Technology Leadership Graduate Certificate

MOT 5009 - Communication for Technology Leaders (2.0 cr)

Fall Term

In the rapidly evolving domain of technology, effective communication stands paramount for technological leaders. This course focuses on developing foundational and advanced communication strategies, underscoring the importance of clear, impactful, and influential communication. Recognizing the myriad challenges and nuances of communicating in a technological environment—from risk assessment to executive decision-making—the curriculum provides a holistic exploration of theories, practices, and real-world applications. Through a combination of case studies, hands-on exercises, theoretical insights, and practical application, students will be equipped to navigate various communication scenarios as they prepare to lead, influence, and drive success in diverse technological settings.

MOT 5010 - Enhancing Technology Leadership Skills (2.0 cr)

Spring Term

This course focuses on preparing students to be leaders in the technology industry ? with a focus on understanding their personal values, emotional intelligence strengths and challenges, business and technical communication, persuasion, personal management, and impact. Critically important to success is demonstrating executive presence and gravitas when dealing with all levels of the organization ? staff, leaders, and customers. Organizations, team responsibilities, and roles are constantly evolving, and it is up to savvy technology leaders to be future-focused ? anticipating and understanding what the organization needs today ? and what it will need to grow, and change driven by the business strategies. A technology leader must be a strategic thought leader, a catalyst for change, and think through innovative and values-driven strategies for their work and their organizations.

MOT 5011 - Creating a High Performing Technology Organization (2.0 cr)

Fall Term

This course will provide the student with a blueprint for creating and maintaining a technical workforce that is high-performing and diverse, helping students become technical leaders that can effectively lead a transformation to support business strategies. This course will provide the tools and context to ensure the technology leader is creating and sustaining a culture of innovation, accountability, and creativity.

*Students who enroll in the leadership certificate this fall won't complete this certificate until next fall.

MOT 5012 - Understanding Technology of the Future (2.0 cr)

Fall Term

This course is designed to help students understand the context of technology and engineering in business and society. Tools and techniques are introduced for assessing technology readiness, cost and performance evolution of engineering products and services, and risk management in technology development. Relevance of control engineering principles and systems thinking to technological decision making in uncertain, stochastic environments highlighted. Overviews of strategic planning and technology foresight and forecasting are included. Emerging technologies are reviewed from engineering principles. Societal considerations in engineering and technology development discussed.

 *Students must take at least 4 credits of electives to complete the graduate certificate. That would be some combination of:

• Management of Technology (MOT) path electives:

MOT 8212 - Developing New Technology Products (2.0 cr)
Structured approach based on engineering principles for developing new products, including hardware, software, solutions, and services. The course covers all aspects of new offering developments including customer needs identification, idea generation, technology development, project execution, productization and commercialization. Key topics covered include design thinking; stage-gate, waterfall, and agile development processes; metrics and tools for lean-agile execution; ideation and idea funnel management; roadmapping and open innovation; and project portfolio management.

MOT 8218 - Digital Transformation (1.0 cr)
Effective methods to transform into a digital organization. Examines how a highly intentional collaboration between technology and business leaders can identify what being digital means for a company and where it is on the digital maturity continuum. Discusses pragmatic digital transformation journeys grounded in firms' experiences. Digital transformation topics discussed include machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, data science, and software/platform-as-a-service.

MOT 8221 - Project and Knowledge Management (1.5 cr)
Effective project management principles to support both core operations and innovation growth. Emphasizes practical application for effective planning and execution of complex engineering and technology projects. Leading program management methodologies covered including Project Management Professional requirements, Six Sigma, Lean, and Design for Six Sigma. Knowledge management features frameworks for evaluating knowledge assets as well as for knowledge transfer in technology organizations.

MOT 8232 - Managing Technological Innovation (2.0 cr)
Understanding innovation's role as the primary driver of business success. Critical analysis of innovation drivers: building organizations for sustained innovation, digital and large-scale transformation, bringing ideas to market in existing businesses and new ventures, and measuring and enhancing the innovation ecosystem. Engineering approaches for reducing risk for high-impact innovation.

MOT 8920 - Science and Technology Policy (1.5 cr)
Overview of the role of government and the influence of companies and individuals related to science and technology policy. Reviews and evaluates current and proposed regional, national and global technology-related public policies. Emphasis on rigorous, systematic principles for navigating the policy landscape, such as the Bardach framework.

MOT 8940 - Managing Intellectual Property (1.0 cr)
Managing technology by protecting intellectual property rights. Analyzes various intellectual property areas—patents, copyrights, trade secrets, publications, etc.—and the protection afforded by each. Leverages protection strategies based on company culture, market pace and technology maturity. Case studies and discussion centered around high-tech companies, including in the information technology, manufacturing, consumer goods, and electronics industry sectors.

• Medical Device Innovation (MDI) path electives:

MDI 5010 -  Product Innovation & Development Management (2.0 cr) 
Discover the framework for conceptualization, design, development and the commercialization process for medical products, with a survey of key steps in innovation from an engineering and business perspective.

MOT 5013 Leading the Business of Technology (2.0 cr)
This course is designed for people with a basic understanding of business principles in a technical setting and are looking to progress toward being a technology leader. This course will bring together knowledge and skills necessary to be a leader in budget, legal, pricing, marketing, and finance facets, strategies, and formulation, and consider portfolio management and business governance on a foundational level. There will be lecture and hands-on components.

• Security Technologies (ST) path electives:

ST 8220 - Vulnerability, Risk, and Threat Assessment and Management (2.5 cr)
Focus on principles, methods, and practices of threat and vulnerability assessment and risk reduction, as well as integration of risk assessment and management principles into strategic planning and decision making.

ST 8330 - Critical Infrastructure Protections (2.5 cr)
Discover an overview of risk, its definition and application to critical infrastructures as it relates to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, as well as best practices to reduce the vulnerability of critical infrastructure systems due to accidents, material failure, natural disasters, or terrorist attacks.

MOT 5013 Leading the Business of Technology (2.0 cr)
This course is designed for people with a basic understanding of business principles in a technical setting and are looking to progress toward being a technology leader. This course will bring together knowledge and skills necessary to be a leader in budget, legal, pricing, marketing, and finance facets, strategies, and formulation, and consider portfolio management and business governance on a foundational level. There will be lecture and hands-on components.

The Technological Leadership Institute’s globally-renowned faculty brings varying approaches, experiences and views to the classroom. They have real-world industry experience and come from throughout the University of Minnesota to provide a high-quality learning environment for students. Browse TLI faculty members by program:

• MOT Faculty
• MDI Faculty
• ST Faculty