The Engineering Entrepreneurship Program at North Carolina State University builds upon its 30-year reputation even as it embraces new technology and experiences. As graduating seniors, most enrolled students know little about entrepreneurship and have no ideas for a product. Students immediately immerse themselves in rigorous team-building and ideation activities that include interviewing potential customers, researching their markets and competition, presenting progress to their classmates, and selecting a technology-related product for their start-ups. They report that these processes and deliverables provide a strong foundation for their prototyping and investment-seeking activities of spring semester. They also report a significantly stronger interest in becoming an entrepreneur after graduation.

Throughout the entire year, students meet frequently with their three co-instructors and mentor from a global engineering firm. Two instructors are themselves entrepreneurs in the technology sector and well connected with the broader entrepreneurial community. One instructor’s area of expertise is communications for engineering and technology. The mentors are volunteers who are able to advise students on every stage of the prototyping process. Students are required to attend entrepreneurial events and strongly encouraged to enter competitions. The courses are a blend of academic rigor and creative learning that culminates in a wide range of transferrable skills. Most students take positions with corporate engineering firms although, especially because of resources provided by North Carolina State University, others continue with their start-ups. Still others form a start-up several years after graduation.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, engineers, employment.