Bachelor of Innovation™ Program Details
"Research is the transformation of money into knowledge — Innovation is the transformation of knowledge into money!"
Ray Mears, 3M, "Protect and Survive," April 5, 2001
“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
Theodore Levitt
“Innovation is transforming ideas into impact.”
Terrance E. Boult, UCCS BI Founder
The Bachelor of Innovation Family of Degrees
Program Description and Goals
Innovation and Cross Discipline Cores
Program Administration
Overall Program Student Learning Goals
Questions of Interest
Is There a Need/Demand for the Bachelor of Innovation Family?
Why should UCCS offer a “Bachelor of InnovationTM”?
Program Quality and Institutional Capacity
Admission, Transfer and Graduation Standards
Curriculum Description
Bachelor of InnovationTM Majors
Bachelor of InnovationTM in Business Administration
Bachelor of InnovationTM in Computer Science
Bachelor of InnovationTM in Computer Science Security
Bachelor of InnovationTM in Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development
The Bachelor of InnovationTM family of degree programs is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program. Actually, the Bachelor of InnovationTM is a family structure like a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in which particular majors are defined. A Bachelor of InnovationTM provides a very structured program including a common core in innovation, as well as a cross-disciplinary core that ensures the breadth needed for innovation, and an in-depth major field of study. Creating this new degree program is a direct response to our nation's need for a radical new approach in engineering education and for future business.
In its report, Innovate America, the National Innovation Initiative (NII) calls for an "innovation infrastructure" to lay the foundation for increasing the United State's future productivity and competitiveness. As this report states: "Innovation generates the productivity that economists estimate has accounted for half of U.S. GDP growth over the past 50 years. ... It’s not only about offering new products and services, but also improving them and making them more affordable."
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) report on “Educating the Engineer of 2020” concludes:
“If the United States is to maintain its economic leadership and be able to sustain its share of high technology jobs, it must prepare for this wave of change. While there is no consensus at this stage, it is agreed that innovation is the key and engineering is essential to this task; but engineering will only contribute to success if it is able to continue to adapt to new trends and provide education to the next generation of students so as to arm them with the tools needed for the world as it will be, not as it is today.”
Again, the NAE report emphasizes that there is:
“an undercurrent of awareness that current complexities are so daunting that tinkering at the edges—reforming one course, one program, one department at a time, developing isolated instances of success here and there — is no longer a viable response if we are to build the kind of robust programs in research and education now needed to strengthen the U.S. engineering community by 2020.”
So it becomes apparent a dramatic reform in engineering education is not something we claim, rather it is a nationally recognized need to which this new program responds. The comprehensive nature of a Bachelor of InnovationTM is directly in line with NAE engineering 2020 guidelines. Key ideas central to this revolutionary BI program became a major focus during a recent NAE-sponsored leadership event, which included a team of University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) Engineering and Business faculty.
In the same manner, technology revolution and globalization have clearly had a major impact on business; it is commonly acknowledged that business degrees need to adapt to incorporate the ever-changing technology landscape and the impact of globalization.
A 2006 survey sponsor by the Business Roundtable[1] found the following:
* 33% of opinion leaders and 18% of voters said improving U.S. science and technology capabilities to increase U.S. innovation and competitiveness is our country’s single most significant objective;
* 62% of both groups said that addressing this problem is equally critical to other challenges such as national security, transportation, health care, energy and the legal system;
* 76% of opinion leaders and 51% of American voters rank a focus on education as the most important way to solve the problem;
* Only 5% of parents responded that they would try to persuade their child toward careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), while 65% report they would allow her/him to pursue whatever career path he/she prefers, 27% stated although they may encourage their child to pursue a STEM career the child would likely balance that pursuit with their own career preference.
Indeed, the last of these survey results may be the most disturbing. While the problem of declining student enrollment in STEM areas is widely acknowledged, parents plan to allow their children’s preference total, or at least a strong weight, in their career choices. In order to increase interest in technology degrees, it becomes critical to discover a way to enhance the attractiveness of these fields. Rather than pursuing potential careers, many students choose majors based on their own interest that help establish their own independence and further personal preferences. This means that it is not enough to teach well, universities must motivate students and develop market programs designed to attract these current students. A 2003 national survey commissioned by GE found that only 9% of college students polled indicated that they felt the United States is doing enough to foster innovation among young people.
Central to the educational uniqueness of this program is the multi-year, multidisciplinary “teaming” experience it offers. Students from different emphasis areas are assigned to teams working on projects identified by companies in local industries. Teams work toward a solution and a technology product that will immediately impact society. Exclusive to a Bachelor of Innovation, this characteristic long-term teaming attracts an above the ordinary type of student.
For example, a Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development draws students into a program that at first glance may not seem like a technology degree, however this degree subsumes significant technical rigor, particularly in computer science. One perspective may be to view this as a track as one that exists within a computer science degree. Social and fun factors of these new degrees reflect changing demographics and preferences while retaining all the rigor and self-learning abilities required of tomorrow’s leaders.
