CLASS
These classes are taught by faculty from the Colleges of Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, and Physical & Mathematical Sciences. This variety of backgrounds in technological innovation and management is critical to make innovation education a reality at Brigham Young University. The partnership between the fields of science, engineering, technology, and management ensure a transformational experience for students selected as Crocker Innovation Fellows.
Interdisciplinary Innovation Class
Students designated as Crocker Innovation Fellows participate in unique course designed to transform them into interdisciplinary innovators for life. The course itself has a unique format which engages faculty from across the university and stretches over a one year period (two semesters plus an internship). The goal of the course is to change the way students view the world and inspire the next generation of innovators. To this end, students who are selected as fellows receive a stipend to allow them to commit fully to the program. Students may be eligible to enroll in the program at any point in their education, with a preference for students who are entering their junior year and can commit to a one calendar year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall).
In terms of specific details, the course begins with an introduction to interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship during Winter Semester (3 credit hours). The introduction is then followed by a summer internship. Finally, the program closes with a Fall Semester of reflection and advanced innovation topics (3 credit hours). General topics include innovation across disciplines, design thinking, and entrepreneurship. Specific topics include creativity, processes of reducing risk in innovations, matching technology to market needs, and accelerating technological development. The ultimate goal of the class is to prepare students to become the innovators who change the world.
Additional Topics Covered:
•Problem recognition
•Technical risk reduction
•Market risk reduction
•Design thinking
•Technological development
•Business model validation
•Startup technique mastery
•Team building for new business
•Bootstrapping and raising capital
•Measuring new venture success
"Crocker was an amazing experience. The principles I learned have set me apart in the work that I currently do. Very few people try to build their own companies in college, and it taught me and my Crocker fellows a lot. And whatever you do in work, you're always trying to build products and alleviate pain points. These principles aren't just for entrepreneurship. I rolled out a few internal software tools at my last company because I found a pain, built a prototype to solve that, and tested it with colleagues. That skill set is just a part of me because of the rigorous training of Crocker and the BYU business challenges. I'm extremely grateful for Crocker and the amazing experiences I had there!"
Former Crocker Fellow