Fall 2012 – Spring 2013 Registration Information

CEM 1 year program

• The CEM program begins September 11, 2012 and the Kauffman FastTrac Tech Venture program begins on January 19, 2013.
• Register for the CEM year-long program by September 7, 2012.
• Please go to registration page for more information.

Kauffman FastTrac Tech Venture Course (Spring Semester)

Register for Kauffman only by December 15, 2012

• Students who do not wish to apply for the full academic year CEM program can enroll only in the spring semester Kauffman program. Please go to registration page for more information.

The CEM program is a collaborative effort between the College of Business and the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign.

If you have the scientific skills to do groundbreaking research, we’ll help you develop the business savvy to bring your discoveries to market.

The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Management (CEM) is a program for entrepreneurially minded MD students, DVM students, PhD students, and Post-Doctoral Associates in engineering, life sciences, and related disciplines who are interested in understanding the business, economic, and legal issues in scientific and high technical start-up ventures. Participants who have the scientific and high tech skills to do groundbreaking research will learn the business savvy needed to bring discoveries to market.

CEM students will learn the traditional ins and outs of entrepreneurship, such as creating a business plan, managing intellectual property, managing finances, marketing their busi­ness, and other skills related to entrepreneurial ventures. The CEM program consists of both classroom lectures on business fundamentals and experien­tial learning (modeled on the Kauffman FastTrac TechVenture Program) by working in groups on specific innovations.

The experiential sessions will include “learning by doing” exercises based on the FastTrac TechVenture program for technical and life science entrepreneurs.  Below are experiential session examples:

• Determining market opportunities and business strategies and pursuing them successfully;
• Defining target customers;
• Developing a solid marketing plan;
• Learning to address and build a top management team; and
• Calculating the funding needed at each stage of the business and discovering the best ways to access it.

Networking opportunities offer the chance to listen and mingle with the invited guest speakers about their personal experiences.  Many entrepreneurs recommend FastTrac TechVenture for the networking opportunities and the lifelong contacts they make.

The program faculty members are knowledgeable entrepreneurs with an in-depth understanding of growing a business.  They introduce the tools you need to evaluate your venture and find financing to build a sustainable business.

The program is composed of about 60 contact hours.  It is offered for in two semesters, and is designed for doctoral students, post-doctoral students, practicing scientists, and academic professionals who want to have a basic understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the challenges of managing an academic or industrial laboratory group or business.

The CEM program consists of ten business fundamental lectures and ten experiential sessions, and runs September–April. The Kauffman FastTrac Tech Venture course runs from January-April. Completion of the program offers possible internships to further the experiential learning proces.

If this program is for you, please consider applying soon, space is limited.  Application and payment deadline is September 7, 2012 for the 1 year program, and December 15, 2012 for the Spring Semester Kauffman program.  To apply, visit the application page.  Checks and departmental CFOPs are accepted; please make checks payable to the University of Illinois.  Please see application page and tuition page for more information, including scholarship and internship information.