The Bachelor of InnovationTM family of degrees directly addresses our national need and provides a unique program in the state and in the nation. Its uniqueness, the strong teaming nature of this singular program, anticipates attracting students that may otherwise forego necessary technology degrees while exposing non-technology students to enough terminology and experience to provide them suitable skills to work with technologists. This Bachelor of InnovationTM is not simply career preparation, it engages and imparts the skills of creative/innovtive thinking that actively build important characteristics into students for their own continuing self-innovation. Since this family of degrees is unparalleled, we propose to trademark (or more properly service mark) the name Bachelor of InnovationTM to protect it as a marketing advantage. Innovation is a commonly overused term and is often confused with creativity, invention and research. However, innovation is incredibly more. Before describing its goals and our program in detail we have provided an introduction to authentic innovation.
Simply defined, innovation is "introducing something new" (Merriam Webster dictionary). Note how this differs from invention, which is defined as "discovery or a device, contrivance or process originated after study and experimentation." Innovation differs since it introduces a new thing, idea, etc., to a group or to society. It is not enough to merely invent-- an invention must be adopted, accepted, and used to become an innovation. Consider the more detailed definition (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation):
"Innovation is the sequence of activities by which a new element is introduced into a social unit, with the intention of benefiting the unit, some part of it, or the wider society. The element need not to be entirely novel or unfamiliar to members of the unit, but it must involve some discernible change or challenge of the status quo."
Innovation may not be technological. For example, when McDonald's applied the production line concept to provide restaurant food, they used low-skilled workers and known technology to make food quickly - thus innovating and changing our society. Today many US Business Method Patents, protect business innovations with little or no technological novelty, just novel applications of existing technology that improve business and society.
Another definition is found in "London Innovation":
“Innovation is the successful exploitation of new ideas and is a vital ingredient for competitiveness, productivity and social gain within businesses and organizations. Innovation involves the successful exploitation of new ideas in any setting. Indeed, it can be anything from changing a daily business procedure and designing a new product for sale to discovering a new drug that reduced heart disease.”
CBI Innovation and Trends Survey promotes this definition:
"The innovation process is the combination of activities - such as design, research, market investigation, process development, organizational restructuring, and employee development and so on - which are necessary to develop and support an innovative product or production process."
In addition, the goal of these new Bachelors of InnovationTM majors is to go beyond simply teaching students about the innovation process. Experiential learning involving students directly in the interdisciplinary nature of innovation projects working with real companies is a critical part of the program design. Innovation culture is critical to effective innovation, and to transforming the people involved.
Innovation is an attitude, a state of mind, and a creative process, while also a specific task or action. Effective innovation is more than just changing organizations. As observed by Ralph Ardill, Marketing & Strategic Planning Director, Imagination at the London Innovation Conference, 2003:
“Once you've worked on a truly innovative project you realize how important transformation is to the success or failure of a project. Your way of thinking changes, your priorities change, your company changes and your way of working changes forever. True innovation is not just about changing a product, a service or even a marketplace; it's also about recognizing and relishing the need to change yourself."
Acquiring a Bachelor of InnovationTM is not merely preparation for a career. This program encompasses teaching innovative thinking and transforming students for their own continuing self-innovation.
Similar to the approach schools use for a Bachelor of Arts in various fields or for a Bachelor of Science in other fields, collections of common core requirements for a Bachelor of InnovationTM (BI) does not specify the content of a major. Rather the BI specifies the common elements for a family of degrees, where specialization areas define the details of their major. The goal of this family is to define the common cores, leaving the disciplines to define the majors. There are four significant “components” the BI Program includes in each degree, and these are briefly described below.
Degree/Major Emphasis(42-50 credits)Differs for each degree, but almost the same as existing BS/BA majors. |
General education courses to meet requirements of the appropriate college. |
Innovation Core(27 Credits)Shared across all BI majors |
Cross discipline Core(15 Credits)Choose one of three cross discipline cores |
Each major in the BI family of degrees is composed of an emphasis major, an innovation core, a cross-discipline core, and the general education requirements:
The Innovation Core is 27 Credits, geared toward innovation and entrepreneurship; a key component is multi-disciplinary long-term team activities over the sophomore, junior and senior years. It is expected that teams include students from all years, and may include graduate students. Team member roles change on a regular basis to promote dynamic membership.The innovation core includes courses in innovation, entrepreneurship, business and IP law, and policy. The students develop an "innovation portfolio" throughout the program to document and highlight their individual roles and contributions in these various courses. The BI innovation core is designed to incorporate this essential experiential learning component and makes the Bachelor of Innovation™ family unique.
Each major also includes a per-student choice of a cross discipline core, which is a coherent collection of 15 credits from one “cross over” area. Students are encouraged to choose their cross discipline as early as possible in the BI program; definitely before they enter their sophomore year.
Business Core (for non-business degrees) provides a broad coverage of business topics.
