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Graduate Certificate Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Learn how to launch your own business and manage entrepreneurial initiatives at established companies with a top-ranked, AACSB-accredited business school.

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Launch Your Business, Boost Your Career

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, an inventor, a mid-career professional or someone who is new to the business world, UMass Lowell's Graduate Certificate Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship will give you the knowledge you need to effectively develop and launch a new business or product and promote and implement corporate entrepreneurship to gain a competitive advantage in the rapidly changing global economy.

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No GRE Required

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

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Apply Anytime

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Relevant for entrepreneurial or start-up environments as well as the creation of new business opportunities at established organizations, this affordable, high-quality program will help you develop fundamental business skills as well as a strong understanding of the new venture creation process.

Venture capital investment in start-ups has surged to its highest level ever — $148 billion last year alone.
Source: Forbes, "Entrepreneurs: Here's Good News for 2018." Published January 10, 2018.
Best Online Graduate Business Program in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report Ranked as One of the Best Online Graduate Business Programs in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report
AACSB Badge This program is offered through UMass Lowell's Manning School of Business, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) — an elite distinction earned by less than five percent of business schools worldwide.

Learn more about AACSB accreditation »

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Available fully online, the program consists of two required courses and two electives. Topics covered include:

  • business strategy
  • financial forecasting
  • value creation
  • planning and evaluation models
  • market research
  • problem-solving techniques in interdisciplinary and multicultural environments
  • new product development
  • approaches to financing innovation and new technology ventures within existing firms and on a stand-alone basis
  • prototyping
  • licensing
  • corporate experimentation and risk taking
  • the development of comprehensive integrated marketing plans
Leadership

Learn from an Established Leader in Online Education

UMass Lowell has been making its traditional academic programs available to online students all over the world since 1996.

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

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Graduate Certificate Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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Master of Science in Entrepreneurship

Students who complete the Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate program and are subsequently accepted into UMass Lowell's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship program may apply certificate courses in which they received a B or better to their Master of Science in Entrepreneurship degree.

Many of the courses from the Graduate Certificate Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship can also be applied towards UMass Lowell's Online MBA program.

Learn from a Leader in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

UMass Lowell has a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that includes co-working space for start-ups with the Innovation Hubs in Lowell and Haverhill; M2D2 (the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center & Biotech Incubator); the Office of Technology Commercialization; the Fabric Discovery Center; and DifferenceMaker®, a campus-wide program that engages UMass Lowell students in creative problem solving, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Have Questions?

For more information on the Graduate Certificate Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, please contact the Manning School of Business at 978-934-2745 or mba@uml.edu.

Curriculum Outline

- Required Courses: 2
- Electives: 2

Required Courses (2 / 6cr)

Choose one of the following:

  • ENTR.6400 New Venture Creation (3cr)
    • OR
  • ENTR.6550 Corporate Entrepreneurship (3cr)

Choose one of the following:

Electives (Choose 2 / 6cr)

*If not chosen as a required course.

Course Descriptions

The Course is offered as a 2-week intensive experiential learning of Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation. It is designed to help students to understand the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in today's global economy and to cultivate an entrepreneurial mind-set among the students in the UMass Lowell Students will work in inter-disciplinary, multi-cultural environments exploring problem solving techniques, opportunities identification, business concept development and venture planning using standard business model framework and bringing ideas to reality. 3 credits. Matriculated MBA students or MSF or MGFB Certificate or PSM or Doctor of Engineering majors or permission of MBA coordinator.
Prerequisites:

MBA/ MSF/MSEM/MGFB/PSM or PHD.

This course focuses on strategies for financing innovation and new technology ventures both within a firm and on a stand-alone basis. Topics covered will include: different types of business organizations; different sources of funding including internal sources and external sources such as angel investors, venture capitalists, etc.; short-term and long-term financial planning and forecasting; business valuation; term sheet negotiation and exit strategies including mergers and acquisitions and IPOs. Each aspect of the course will be covered within the context of a business plan and venture life-cycle. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSITE or PSM sub-plan pre-req

This course is designed for students who are interested in entrepreneurship. The focus is on entrepreneurship as generic activity. It explores the opportunities and challenges face by individuals who seek to start a new ventures and the probable career development paths that are available. For those who may be interested in starting or running a new business, the course will provide an essential foundation for this process, identify the skills and resources required, and explore the opportunities available to the young entrepreneur. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Matriculated MBA

This course will enable students to understand the complexities involved in new innovation and technology-based product development. Through examples and exercises, students will be exposed to such topics as creative problem solving, customers/suppliers/partners involvements and inputs processes, integration among all functions, building and managing cross functional teams, rapid prototyping and development, creating a learning organization and measurements. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Matriculated MBA

This course examines technological innovation and its relationship to value-creation and business strategy. Emphasis is placed on emerging scientific and technical innovations and the opportunities and challenges they present to both existing businesses and new venture entrepreneurs. The overall goal of this course is to help you to understand, appreciate and learn to manage the technology innovation process. Students examine innovation strategies, planning models, evaluation models, licensing and the commercialization process required to launch new businesses around innovative products and technologies. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

Pre-req: MS-ITE or Core MBA

This course is designed to help master's level students, often from fields outside of business, understand how technological and social innovations lead to new businesses and how those are created, funded, governed, and grown. 3 credits.

