COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland, a national leader in entrepreneurship education and venture creation, today announces it will offer a new master's degree program in technology entrepreneurship starting this fall.

The 30-credit, 15-month Master of Technology Entrepreneurship, available online to current and aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide, features the university's most advanced and comprehensive entrepreneurship curriculum to date, taking students from concept development and prototyping to business model generation and customer validation, as well as legal aspects of entrepreneurship, financial and innovation management, and effective growth strategies.

"As a pioneer in online education and new venture creation, the University of Maryland is empowering the next generation of technology entrepreneurs through this innovative master's program," said Dr. James V. Green, director of entrepreneurship education at the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech), which is offering the master's program through the UMD Office of Extended Studies. "In addition to our most rigorous academic entrepreneurship track, for the first time, we are pairing this enriching academic experience with the skills and relationships of the university's acclaimed startup incubators."

The Master of Technology Entrepreneurship can be completed in 15-months, with students enrolling in two 3-credit courses over five 12-week terms. The degree program is designed to fit both full-time and part-time students from anywhere in the world.

The following courses, each available online (descriptions available here), will be offered:

• Innovative Ideas and Concept Development
• Strategies for Managing Innovation
• Business Modeling and Customer Validation
• Innovative Thinking
• Creative Design, Prototyping, and Testing
• Market Development and Commercialization
• Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship
• Financial Management and New Venture Financing
• Corporate Technology Entrepreneurship
• Fundamentals of Technology Startup Ventures

In addition, students in the Master of Technology Entrepreneurship program will have access to Mtech's first online incubator, leveraging the experience and expertise in new venture formation and launch of the successful Technology Advancement Program incubator and Venture Accelerator Program.

The online incubator will include activities such as video-based coaching and advising, mentoring, networking and connecting promising startups with additional support, which could include funding introductions.

Mtech incubator graduates and success stories include two billion-dollar companies (Martek Biosciences and Digene Corporation), hybrid engine inventor PAICE Corporation, Squarespace, and more than a hundred additional technology-based ventures.

The University of Maryland has a long history of producing successful entrepreneurs, with alumni launching industry-leading companies such as Google, Under Armour, Sirius XM Radio and Polycom.

The approximate cost of the master's program is $19,500, plus books and fees, payable in five installments over the 15-month period.

The Master of Technology Entrepreneurship launches in September 2014. Learn more at: http://mte.umd.edu.

For photos related to this release, including a campus aerial and photos of current and alumni entrepreneurs, visit http://www.mtech.umd.edu/news/press_releases/masters_technology_entrepreneurship.html.

About the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech)
The mission of Mtech is to educate the next generation of technology entrepreneurs, create successful technology ventures, and connect Maryland companies with university resources to help them succeed. Founded in 1983, Mtech has had a $32.3 billion impact on the Maryland economy and helped create or retain more than 10,000 jobs. Top-selling products such as MedImmune's Synagis®, which protects infants from a deadly respiratory disease, and Hughes Communications' HughesNet®, which brings satellite-based, high-speed Internet access to the world, were developed through or enhanced by our programs. Billion-dollar companies such as Martek Biosciences and Digene Corporation graduated from our incubator. Mtech offers three experiential learning programs and 20+ entrepreneurship and innovation courses, serving 1,000+ students annually, at the pre-college, undergraduate and graduate levels.

About the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners, 49 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion dollar fundraising campaign.

SOURCE University of Maryland