Creative Communication Core (for any BI major) provides coverage of a variety of communication modes. Courses include both traditional (e.g., oral communication) and non-traditional (e.g., visual arts) communication approaches.
Engineering Technology Core (for non-technology degrees) provides a broad coverage of engineering and technology.
Globalization Core (for any BI major) provides a selection of courses on globalization issues.It will have a language requirement (passing at the second year level) and a collection of international business/policy courses. Students in this option are encouraged to demonstrate at least 3 months residence in a non-English speaking country, which may be met by one-semester of study abroad. While abroad, involvements in the Innovation team projects will be “virtual," but will be required.
UCCS is an NCA accredited university. BI degrees have been designed to be consistent with the appropriate specialized accreditation guidelines of AACSB or ABET. The College of Business is AACSB accredited so the BI in Business carries that automatically. However, no program can be ABET accredited until it graduates its first class of students and applies for ABET review. When that is granted accreditation would be retroactive to the class reviewed.
Innovation draws extensively from material across all four of the above cores. However, in a single undergraduate program balance of depth and breadth is imperative. Requiring a student to acquire their major plus one cross discipline core, ensures that student has enough depth in two key components of innovation and, moreover, he/she could effectively lead a team in one area. Working in multi-disciplinary teams, students learn skills spanning the full range of BI cores and also learn to appreciate the benefits of working together.
General Education Requirements
The remaining set of classes cover the basic breadth of background needed: Social Science, Sciences, Math, Humanities, etc. This set of courses will depend on the college of the emphasis major. For example, a student enrolled in the BI in Business Administration would use this block of courses to fulfill the College of Business general education requirements.
Either 120 or 128 total credit hours are needed to graduate in the BI program, depending on the major. Game Design and Development and Business Adminstration majors require 120 hours while the Computer Science, Computer Security, and Electrical Engineering majors, like the analogous BS degrees in these areas, require 128 hours.
Innovation Core (27 Credits)
| Credits | Course | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Innovation Elective | Freshman Seminar or Innovation Elective (approved by advisor) |
| 3 | ENTP 1000 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship |
| 3 | INOV 1010 | The Innovation Process |
| 3 | BLAW 2010 | Business/Intellectual Property Law |
| 3 | INOV 2100 | Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentation |
| 3 | INOV 2010/2020/3010 | Innovation Team: Reporting and Analysis |
| 6 | INOV 3020/4010/4020 | Innovation Team: Design and Research |
| 3 | ENTP 4500 | Entrepreneurship and Strategy |
Cross Discipline Core - Business (15 Credits)
| Credits | Course | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | ECON 1010 | Introduction to Microeconomices |
| 3 | ACCT 2010 | Introduction to Financial Accounting |
| 3 | MGMT 3300 | Introduction to Management & Organization |
| Choose two of the following: | ||
| 3 | OPTM 3000 | Fundamentals of Operations Management |
| 3 | MKTG 3000 | Marketing |
| 3 | FNCE 3050 | Basic Finance |
Cross Discipline Core - Creative Communication (15 Credits)
| Credits | Course | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | COMM 3440 | Leadership Communication |
| 3 | Choose 1 MUS course | Music course |
| 3 | Choose 1 course from the list on the right | VA 1010 Beginning Studio 2D VA 1020 Beginning Studio 3D VA 1040 Beginning Drawing VA 2060 Two-Dimensional Topics VA 2070 Three-Dimensional Topics VA 2100 Digital Imaging VA 2110 Introduction to Photography VA 2150 Digital Photography |
| 6 | Choose 2 courses from the list on the right | COMM 1020 Interpersonal Communication COMM 2010 Oral Communication in the Workplace COMM 3280 Intercultural Communication COMM 4220 Creative Communication ENGL 2050 Introduction to Creative Writing - Fiction ENGL 3120 Technical Editing and Style MGMT 3900 Improving Presonal and Team Creativity PSY 1000 General Psychology PSY 3150 Psychology of Motivation |
Cross Discipline Core - Engineering Technology (15 Credits)
| Credits | Course | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Take 1 course from each Engineering Department (CS, ECE, MAE) from the list on the right | CS 1070 Introduction to Visual Basic CS 1100 Problem Solving Through Game Creation CS 1150 Principles of Computer Science ECE 1001 Introduction to Robotics ECE 1411 Intro to Logic Circuits I (2 credits) ECE 2411 Intro to Logic Circuits II (2 credits) MAE 1502 Principles of Engineering MAE 1503 Intro to Engineering Design MAE 3342 Engineering Economy |
| 6 | Choose 2 other engineering courses | Choose 2 other engineering courses for which you meet the prerequisites. You may choose courses from the list above or other Colleg of Engineering and Applied Sciences courses. |
Cross Discipline Core - Globalization (15 Credits)
| Credits | Course | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Foreign Language | This requirement is fulfilled by taking and passing the 2110 and 2120 courses for any spoken foreign language. Students may need to take additional foreign language courses for placement into the 2110 and 2120 courses and may need to exceed the 120 credit hours required to graduate. This requirement may be satisfied by passing a proficiency test. If a student successfully passes the proficiency test then the 6 credits must be used for additional courses from the list below. |
| 9 | Choose 3 courses from the list on the right | COMM 3280 Intercultural Communication ECON 3280 International Political Economy ECON 4310 International Economics FCS 3180 German and Austrian Civilization and Culture FCS 3220 Japanese Culture and Civilization FCS 3390 Internships in Foreign Cultures FNCE 4400 International Financial Management INTB 3600 International Business INTB 4610 Regional Business Environment Europe INTB 4800 International Management INTB 4960 Internship in International Business MKTG 4900 International Marketing PHIL 3090 Philosophies of Asia PHIL 4160 Business and Management Ethics PSC 1010 Introduction to Global Politics PSC 3220 Eastern Political System PSC 4130 Latin-American Political System PSC 4210 International Politics PSC 4250 International Law SOC 2220 Communities in a Global Environment SOC 4380 Globalization and Development |
A program committee administers this interdisciplinary program with a Program Executive and one representative from each college of the BI degree program. Initially the BI degrees comprise the College of Business and the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Since this new family of degrees focuses on interdisciplinary learning, adding new majors within the family will be determined by policies set by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Students have a home department, based on their major, which is responsible for student advising.
