Here are some elective classes you might pursue if you are considering focusing on entrepreneurship in the Social Impact track of the ATLAS Institute master's program in Creative Technology and Design.
Product Development Studio
On a software product team, the Product Manager is an important role but also among the most complex to learn how to do effectively. Product Managers are often referred to as the “CEO of the product,” responsible for determining what the product is, who it is for, how it should work, how to get it successfully to market and how to keep it growing and developing over time. We will explore the role and function of product management with a practical, studio-oriented method. In other words, you’ll build a real product and get it to market over the course of the semester. There’s no better way to learn than by actually doing.
Leading Oneself
Provides working engineers a background in leadership concepts and methods and enables students to develop practical leadership skills through numerous in-class exercises and experimentation based assignments. Topics include authentic leadership, motivating self and others, cultivating emotional intelligence, personal mastery, creating accountability, conflict resolution, leading change and organizational culture.
Product Design and Development
Introduces contemporary methods of identifying and creating new products and services that both consumer and industrial customers really want. The course takes students on a project-based journey of ideation, concept development, prototyping, customer validation, costs and the new product launch process. Students ultimately showcase their products in a tradeshow-like setting. Environmental impact analyses and cradle-to-cradle design methods are also addressed.
Advanced Product Design
Introduces engineering design and development of consumer products. Includes learning sketching, brainstorming, idea generation, design thinking, user-centered design, product requirements and specifications, product constraints, human factors, aesthetics, industrial design, intellectual property, concept prototyping, idea selection, tolerancing, cost estimating, design for assembly, and materials selection. Entails a semester-long team re-design of a consumer product.
Design for Manufacturability
Topics include general design guidelines for manufacturability; aspects of manufacturing processes that affect design decisions; design rules to maximize manufacturability; economic considerations; value engineering and design for assembly. Presents case studies of successful products exhibiting DFMA principles.
Fundamentals of Project Management
Provides an in-depth introduction to the project management discipline, including the concepts, tools and techniques used in the management and leadership of projects small and large alike. Key topics covered include the role of the project manager; project team selection and management; cost, schedule and risk management; quality in projects; introduction to creating and maintaining project plans through the project lifecycle.
Social Entrepreneurship Developing World
Social entrepreneurs adopt business approaches to solving global, social and environmental problems that have not been effectively addressed by government, business or traditional nonprofits. The course provides a framework for student teams to assist social entrepreneurs in developing countries, helping them achieve their social mission while operating sustainably and with measurable impact.
Sustainable Venturing
Focuses on environmentally sustainable business ventures as well as issues associated with starting and operating a business that solves natural environmental challenges while achieving profitability. Includes a number of case studies, topical discussions, talks by environmental entrepreneurs, and an applied or library research project.
Business of Sustainable Energy
Addresses the business of renewable energy, including opportunities and challenges with renewable electricity, renewable transportation fuels and energy efficiency. Topics include energy markets, opportunity identification, life cycle analysis, economic analysis, policy impacts and project financing of sustainable renewable energy business models.