Bachelor of Innovation Degree
Everyone’s got an idea. How do you turn that idea into something concrete that will benefit society as a whole? UCCS’s Bachelor of InnovationTM (BI) program prepares students for that challenge.
This first-of-its-kindfamily of degrees grounds students in engineering, business, communications, and entrepreneurship, giving students the breadth and depth needed to take an innovation to fruition.
The BI launched in 2007 to bridge the gap that often exists between technical know-how and business savvy, says computer science professor and program director Terry Boult. Team building and real-world mentorships are as much a focus as traditional coursework. “Innovation requires collaboration,” Boult says. “To build an innovative culture, you need to get people together long enough to
respect and relate with other people.”
Already the program has earned acclaim from groups such as the American Society of Engineering Education. And BI student innovations are already making headway into the real world. As a freshman, BI student Derick Senter and his team conceived a novel idea: combat-training bodysuits that deliver kinesthetic feedback when struck by virtual “enemy fire.” After his class presentation, Senter was approached by a local entrepreneur who told him “we could actually get this off the ground.” He paired
Derick with a local military contractor, and they pursued and received a $100,000 grant to develop the idea toward market.
Derick, an Idaho native, has made another key discovery—his BI experience is opening doors previously unavailable to him. “Here, you’re pretty much a super-engineer, one who displays ideas and actually can make them happen,” he says.