In general, the Bachelor of Innovation degree in some field, say X, will be associated with an existing BA or BS degree and administered by the same group that administers that particular degree. From a practical perspective, the BI in X, where X is also a traditional BS or BA degree, can be viewed as a special track within that existing degree. As a result, the BI majors will be counted with majors in contemporary BA or BS degrees. In particular, majors in the BI in Computer Science, BI in Game Design and Development, and the BI in Computer Security will be counted with the majors in the BS in Computer Science. Since a BI in Electrical Engineering is a track coinciding with a BS in Electrical Engineering, majors of the BI in Electrical Engineering will be counted alongside majors in the BS in Electrical Engineering. Similarly, majors in the BI in Business Administration are counted with majors in the BS in Business Administration.
Future members of this new degree family that are variations on existing degrees (e.g. a BI in Biology) will be a campus-level decision, as would adding a track in any existing program. Future BI degrees that are not just a variation/track of a traditionally offered degree will be subject to the standard new program process approval. In either case, the diploma and transcript will read Bachelor of InnovationTM in "major-field-of-study."
In order to 'teach' students innovation, we use experiential learning and process accompanied by a little theory and technique.
Objectives of the BI programs can be separated into overall program goals and specific major goals. Overall program goals are to provide students with knowledge of and demonstrated experience in multiple phases of the innovation process, strong multi-disciplinary team skills, and demonstrated communication/presentation skills. In addition, they are expected to possess the depth of knowledge of their major and a cross discipline core that complements their major and improves their ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams. Specific student learning goals are as follows:
1. Students will learn the foundational topics in the innovation and cross-disciplinary cores
This student-learning goal focuses on the objective that students gain depth of learning in the innovation core and their selected cross discipline core to complement their major-specific learning. Evaluation of student learning for this goal will be done at the course level, including assessment forms completed by external organizations/companies that sponsor the innovation teams.
2. Students will learn the foundational topics in their BI major
This student-learning goal focuses on student learning within the major. Evaluating student learning for this goal will be accomplished using existing assessments for majors included in each program. Each BI major will have education outcomes consistent with their respective accredited programs. These majors have been designed, where appropriate, to be consistent with AACSB or ABET accreditation guidelines. New programs cannot be accredited, however, until they graduate their first class. Some majors, such as the Game Design and Development major, have no associated accrediting body.
3. Students will learn to work effectively in teams
A cornerstone of the coursework in this program is the use of teams across Freshman Innovation courses and the long-term innovation teams spanning sophomore, junior, and senior years including many of the core and major courses. Using teams allows students to tackle complex problems because work can be distributed across team members, and teammates bring a broader range of student skills and interests to address intricate problems. In addition, industry development is usually conducted in teams -- sometimes in teams with hundreds of members, spanning multiple countries -- so developing these life skills in students will be to their advantage in the longer term.
A survey of 50 companies, done in Spring 2005 by Dr. Boult at UCCS, is briefly summarized; full details are available upon request or by visiting www.vast.uccs.edu/~tboult/BI/survey-results.html. (Note the survey includes components not discussed here. Here the most relevant components for the BI family are addressed.)
This summary implements the Likert scale “agreement type questions," where survey users answered using a scale of 1-5, with 1 being strongly disagree, 3= neutral and 5= strongly agree. If the mean is statistically significantly greater than 3, we accept the hypothesis, if it is significantly less than 3, we reject it; and if it is not significantly distinguishable from neutral we cannot accept or reject the hypothesis. We apply 1-sided T-tests to the hypothesis and consider p=0.05 or 95% confidence as the criterion to either accept or reject the hypothesis as statistically significant and 99.9% or better as very significant.
