A graduate certificate in Life Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Missouri will broaden the training of graduate and professional students from the fields of business, engineering and medicine, among others. A collaborative program among MU’s Trulaske College of Business, College of Engineering and School of Medicine, the program will prepare participants for a wider range of employment opportunities and provide core skills for entrepreneurial endeavors.

Students also may pursue the certificate online

Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Through an interdisciplinary approach, the program will allow graduate and professional students to receive training to translate life science discoveries into products and services that will improve health. The program will require completion of three three-hour core curriculum courses designed to cover the life cycle of a translational science/business venture, as well as elective course for a total of 12 hours of course credit. The three-course sequence will be augmented by elective course that round out the educational need of particular students.

Program Objectives

  • Know and understand the life sciences industry well enough to be familiar with terms, trends, issues and industry culture in order to be able to recognize needs that may be commercially viable.
  • Know and understand the three disciplines represented by the course such that they are able to assess the commercial viability of a life sciences technology innovation.
  • Know how to commercialize new life science discoveries into products and services to improve health in humans and/or animals.

Course Content

School of Medicine

  • Nature of discovery
  • Protecting intellectual property
  • Reimbursement models in health care
  • Research with industry partners
  • Life science methods and research tools

College of Engineering

  • Identification of clinical needs
  • Concept screening and selection
  • Regulatory pathways and the FDA
  • Patents and intellectual property basics
  • Design and prototypes

Trulaske College of Business

  • Commercialization process
  • Marketing assessment and competitive landscape
  • Technology transfer, licensing and startups
  • Sources of capital
  • Business plan and market strategy

Admission Requirements

The only prerequisite for the first course will be good standing in a graduate/ professional program or the consent of the instructor on a case-by-case basis.

Disclosures

Federal regulations require the School of Medicine to disclose whether its degree programs meet U.S. states’ educational requirements for licensure [34 CFR 668.43 (a)(5)(v)].

The University of Missouri Institute for Clinical and Translational Science State Authorization office maintains information by jurisdiction for students and prospective students on the respective institutions’ state authorization web pages.

The School of Medicine has not made a determination as to whether the program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in states outside of Missouri. Current and potential students are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the state licensing board.