Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate

Certificate director: Rajit Manohar

This certificate provides engineering students with training at the interface of engineering and technology development, with an emphasis on translating technical ideas into practical applications. The program focuses on contexts in which engineering design, analysis, and innovation are central, including technology-driven ventures, mission-oriented projects addressing societal needs, and technical innovation efforts within established organizations such as industry, government, and research institutions. These skills are increasingly important for engineering students, who must understand how technical decisions influence feasibility, implementation, and scale. Accordingly, the certificate emphasizes the engineering aspects of technology innovation and deployment, rather than general business or management instruction.

Students from any engineering major can participate as long as their entrepreneurial emphasis is in one of the majors participating in the certificate program. The initial list of participating majors is Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

REQUIREMENTS

See Links to the attributes indicating courses approved for the certificate requirements.

Students must complete five courses (5 credits), one of which must be ENAS 2170.  The remaining four courses fall into specific categories, and students must complete one course (1 credit) from each category.

​Approved courses are tagged with the attributes indicated and are searchable in Yale Course Search.

In addition to the course requirements, each student must attend and participate in three experiential units from the following list. Additional events may be found on the certificate website.

  • An internship in an entrepreneurial group (startup company, non-profit, or innovation organization) (3 units if it is a multi-month internship)
  • Participation in the semester-long Hillhouse Fellows program (3 units)
  • Attending the Engineering Dean’s Speaker Series (1 unit per two speakers)
  • Participation in the Tsai City Accelerator (3 units)  

No more than two course credits may overlap in the fulfillment of the requirements of the Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate and of a major, a simultaneous degree, or another certificate. Additionally, no course credit may be applied toward the requirements of more than two curricular programs. For example, the same course credit may not be used to fulfill the requirements of two certificates and a major. Approved graduate and professional school courses may count toward the certificate. Non-Yale courses may not count toward the certificate. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must achieve a grade of C or above.

Credit/D/Fail No course taken Credit/D/Fail may be applied toward the requirements of the certificate.

Outside credit Courses taken at another institution or during an approved summer or term-time study abroad program may count toward the certificate requirements only with prior director approval. 

Declaration of Candidacy

Students must submit an application. On the application, they will be asked to include the major they have selected for entrepreneurial emphasis, their tentative plan of coursework to complete the certificate requirements, and a short list of faculty who would be willing to evaluate their project. If the application is approved, the certificate director will notify the University Registrar's Office to add the certificate requirements to students' Degree Audits.

Summary of requirements

Number of courses 5 course credits

Specific course  ENAS 2170

Distribution of courses 1 product management course, 1 design course, 1 organization/planning course, and 1 technology course as specified

Additional requirements attendance of 3 experiential units, as specified, and submission of a 1–2 page write-up for each