Dr. Boult's survey was sent to email lists from the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the UCCS Business recruiting list, the Rocky Mountain Technology Alliance (RMTA) members, and the Colorado Institute for Technology Transfer and Implementation (CITTI) mailing lists. Lists used were generally Colorado-Springs centric, but at least 15% of those surveyed came from other parts of the Front Range. Fifty (50) distinct people completed the survey. They came from various backgrounds and positions and less than 20% of those who reported degree information hold engineering degrees.
Key questions about need/demand for Bachelors of InnovationTM students and students with multi-year multi-disciplinary team experience were accepted at a very significant level (99.9999999%), as was the need for new accredited programs. According to the survey, the total expected number (per-year) of hires across the proposed BI majors was 60.
Surveys asked for input about the current UCCS students compared to those from other schools. The hypothesis about current students/majors, “I would generally choose a UCCS BS/BA graduate over a BS/BA from other schools such as CU Boulder,” was rejected at the 98.8% (p=0.0112) significance level; which demonstrates that even in a Colorado-Springs biased sample, current UCCS students are not the preferred choice.
However, when asked if they would agree with the following statement: “I would generally choose a UCCS BI graduate over a BS/BA from other schools such as CU Boulder," the hypothesis was accepted at the very significant 99.95% (p=0.0005) level; and when asked to agree with the additional statement: “I would be unlikely to hire a UCCS BI student,” the hypothesis was rejected at the very significant 99.998% (p=0.00002) level. These responses strongly suggest that new BI degree students will be more employable than current UCCS graduates and that new degrees will be accepted by industry. Of course, companies will continue to hire traditional degree students as well, but traditional students are produced by many schools. BI majors are distinctive to UCCS and will providing students a competitive edge, both in the short and long term job market.
Another statement: “Including the Innovation core is not important, an Engineering with Business minor would be sufficient,” was rejected at the very significant 99.9998% level. This outcome strongly suggests that innovation components are viewed as critical, and provide marketable differentiation of the proposed programs from conventional engineering and business programs.
Additionally, the following support/involvement question: “I would be interested in being a corporate partner for one of the innovation teams. My company would likely be willing to fund (hire) an innovation team to address our problems,” resulted in a positive response from 12 companies, suggesting there is a base from which to attract enough partners to make student/company team projects and the overall BI program work.
Comparatively, UCCS has strong and balanced undergraduate and graduate programs. In both the 2006 and 2007 editions of U.S. News and World Report, UCCS ranked in the top tier of all public and private master’s universities in the West. Masters universities provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s degree programs. UCCS has only two Ph.D. programs; one of which is a long-established program in Engineering.
In the 2007 college rankings edition, “America’s Best Colleges,” released Aug. 21, 2006, UCCS ranked seventh among top public Western masters universities. In the 2006 edition, UCCS ranked eight.
More significant for new Bachelor of InnovationTM degrees, in the same 2007 edition of “America’s Best Colleges”, the undergraduate engineering program at UCCS earned a ranking of 3.2, ranking the program 16th among public and private universities and seventh among public universities, including military service academies. Again, this ranking is nationwide among masters universities, and not merely a regional rating. National rankings show UCCS has a sufficient reputation to initiate and sustain this novel initiative embodied in the BI program.
In addition, the UCCS campus is very active in technology transfer, which is an important part of the innovation process. The university has a history of offering courses in technology. With three endowed chairs focused on technology transfer and innovation and an extremely high ratio of invention disclosures, the UCCS faculty is ideally situated to define and lead innovation teams. Dr. Boult, the El Pomar Chair in Communications and Computation, has been extremely active with the federally-sponsored Small Business Innovation Research grant program. He provides courses and support across the state on these proposals. These include involving multi-year, multi-disciplinary undergraduate students in both the proposal preparation process as well as doing the actual work on the contracts with successful companies. These SBIRS/STTRs, totaling more than $3 Million in funding for various companies and the university, are also directly in line with BI program goals of community engagement. With this type of record, there will be no difficulty attracting the corporate partners needed for the teams. Innovation teams are not something we are hoping will work, they are the formalization and extension of the ongoing process Dr. Boult has already been using in his own efforts at UCCS. Additionally, companies partnered on existing SBIR/STTRs with UCCS have commented positively about the quality of student teams and their slight surprise to learn that many team members were undergraduates; because based on their behavior and production output companies presumed participating students were graduate students.
a) Program admission requirements are the same as standard college entrance requirements for associated colleges.
b) This is a unique program with a multi-year required student project. Transfer students will be permitted to take INOV 2010/2020 concurrently (serving on two different teams) and to take INOV 3010/3020 concurrently (serving on two different teams) to allow them to finish within only 2 years at UCCS.
