Engineering Design, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Program Details

49-101 Engineering Design, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Course

This course will introduce formal engineering innovation and design methods to form new opportunities, product/service solutions, and ventures within a team-based project, with particular emphasis on the translation and integration of technologies into products, services, and venture solutions. The skills learned in this course can be applied to the for-profit sector and also in the context of projects for social good. Effective communication of ideas will also be emphasized. This semester-long course will combine lecture and studio activities. One introductory course of this nature exists for each undergraduate engineering major, and taking this course is a requirement to enter the program.

49-305, Customer Discovery for Tech Innovation (4.5 units)

This course guides students through determining the need for research, planning and executing several iterations of stakeholder (e.g., end users, customers, ...) engagements with different UX research methods, analysis of data, analyzing impact of findings on product design in technology domains. Given that extant data often are not prevalent to aid early product innovation decisions, the course is focused primarily on qualitative data, although some time is spent to source quantitative data and leverage a mixed approach.

49-306, Engineering Design Methods & Tools (4.5 units)

This studio-style course covers the critical thinking, processes, frameworks, methodologies, artifacts and deliverables typically associated with innovative product development. In particular, students will learn the Integrated Product Development (IPD) process used by the Integrated Innovation Institute: identifying, understanding, conceptualizing, and realizing a product (or service) opportunity. Working individually and in teams, students will be challenged through case histories, mini-lectures, readings, a variety of hands-on exercises, assessments, and project prompts. In addition, students will gain professional practice communicating within teams to further the work and to potential stakeholders about key decision points.

49-405, Leading Engineering Innovation Teams (4.5 units)

Innovation teams are not like other teams because innovation is different; the problem objective may have been outlined, but the team’s workflow journey and output destination are full of unknowns and un-trieds. The innovation team must be led at each key step along the way with the goal of engineering an innovation that delivers market success. Based on research and practice, this course covers leadership principles that specifically apply to leaders of innovation, which can considerably improve the chances of a successful innovation team.

49-205 Tech Venture Marketing for Engineers (4.5 units)

Designed for engineers, this course will cover key strategic and tactical marketing concepts and methods: product adoption life cycle, customer segmentation, strategic market planning and tactical considerations, with special considerations for new high-tech engineering products and innovations. This course will equip technologists with a marketing perspective, equipping them to achieve market adoption and sales growth.

49-206 Tech Business Planning (4.5 units)

Tech Business Planning focuses on the design of a technology-based venture. Students will learn to craft a business plan: fleshing out a value proposition for key customer segments, specifying how that value is delivered and by whom, designing key activities of the business, identifying business relationships, working through the cost structure, and estimating revenue streams. Students will base their business planning on information provided to them in this course (technology context, customer data, regulatory constraints, etc.) The skills taught in this applied course are relevant to both startups and to new ventures within existing organizations.

49-406 Tech Venture Formation (4.5 units)

The course will cover key aspects for venture formation: intellectual property; deal structures, term sheets and contracts; venture financing and financial statements. Although presented in the context of technology startups, these frameworks and methodologies are useful for corporate new-business-development and new-market-entry as well.

73-102 Principles of Microeconomics (9 units)

The course is an introduction to microeconomic principles and how to think like an economist. Market and policy outcomes are largely a function of individual decisions. These questions typically take the form: how much and what combination of things should I buy? When do we want businesses to go bust? Should the government fund student tuition? It is my hope that you’ll also start to think about everyday questions from an economic lens: why were bicycles so hard to find this past summer? Is Uber surge pricing just a rip-off? Is illegal streaming bad for consumers? Throughout the semester, we will build a toolkit to allow us to understand how these decisions interact and explain market successes, market failures, and the role of government in the marketplace. Toward the end of the semester, we’ll change a few underlying assumptions and address a variety of questions related to strategic interaction. Some of the topics we will begin to introduce include credible threats, commitment problems, and the strategic use of information.

Select one of the Writing & Expression general education courses listed below:

70-340 Business Communications (9 units)

Business Communications develops and sharpens your written, oral, and interpersonal communication, introducing you to common forms of professional writing and speaking in specific business situations. The course explores crucial rhetorical issues that impact your ability to communicate and achieve your objectives as a business leader. 

70-345 Business Presentations (9 units)

In this course, students prepare, present, discuss, and critique different oral presentations currently practiced in business. Topics include developing your presence in a professional setting; projecting credibility, professionalism, and authority; and planning presentations to influence business audiences. Assignments and cases will cover informative and persuasive presentations, which will vary from term to term and may include talks such as product pitches, team-driven strategic plans, and state-of-the-company addresses.

70-347 Entrepreneurship Communication (9 units, recommended option for EDIE students)

This class will give students the framework for and practice in communication skills for entrepreneurial careers. Key topics include using persuasive techniques, such as audience analysis and storytelling, to achieve the following:

• Deliver technical information to broader audiences.
• Synthesize and summarize information effectively for different audiences.
• Engage audiences in person and remotely.
• Develop their own professional personas.

