General Information

This program is restricted to off-campus professionals who are not in a University of Illinois on-campus degree program. On-campus students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign wishing to pursue the BME certificate must enroll in on-campus courses and should visit the TEC Web site for certificate details.

The Business Management for Engineers (BME) certificate consists of a sequence of courses that concentrate on the principles and practice in business concepts and management skills designed help to build the aptitude of engineers in this area; an expertise that is inherently necessary for successful managers and leaders.

This program is designed to provide a multiplier effect on the value of an engineering bachelor's degree by providing engineers with the understanding and the tools to propose and/or lead initiatives, and participate in the process of innovation and market adoption within corporate environments. It offers students the opportunity to explore the ways that technological innovations are created and adopted throughout the modern world.

Business Management for Engineers courses are taught by Fortune 500 executives, leading innovators in engineering, top legal experts, and distinguished academics.

Program Requirements

BME course numbers and titles have been updated over the past few years. We are therefore now only listing the titles of each course. Please contact ocee@illinois.edu if you have any questions about the applicability of courses you've taken in a previous semester.

Please note that one course cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of more than one certificate. It is not currently possible to earn both the BME and STM certificates. Individuals who wish to obtain a certificate in Business Management for Engineers must:

• Hold a bachelor's degree
• Complete the BME form to indicate your intent to pursue the certificate
• Complete any combination of the following courses for a total of at least six credit hours:
• Finance for Engineering Management (2 hours)
• High-Tech Venture Marketing (2 hours)
• Technology Innovation and Strategy (2 hours)
• Managing Advanced Technology in Industry (1 hour)
• Case Studies in Managing Advanced Technology in Industry *** (1 hour)
  

Although Financial Statement Analysis is no longer offered online, it will still count toward the certificate.

*** Case Studies in Managing Advanced Technology in Industry will be offered for the last time in Summer 2010. If you have not taken its prerequisite, Managing Advanced Technology in Industry, Case Studies in Managing Advanced Technology in Industry will not be an option for the foreseeable future.

• Earn at least a B- in each course
• Submit the following materials upon completion of coursework (please allow 4-6 weeks after receipt of materials for processing):
  
  • Application form
  • BME course grade report from the Self-Service system.
  • Processing fee: $65 check made payable to the University of Illinois
    
  
  All materials must be submitted to the Technology Entrepreneur Center (TEC).

  Room 350 Coordinated Science Laboratory
  1308 West Main Street
  Urbana, IL 61801-2307
  Attn: TEC - Certificate Programs
  

Courses completed as part of the BME certificate, may be applied to a graduate degree. We currently offer a Master of Computer Science (MCS) and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) online. Up to 12 hours of course work completed prior to being admitted to the Graduate College, with a grade of at least a B, may be petitioned to count toward a graduate degree (courses must be no more than five years old prior to admission to the Graduate College). Admission to a certificate program is not a guarantee of future admission to a degree program.