Because of a strong overlap with existing majors in both business and engineering, UCCS students may easily transfer out of these majors, but may face the same issue as external transfer students if they have not been involved in the project courses. Existing articulation agreements for engineering majors apply to the BI in engineering fields.
c) Enrollments are not expected to be limited, but will depend on resource allocations. Particular classes in the program will have capped enrollment and, with limited faculty dedicated to the program, the number of sections cannot be expanded in a particular year unless new resources are identified.
d) Each major defines its own standard for continuing in the program. These standards are identical to the BS requirements for the related degree.
Given the number of BI majors and their similarity to existing degrees, this presentation of the curriculum provides a short overview of necessary courses to be taken within each major. Innovation and cross discipline cores were described in the previous section. The following pages provide an overview of the Bachelor of InnovationTM in Business Administration, Bachelor of InnovationTM in Computer Science, Bachelor of InnovationTM in Computer Science Security, Bachelor of InnovationTM in Electrical Engineering, and Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development.
Objectives
A Bachelor of InnovationTM in Business Administration provides students with both the business background and skills of a classical Bachelor of Science in Business Administration plus the technical and team skills to work on innovative projects. Abilities include: (1) recognize the broader issues in engineering technology-related problems or in global innovation problems; (2) understand business, legal, and societal constraints affecting this technology; and (3) have the ability to communicate key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a challenge. Essentially, this program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning. In addition to the technical competence to be expected of a graduate with a bachelor degree in business, students will develop creative thinking skills, multi-faceted team oriented skills, and basic innovation background that ensure their ability to effectively compete in a changing career landscape in areas driven by innovation.
BI in Business Administration Sample Degree Program
This following four-year plan lists all specific course requirements for a Bachelor of InnovationTM in Business Administration degree. The order in which these courses are taken may vary with course availability. However, normal degree progress in the College of Business requires that students complete the degree in a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior sequence. Students are responsible for completing all course prerequisites; prerequisites are strictly enforced. All skills including junior core and senior capstone courses must be completed with a C- or better.
| Freshman Year Fall Semester | Freshman Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| ENTP 1000-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship ECON 1010-3 Introduction to Microeconomics ENGL 1310-3 Rhetoric & Writing I MATH 1040-3 College Algebra or 1110 Linear Algebra Innovation Elective-3 ID 1010 Approved Freshman Seminar or Innovation related course approved by advisor |
ECON 2020-3 Introduction to Macroeconomics MATH 1120-3 Calculus for Business & Economics ENGL 2090-3 Technical Writing and Presentation INOV 1010-3 The Innovation Process INFS 1100-3 MS Office Apps and Computer Basics |
| Sophomore Year Fall Semester | Sophomore Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| ACCT 2010-3 Financial Accounting BLAW 2010-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law COMM 2010-3 Comm in Workplace or 2100 Public Speaking QUAN 2010-3 Business Statistics INOV 2010-1 Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core - 3 |
ACCT 2020-3 Managerial Accounting BUAD 3000-3 Integrated Skills for Management QUAN 2020-3 Process & Statistics-Based Decisions INOV 2100-3 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations INOV 2020-1 Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core - 3 |
| Junior Year Fall Semester | Junior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| FNCE 3050-3 Basic Finance MGMT 3300-3 Intro to Management & Organization MKTG 3000-3 Principles of Marketing INOV 3010-1 Innovation Team Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core - 3 |
INFS 3000-3 Intro to Mgmt Information Systems OPTM 3000-3 Fundamentals of Operations Mgmt Natural Science Elective - 3 INOV 3020-2 Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core-3 Writing Portfolio Submission (required, zero credit) |
| Senior Year Fall Semester | Senior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| BUAD 4000-3 Business, Government, & Society HUM 3990-3 Special Topics in Humanities Approved Business Elective-3 INOV 4010-2 Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core-3 |
ENTP 4500-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy Social Science Elective-3 Approved Business Elective-3 INOV 4020-2 Innovation Team Open Elective-3 (must be upper division if Engineering Core) |
Objectives
The Bachelor of InnovationTM in Computer Science provides students with both the technical and business background to work on innovative computer-related projects. These skills cover the ability to: (1) recognize broader issues in computer technology-related problems; (2) understand the technological, business, legal, and societal constraints affecting this technology; and (3) have the ability to communicate the key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a challenge. This BI program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning. In addition to technical competence expected of a graduate with a bachelors degree in computer science, students will develop innovative thinking skills, multi-faceted team oriented skills, and basic business background to ensure that they can effectively compete in the changing computer career landscape for positions that are unlikely to be off-shored.