70-350 Acting for Business (9 units)

Perception may or may not be Reality. But Perception is, in fact, what Influences people. This experiential communications course focuses on how you as a Leader can choose to more effectively express yourself and amp; influence others using practical, hands-on tools from Acting in professional, live Theatre. You will choose to effectively Influence your Listeners' perception of you through the use of: "Action"; Assertiveness, Confidence and amp; Expressiveness (ACE); the Visual, Aural and amp; Temporal Communication Tools; and the incorporation of The Seven Steps Of Effective Influence (or core competencies). 

Home Department Engineering Design Capstone Course(s) (12 units)

Please consult with your home engineering department to confirm the specific Engineering Design Capstone course(s) that apply to your primary engineering degree. 12 units will count towards your EDIE degree requirements.

49-420 EDIE Innovation Capstone (9 units)

In this course, students work in a team-based project, starting from an open-ended problem area and concluding with a refined product/service concept. Methods and skills from prior classes (e.g., innovation process and methods, customer discovery, engineering design) will be applied and practiced by the team. The skills learned in this course can be applied to the for-profit sector and also in the context of projects for social good.

49-421 EDIE Entrepreneurship Capstone (9 units)

In this course, students work in a team-based project, starting from a new product concept and concluding with a well-designed venture and a launch plan. Methods and skills from prior classes (e.g., customer discovery, engineering design, tech business planning) will be applied and practiced by the team.

EDIE (Engineering Design, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship) is an additional undergraduate major offered by Carnegie Mellon University's Integrated Innovation Institute. Engineering students combine product development, design methodology, and business strategy with their primary engineering degree. Graduates earn two credentials: their core engineering major and the EDIE additional major.

Engineering students already learn how to solve complex technical problems. EDIE adds a complementary set of skills: identifying which problems are worth solving, understanding customer needs, and bringing products and services to market.

EDIE combines engineering, design, and entrepreneurship coursework, giving students experience in product development, strategy, team leadership, and venture creation. These skills complement core engineering expertise and expand the range of roles graduates are qualified for.

EDIE is open to Carnegie Mellon undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Engineering. Eligible primary majors include:

• Chemical Engineering (ChemE)
• Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)
• Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE)
• Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
• Mechanical Engineering (MechE)

Students formally declare during the spring semester of their first year.

EDIE graduates combine technical competency with business acumen. While a traditional engineering background prepares you for strong technical execution, EDIE graduates also gain the cross-functional vocabulary needed for leadership and experience helping decide what gets built, not just how to build it.

This skill set is useful in competitive roles because EDIE graduates don't just understand how to build a product. They also know how to align it with user needs, construct a business model around it, and launch it into a market.

The curriculum is integrated into a student's primary engineering degree and is organized into five core areas:

• Gateway: Introduction to EDIE (49-101) — 1 course
• Engineering Design & Innovation: Customer discovery, design methods, and team leadership — 3 courses
• Entrepreneurship & Business: Venture marketing and business planning — 2 courses (plus a microeconomics requirement, which can typically be satisfied via standard general education electives)
• Communication: Approved professional communication elective — 1 course
• Capstones: Innovation Capstone and Entrepreneurship Capstone — 2 courses

Through these courses, students learn to move ideas from concept to implementation while considering technical feasibility, user needs, and business viability.

No. EDIE is structured to fit entirely within the standard elective units already built into four-year engineering degree plans.

Students can complete both their engineering degree and the EDIE additional major within a traditional four-year timeline.

EDIE prepares students for careers at the intersection of technology, design, business, and innovation—the exact space the engineering profession itself is moving toward.

Common career paths include:

• Product Management
• Product Development
• Design Engineering
• Innovation Strategy
• Research & Development
• Technology Consulting
• Corporate Innovation
• Entrepreneurship & Startup Leadership

The combination of engineering depth and business fluency enables graduates to contribute across technical, customer, and market-facing functions. These roles increasingly overlap as the engineer's scope expands beyond implementation alone.

No. While EDIE supports students interested in entrepreneurship, the curriculum is equally valuable for students who plan to work within established organizations.

The program emphasizes intrapreneurship — the ability to identify opportunities, lead cross-functional teams, develop new products, and drive innovation from within a company. Whether students aspire to launch a startup or lead innovation initiatives inside a global organization, EDIE provides the skills to do both.

EDIE uses Integrated Product Development (IPD), a cross-disciplinary methodology that brings together engineering, design, and business thinking throughout the product development process.

This approach has been central to innovation education at Carnegie Mellon for more than 30 years. Through hands-on projects and team-based capstones, students learn to move from a technical challenge to a market-ready solution by applying user-centered design, engineering rigor, and business strategy at every stage of development.

First-year engineering students can take the gateway course, Introduction to EDIE (49-101), in either the fall or spring semester.

Formal declaration opens during the spring semester of the first year, typically in March. Students enrolled in the spring section of 49-101 are fully eligible to declare while the course is in progress.

No, it’s not too late! As a sophomore, you can still declare and stay completely on track.

• Course Sequence: You can take Intro to EDIE in the fall semester. Core coursework doesn't begin until the spring.

• Declaration: While declaring alongside your primary engineering major is ideal, you can still declare during your sophomore year if your schedule permits.

• Flexible Requirements: Microeconomics and Business Communication are required for graduation, but they are not prerequisites for core classes—you can complete them in any semester that fits your schedule.