundamentals, The MBA Core (Analysis, Leadership, and Communication, Strategy, and Global Orientation), the MBATC Core, Electives, and Capstone. Courses are delivered in a blended format, meaning that courses may use a combination of classroom, online, competency-based and experiential components. In the classroom, courses may use a combination of learning methods, such as lecture, case study, or in-class projects.

In addition to the course work described below, students are required to complete the ETS MBA Major Field Test prior to graduation. Exceptions may be considered by program chair when relocation or other conditions make completion of the test impractical.

Fundamentals courses focus on business concepts and skills that all graduate business students must master within the first series of their program. Topics covered are marketing, economics, quantitative analysis, finance, and accounting. Students who enter the MBATC program with a mastery of these topics (i.e., through undergraduate coursework or work experience) may challenge between one and seven credit hours of Fundamentals courses by successfully completing one or more challenge exams. The credit that would have been earned through the completion of Fundamentals courses will be applied to students’ elective credit requirements. Students who do not have an undergraduate degree in business or extensive work experience are encouraged to complete the Fundamentals courses.

MBA Core: Analysis, Leadership & Communication, and Strategy & Global Orientation courses are the core of the program and may be taken as early as desired upon completion of prerequisites. An international context tour (i.e., Global Orientation) is required for graduation and may be taken after completing at least 24 credit hours in the program. The Global Orientation class focuses on the business environment of a specific region or country. Economic, social, financial, and demographic aspects of diverse and multicultural environments are considered. Students travel (outside of the United States) to the region studied for a 10-day period where they will analyze as a whole the aspects of doing business in a global environment. Students are encouraged to draw on the knowledge they have gained throughout their MBA studies when completing assignments.

MBATC Core courses cover a range of topics which are essential to successful technology-based entrepreneurship and the commercialization of innovative products, but which are not typically addressed by standard MBA curricula. Subjects include the development, IP protection, and marketing of novel products and services, the financing of startup ventures, and the management of interdisciplinary teams. These courses may be taken as early as desired upon the completion of prerequisites.

The Capstone course is taken upon completion of all core courses and serves as the final course for the MBATC program. The Capstone course is designed to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and ability to apply the concepts they have learned during their MBATC program by performing a live consulting engagement for an early stage technology-based startup company. The ETS examination is administered in conjunction with the Capstone course. For more information on the ETS exam, click here. Exceptions may be considered by program chair when relocation or other conditions make completion of the test impractical.

MBATC Elective courses may be taken as early as desired upon completion of prerequisites.

Transfer policy. A maximum of nine approved graduate hours may be transferred toward the MBATC Program from other professionally accredited institutions (e.g., AACSB or ACBSP) upon the written permission of the program director.

Courses eligible for transfer are only those that contribute to, or build upon, the goals of the MBATC program. Courses completed at other graduate institutions must be a grade of B or higher to be eligible for credit.

Lowest passing grade. A grade of C is the lowest passing grade for all courses.

Challenge exams. Students may challenge a Fundamentals course by completing a challenge exam(s) prior to the beginning of their graduate program. Each Fundamentals course can be challenged only once. To complete a challenge exam students contact the Graduate Programs Office at least 10 days prior to the start of their program to schedule an appointment for completing the exam. Passing scores vary by course. Students who succeed in passing a challenge exam will complete an equivalent number of elective credits.

 

MBATC Program Requirements

 

Recommended Plan of Study for MBATC