BI in Computer Science Sample Degree Program
Following is a sample plan representing the suggested order and semesters in which students should take courses to graduate within 4 years. Since each student starts at a different level of mathematical ability, this listing should only be considered a guide. Specific questions about the sample program should be directed to the Engineering Advisor.
| Freshman Year Fall Semester | Freshman Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 1350-4 Calculus I CS 1150-3 Principles of Computer Science ENGL 1310-3 Rhetoric & Writing I ENTP 1000-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship Innovation Elective-3 ID1010 Approved Freshman Seminar or Innovation related course approved by advisor |
MATH 1360-4 Calculus II CS 1450-3 Data Structures & Algorithms CS 2060-3 Programming in C INOV 1010-3 The Innovation Process Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Sophomore Year Fall Semester | Sophomore Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 2150-3 Discrete Mathematics Science (PES,Chem/Bio) with lab-5 CS 2080-2 Programming with UNIX CS 2160-3 Computer Org. & Assembly Language BLAW 2010-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law INOV 2010-1 Innovation Team |
Science (PES, Chem/Bio) with lab-5 CS 3060-3 Object-Oriented Programming in C++ or CS 3020-3 Adv Object Tech Using C#/.NET.C# INOV 2100-3 Tech Writing, Proposals and Presentations INOV 2020-1 Innovation Team Open Elective-2 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Junior Year Fall Semester | Junior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 3130-3 Intro to Linear Algebra CS 3160-3 Concepts of Programming Languages CS 4220-3 Computer Networks CS 4420-3 Database INOV 3010-1 Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core-3 |
ECE 3610-3 Engineering Probability & Stats
or QUAN 2010-3 Business Statistics CS 3300-3 Software Engineering
CS 4200-3 Computer Architecture I
INOV 3020-2 Innovation Team
Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Senior Year Fall Semester | Senior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| CS 4500-3 Operating Systems I CS 4720-3 Design & Analysis of Algorithms CS Elective (upper division)-3 INOV 4010-2 Innovation Team Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
ENTP 4500-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy CS 305-1 Ethical Implications of Computing CS Elective (CS 4000-5990)-3 CS Elective (upper division)-3 INOV 4020-2 Innovation Team Open Elective-3 |
Objectives
A Bachelor of InnovationTM in Computer Science Security provides students with both the technical and business background to work on innovative security and computer-security-related projects, including the ability to: (1) recognize the broader issues in security technology-related problems; (2) understand the technological, business, legal, and societal constraints affecting this technology; and (3) have the ability to communicate the key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a challenge. The program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning. In addition to the technical competence to be expected of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in security, students develop the innovative thinking skills, multi-faceted team oriented skills and basic business background to ensure that they can effectively compete in the changing security career landscape for positions that are unlikely to be off-shored.
BI in Computer Science Security Sample Program
The following sample plan represents the suggested order and semesters in which students should take this course to graduate within 4 years. Since each student starts at a different level of mathematical ability, this listing should only be considered a guide. Specific questions about the sample program should be directed to the Engineering Advisor.
| Freshman Year Fall Semester | Freshman Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 1350-4 Calculus I CS 1150-3 Principles of Computer Science ENTP 1000-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship ENGL 1310-3 Rhetoric & Writing I Innovation Elective-3 ID1010 Approved Freshman Seminar or Innovation related course approved by advisor |
MATH 2150-3 Discrete Mathematics CS 1450-3 Data Structures & Algorithms CS 2060-3 Programming in C INOV 1010-3 The Innovation Process Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Sophomore Year Fall Semester | Sophomore Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| Science (PES,Chem/Bio) with lab-5 CS 2080-2 Programming with UNIX CS 2160-3 Computer Org. & Assembly Language BLAW 2010-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law INOV 2010-1 Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core-3 |
Science (PES,Chem/Bio) with lab-5 CS 3060-3 Object-Oriented Programming in C++ or CS 3020-3 Adv Object Tech Using C#/.NET.C# CS 3910-3 System Admin and Security INOV 2100-3 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations INOV 2020-1 Innovation Team |
| Junior Year Fall Semester | Junior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 3130-3 Intro to Linear Algebra PAD 3400-3 Public Admin and Homeland Security INOV 3010-1 Innovation Team CS 4220-3 Computer Networks Upper Division Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3
|
ECE 3610-3 Engineering Probability & Stats or QUAN 2010-3 Business Statistics CS 3300-3 Software Engineering CS 4200-3 Computer Architecture I INOV 3020-2 Innovation Team Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Senior Year Fall Semester | Senior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| CS 4500-3 Operating Systems I CS 4910-3 Fundamentals of Computer/Network Security INOV 4010-2 Innovation Team Security Elective-3 Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3
|
ENTP 4500-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy CS 4920-3 Applied Cryptography CS 3050-1 Ethical Implications of Computing INOV 4020-2 Innovation Team PAD 4400-3 Understanding Terrorism Security Elective-3
|
Objectives
The Bachelor of InnovationTM in Electrical Engineering provides students with both the technical and business background to work on innovative electrical engineering-related projects. These skills include the ability to: (1) recognize the broader issues in electrical engineering technology-related problems; (2) understand the technological, business, legal and societal constraints affecting this technology; and (3) have the ability to communicate the key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a challenge. The program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning. In addition to the technical competence expected of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, students will develop the innovative thinking skills, multi-faceted team oriented skills, and a basic business background to ensure that they can effectively compete in the changing technological career landscape for positions that are unlikely to be off-shored.
