Thanks to gifts from the Clark Construction Group, Inc. and Bill Utt (SEAS ’79, ’80, Darden ’84), engineering students may pursue a minor in engineering business. The Engineering Business Minor provides engineering students the opportunity to learn how modern business organizations function. Students will learn business concepts and language that they will need to work and contribute effectively in the corporate world.
The Engineering Business Minor [EBM] is a six-course [18 credit] program that introduces engineering students to the language and concepts of business. Students take three required courses: COMM 2010, Intro to Finance and Accounting; ECON 2010, Microeconomics; and STS 4810, New Product Development. These are complemented by three electives that are offered by SEAS, McIntire, and the Economics Department.
The minor is very popular with SEAS undergrads who apply for the minor in the fall of their second year. We typically get 200 applicants, but because of the limited income thrown off by the endowment, we can only select 120 students from each class; we do so to ensure that we can provide enough seats in STS 4810 so that students can complete the minor in a timely fashion. Students in the minor generally have a GPA of 3.0 or better. We currently have over 350 students enrolled in the minor. This is about 15% of the undergraduate population, and the EBM is larger than any engineering major.
Eligibility
The Engineering Business Minor is available only to Engineering students. SEAS Students apply during the month of October in their second year. Doing so helps us match student demand with the number of seats available in the required courses. Students are selected for the minor based on their cumulative GPA and other factors.
Applications for the Class of 2025 are due by 11:59PM on Sunday Nov 6, 2022. Complete the application here.
For students who would like a head start, we recommend taking ECON 2010 or 2020 since those courses do not require being enrolled in the minor. We also suggest that you look for an internship or job during the summer that helps you to learn about careers that combine business and engineering.
Course Requirements
The Engineering Business Minor requires the successful completion of three required courses and three electives.
Students pursuing the minor should declare the minor as early as possible since COMM 2010 and STS 4810 are restricted to students in the minor. Students generally take STS 4810 in their fourth year of study.
Required Courses (3):
All students, regardless of graduating class, must take these 3 courses in the following recommended sequence:
COMM 2010: Introduction to Financial Accounting,
Recommended for either spring, second year or spring, third year
ECON 2010: Principles of Economics: Microeconomics,
Recommended for either fall or spring, first year
STS 4810: The Business of New Product Development
Recommended for either fall or spring, fourth year
Electives (Students choose three): Be sure to check SIS for courses offered for a particular semester.
The three electives, from the STS 2700 series courses or the STS 2800 series courses, can be taken in any semester beginning in the spring of your second year. Look under the “Courses” tab for course descriptions.
CE 2030: Management of Engineering and Construction Projects
CE 3010: Projects Business Planning
CE 4000: Construction Engineering
CE 4500: Special Topics in Civil Engineering: Introduction to Construction Management
COMM 2020: Introduction to Management Accounting
COMM 2600: Leadership across Disciplines (best for SEAS students in spring)
COMM 2610: Startup
COMM 3200: Project Management
COMM 3410: Commercial Law I
COMM 3420: Commercial Law II
COMM 3600: Principles and Practices of Arts Administration
COMM 3660: Business of Consulting (J-term not currently offered)
COMM 3800: Business, Government, and Society
COMM 3810: Business Ethics
COMM 3845: Foundations of International Business (requires 4th year status)
COMM 4230: Information Technology in Finance
COMM 4240: Electronic Commerce
COMM 4570: Topics in Finance: Investing in a Sustainable Future
COMM 4650: Business, Politics, and Culture in the European Union (offered May term)
COMM 4660: The Advice Business: The Basics of Strategic Consulting
COMM 4821: Managing Sustainability Development
COMM 4822: Investing in a Sustainable Future
CS 4753: Electronic Commerce Technologies
ECON 2020: Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics
ECON 2060: American Economic History
ECON 3030: Money and Banking
ECON 4210 International Trade: Theory & Policy
ECON 4350 Corporate Finance
ENGR 4599: Special Topics in Engineering: Business Intelligence
ENGR 4880: Business and Technical Leadership in Engineering
ENTP 1010: Startup: An Introduction to Entrepreneurship
STS 1800: Business Fundamentals for Engineers
STS 3020: Science and Technology Policy for Interns
SYS 2057: Management of E-Commerce Systems
SYS 3054: Argentina (J-Term)
SYS 4000: Financial Aspects of Engineering
SYS 4044: Economics of Engineering Systems
SYS 5044: Economics of Engineering