Business Foundations for Engineers Graduate Certificate

4 Courses • 100% online • For working professionals

The online Business Foundations for Engineers Graduate Certificate is a standalone, credit-based educational offering designed for professionals who want to keep working and keep learning.

The program is four online courses:

  • Marketing
  • Business Law
  • Finance in High-Tech Industries
  • Management of High-Tech Industries

Gain new skills and earn a Duke credential—all without the expense or commitment of a traditional degree program.

Students who complete this graduate certificate have the option to transfer credits to the Duke Master of Engineering Management Online degree program.


What You'll Learn

While a Duke online student, you’ll interact with faculty and fellow students through our distance learning technology, which includes:

  • Virtual onboarding and online welcome to Duke
  • Asynchronous, high-definition streaming of class video
  • Practical, relevant course content

Course Descriptions

510: Marketing

This course examines core concepts in marketing and marketing-oriented management. It develops competence in modern marketing techniques and their application in the design, development, and commercialization of new products and services in rapidly changing markets. The class combines lectures and cases, many of which focus on technology-based products and services. Students learn the frameworks for analyzing market opportunities and product potential. Other topics include consumer behavior, product management, pricing strategies, direct and online selling, branding, channel management, and promotions. 3 credits. (Fall Semester)

520: Intellectual Property, Business Law, and Entrepreneurship

Intellectual Property, Business Law, and Entrepreneurship provide students with the legal and fundamentals to protect their business ventures and intellectual property. The course is divided into three modules. The first module focuses on the implication of decisions made at the formation of business ventures. The second module focuses on the patent process in which students write their own patents. The third module focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of patents, copyrights, and trade secrets. Other topics include principle-agent relations, governance of small companies, mergers and acquisitions, contract law, patents in foreign countries, and corporate take-overs. 3 credits. (Spring Semester)

530: Finance in High-Tech Industries

Review basic concepts of financial accounting and finance, emphasizing accounting needed for effective financial analysis. Focus on issues of finance in high-tech industries. Emphases will include project financing, notions of options applied to internal financial analysis, allocation of costs and revenues for new high tech projects, valuing projects and valuing firms when intellectual assets are a significant portion of total level value; corporate control in high tech firms. Finance issues in mergers, acquisitions, and alliances. 3 credits. (Fall Semester)

540: Management of High-Tech Industries

Management of High Tech Industries is a case-based course that focuses on managerial decision-making and organization building. With an emphasis on professional service firms and high-tech companies, students learn to coordinate and leverage human capital. Tactical, operational, and strategic leadership is explored. Other topics include entrepreneurial decision-making, performance measures, managerial control, product strategies, management of strategic change, and competitive analysis. 3 credits. (Spring Semester)

Over the last decade, more than 1,500 students have taken Duke’s proven engineering management core courses.

Faculty With Deep Industry Experience

LaTondra Murray

La Tondra Murray

Director, Online and Distance Education
Software engineer and former technical manager for IBM.

Kathie Amato

Kathie Amato

Marketing Faculty
A marketing expert with a background in higher education, publishing and entrepreneurship.

Theodore Ryan

Theodore Ryan

Management Faculty
Management consultant whose client list includes Fortune 100 companies.


Student Benefits

As a Duke online student, you'll receive:

  • Individualized course advising
  • Engagement with outstanding peers from around the world
  • Option to transfer credits to the Duke Master of Engineering Management Online degree program
  • Optional post-program workshop and reception at Duke

Admissions Criteria and Tuition

Admissions Criteria

This online program is open to qualified applicants worldwide.

In general, applicants should:

  • Hold at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science
  • Expect to provide a statement of purpose/short answer essays, resume, letters of recommendation and participate in an admissions interview

Tuition

Tuition is paid per course.

See the latest tuition information »


Get Started

Click below to contact our admissions team or start your application. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to Apply: Certificate

Submitted Through the Online Application

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