BI in Electrical Engineering Sample Program
The following sample plan represents a suggested order and semesters in which students should take courses to graduate within 4 years. Since each student starts at a different level of mathematical ability, this listing should only be considered a guide. Specific questions about the sample program should be directed to the Engineering Advisor.
| Freshman Year Fall Semester | Freshman Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 1350-4 Calculus I PES 1110-4 General Physics I ECE 1411-2 Logic Circuits I ENTP 1000-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship ID1010-3 MindStorms Freshman Seminar |
MATH 1360-4 Calculus II PES 1120-4 General Physics II ECE 2411-2 Logic Circuits II ENGL 1310-3 Rhetoric & Writing I INOV 1010-3 The Innovation Process |
| Sophomore Year Fall Semester | Sophomore Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 2350-4 Calculus III ECE 1021-3 Computer Based Modeling ECE 2610-4 Intro to Signals and Systems BLAW 2010-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law INOV 2010-1 Innovation Team |
MATH 3400-3 Intro to Differential Equations ECE 2205-4 Intro to Circuits and Systems I ECE 2050-3 Intro to Physical Electronics INOV 2020-1 Innovation Team INOV 2100-3 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations PES 2130-3 Physics and Energy Science |
| Junior Year Fall Semester | Junior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| ECE 3210-3 Electronics I ECE 3230-1 Electronics Lab I ECE 3205-4 Circuits and Systems II ECE 3420-1 Microprocessor Systems Lab ECE 3430-3 Intro to Microcomputer Systems INOV 3010-I Innovation Team Cross Discipline Core-3 |
ECE 3110-3 Electromagnetic Fields ECE 3610-3 Engineering Probability & Stats INOV 3020-2 Innovation Team Technical Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Senior Year Fall Semester | Senior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH elective numbered 3100 or higher (except 3810)-3 ECE 3020-3 Semiconductor Device I INOV 4010-2 Innovation Team Technical Elective-3 Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
ENTP 4500-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy INOV 4020-2 Innovation Team Technical Elective-3 Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
Objectives
A Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development (GDD) provides students with a firm foundation in game design basics and development while also providing the flexibility to pursue individual special interests through concentrated courses. In addition, students will learn enough business and communication background required for working effectively in the interdisciplinary teams that are the norm in game design and development. The Bachelor of InnovationTM in Game Design and Development will therefore provide students with sufficient technical, business, and communication background to work on innovative game design and development projects. This includes the ability to: (1) recognize the broader issues in GDD-related problems; (2) understand the technological, business, legal and societal constraints affecting this technology; and (3) have the ability to communicate key issues, needs, potential options, and final solution to a challenge. A GDD program seeks to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning, whether they pursue traditional game industry employment, form their own companies, or pursue other employment opportunities outside the game domain.
BI in Game Design and Development Sample Plan
The following sample plan represents the suggested order and semesters in which students should take courses to graduate within 4 years. Since each student starts at a different level of mathematical ability, this listing should only be considered a guide. Specific questions about the sample program should be directed to the Engineering Advisor.
| Freshman Year Fall Semester | Freshman Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| MATH 1350-4 Calculus I GDD 1100-3 Problem Solving Through Game Creation ENTP 1000-3 Introduction to Entrepreneurship ENGL 1310-3 Rhetoric & Writing I Innovation Elective-3 ID1010 Approved Freshman Seminar or Innovation related course approved by advisor |
GDD 1200-3 Intro to Programming for Game Developers INOV 1010-3 The Innovation Process PES 1110-4 General Physics I PES 1160-1 Advanced Physics Lab I Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Sophomore Year Fall Semester | Sophomore Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| GDD 2200-3 Data Structures for Game Developers BLAW 2010-3 Business and Intellectual Property Law INOV 2010-1 Innovation Team VA 1010,1020,1040,2060,2070,2100,2110,or 2150-3 Open Elective-3 Corss Discipline Core-3 |
GDD 2100-3 Game Design for Diverse Populations CS 3060-3 Object-Oriented Programming in C++ or CS 3020-3 Adv. Onject Tech Using C#/.NET.C# INOV 2100-3 Technical Writing, Proposals and Presentations INOV 2020-1 Innovation Team Natural Science Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Junior Year Fall Semester | Junior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| CS 3350-3 Intro to Game Design and Development INOV 3010-1 Innovation Team MATH 3130-3 Intro to Linear Algebra GDD Concentration Course-3 Open Elective-3 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
INOV 3020-2 Innovation Team GDD Concentration Courses-6 Natural Science Elective-2 Open Elective-2 Cross Discipline Core-3 |
| Senior Year Fall Semester | Senior Year Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| CS 4800-3 Computer Graphics INOV 4010-2 Innovation Team GDD Concentration Course-3 Open Elective-3 Open Elective-2 |
ENTP 4500-3 Entrepreneurship and Strategy GDD 4100-3 Advanced Game Design Concepts CS 4780-3 Adv. 3D Games and Digital Content Creation INOV 4020-2 Innovation Team GDD Concentration Course-3 |
