The Jacobs School of Engineering and the Rady School of Management are partnering with the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur (IGE) to bring a compelling business program to UC San Diego M.S. and Ph.D. engineering students. The program is designed to help students gain business acumen, build new ventures, and improve career preparedness. A second track focuses on product design and development for those engineering students looking to expand on their product development experience.

Students start with a workshop that teaches them the economics and business concepts of value creation as well as technology-driven innovation, teamwork, and venture formation. This is followed by a two-course academic series on technology and market opportunity assessment and validation. Engineers and MBA students work together on project teams in the Rady School's MBA capstone project course. 

Students who complete the program will be recognized as Technology Management and Entrepreneurism Fellows. The cost of the MicroMBA is $350.00 and students in good standing receive a certificate from Rady School of Management. There is no additional tuition fee for the credit-bearing courses for Graduate students, but students may be required to pay for course materials.

Course Series

Micro MBA

MicroMBA program provides Master's and graduate students a unique opportunity to gain exposure to business concepts like operational strategy, finance, analytics, entrepreneurship, and more.

All courses will include Engineers + Rady MBA Students

Fall Quarter

Product Development Track (PD) - MGT 412 -Venture Design

Venture Creation Track (VC) - MGT 415- New Venture Development Workshop

Winter Quarter 

PD- MGT 452 - New Product Development  or 

VC- MGT 459 Topics In Innovation: Contextual Growth Entrepreneurship or New Venture Launch

Spring Quarter 

Optional Elective:

VC- MGT 496 -Venture Capital Management/Rady Venture Fund

Course Descriptions

Rady MicroMBA

This hands-on, fast-paced workshop is led by a combination of University faculty, entrepreneurs, and industry executives. Students will learn the fundamentals of leadership, customer-centered design, team science, economic foundations of value creation and capture, and project execution.

MGT 412. New Venture Design (4)

An integrated examination of competencies needed to transform innovations into profitable market opportunities. Focus on processes to generate ideas, assess which ones are viable business opportunities, and evolve them into products and businesses. Letter grades only. Prerequisites: MBA student or instructor approval or department approval.

MGT 415. New Venture Development (4)

A hands-on practicum that aims to equip students with the training and knowledge to assess the viability of a venture idea or early-stage venture. Student teams will specifically support the potential or in-progress commercialization of innovation(s) discovered by a UC San Diego or external innovator. Includes methods for conducting customer discovery and business case development, hypothesis-driven lean business model development, and market, financial, and risk evaluation. Prerequisites: MBA student or by instructor approval or by department approval.

MGT 452. New Product Development (4)

Provides comprehensive analytical coverage of the new product development process, focusing on the basic tools, methods, and organizational structures used in new product development and management. Students may not earn credit for both MGT 452 and MGT 272. They are course equivalents. Prerequisites: MGT 412. MBA student or instructor approval or department approval.

MGT 459. Topics in Innovation (2 or 4) Contextual Growth and Entrepreneurship or New Venture Launch

Advanced topics in business innovation, delivered by lecture, case presentation, and group discussion. May be taken for credit four times, for a maximum of sixteen units if the topics are significantly different. Students may not earn credit for both MGT 459 and MGT 221 if the course has the same course subtitle. They are course equivalents. Prerequisites: MGT 415 MBA student or consent of instructor and department stamp.

Optional Elective for Spring 

MGT 496A. Venture Capital Management I (2)

Hands-on experience in venture investing. Direct involvement in all stages of managing Rady Venture Fund, including applicant sourcing, initial analysis, due diligence, investment negotiation, portfolio monitoring. IP grade awarded at end of quarter. Final grade assigned upon completion of MGT 496B. Students may not earn credit for both MGT 496A and MGT 289A. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: MBA student or consent of instructor and department stamp.

Interested? Get Notified with Application Opens