This course focuses on entrepreneurship in established companies. Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) is a process by which companies adopt a conscious strategy to encourage creativity, innovation, outside-the-box thinking, experimentation and risk taking. As a result, companies promoting and implementing CE strive for competitive advantages in rapidly changing global markets. The course will cover components of CE, developing & implementing CE strategies and managing CE. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MBA Professionals, MSA, MS-ITE

Prerequisite: Student must be matriculated and have finished foundation core. Pursues the development of comprehensive and integrated marketing plans using industry/competitor analysis, market value chains, and forecasting. An emphasis is given to business-to-business marketing situations which require an in-depth analysis of the firms' complex organizational behavior and evolving buyer-seller relationship. 3 credits. If not currently matriculated in a Manning School of Business program, please contact the MBA staff at MBA@uml.edu or call 978-934-2848 for permission to take courses.
Prerequisites:

MBA, MSA, MS ITE or MSF.

In this course students will learn and apply various marketing research techniques that will enable them to make soundly based decisions about new products or services in either an existing firm or new venture. Some of the topics covered include: assessing customer needs, estimating market demand, deciding the features of a proposed product/service and the price that would be most attractive in its target market. The course will provide students with an overview of key marketing concepts, and understanding of the statistical methodology behind market research techniques and practical application of these techniques through cases and projects. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MBA, FoundCore or MSITE or MSA

Tuition & Fees

At UMass Lowell, we believe that students should have as much information as possible up front so they can make informed decisions before enrolling in a degree program or signing up for a course.

Tuition for all undergraduate courses offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition for all online graduate courses is also the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition is priced per credit. To calculate the tuition for a course, simply multiply the per-credit tuition by the total number of credits per course. Exception: If the total number of course contact hours is greater than the total number of credits, the per-credit tuition is instead multiplied by the total number of contact hours.

Spring 2022 Tuition

 Per Credit / Contact Hour
Graduate Online Courses
(Except Graduate Online Business*, IT, Engineering and Education Courses)
 $575.00
Graduate Online Business* Courses $655.00
Graduate Online IT and Engineering Courses** $590.00

*Applies to courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST, POMS offered through the Manning School of Business

**Applies to courses with the following prefixes: CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, MECH, PLAS offered through the Francis College of Engineering. Applies also to MSIT courses in the Master's in Information Technology, Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity and the Graduate Certificate in Systems Models and Management.

The cost to audit a course will be charged the rates listed above.

Additional Fees
Registration Fee per Term $30.00
Late Fee for Nonpayment $50.00
Fee for Graduate Degree and Certificate Applications $50.00

Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.
Learn More »
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Registration

Current students can register using SiS Self-Service. New students who have not already applied and been accepted to a program must use the Non-Degree Registration Form.

You can take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

For more information, please visit our Registration Page.

New Students

If you have not already applied and been accepted to a program.
Register with Non-Degree Reg. Form

Current Students

If you have applied, been accepted to and are currently enrolled in a program.
Register with SIS Self-Service

Questions?

Email our Advising Center for assistance, or call 800-480-3190 to speak with an advisor.

Please Note: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented within this website, the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies reserves the right to implement new rules and regulations and to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, locations, tuition and fees. Whenever possible, appropriate notice of such changes will be given before they become effective. In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Applying into an Online Graduate Certificate Program

UMass Lowell Graduate Certificate Programs provide knowledge and expertise that are vital in today's rapidly changing workplace. In many cases, graduate certificate courses may be applied toward a master's degree at UMass Lowell. Most graduate certificates consist of four courses, for a total of 12 graduate credits. This is a great way to earn a graduate-level credential on the way to earning your master's.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Holders of an appropriate bachelor's degree

HOW TO APPLY?

Learn more about specific application requirements for your program of interest. When you're ready, you can apply online or download an application at http://www.uml.edu/grad.

There is a $50 application fee for all programs except engineering, for which there is a $75 application fee. NO Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for graduate certificate programs. Credits earned from a graduate certificate may be used toward a related graduate degree with the approval of the graduate program coordinator. Students who complete a graduate certificate with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better in a UMass Lowell graduate certificate program may be able to waive the GRE when applying to a related master's degree. Graduate Certificate Programs must be completed within a five-year period with a minimum 3.0 grade point average and with not more than one course with a grade below B. Courses completed for one certificate may not be used for other certificates. Once you have completed all of the courses required for your certificate, please complete and submit the Graduate Certificate Clearance Form.

For specific information regarding any of the above application materials (which may vary for some programs), please see UMass Lowell's Graduate Application Requirements at https://www.uml.edu/Grad/Process/.

Applications can be completed and submitted at any time during the year. Each application is processed — and each applicant notified — as soon as all admissions materials have been received and reviewed. For additional details, please visit https://www.uml.edu/grad/.

Graduate Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to all graduate programs at UMass Lowell is contingent upon successful completion of a bachelor's degree. In many cases, applicants may register for a course before they have formally applied into the program; however, students requiring financial aid may want to wait until they have been formally accepted into the program to ensure that their course(s) will be covered. Contact UMass Lowell's Office of Graduate Admissions if you have questions about the application process.

Please Note: Test requirements for graduate applications have been temporarily waived. Learn more.
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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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