ITE 501: Introduction to Communication and Networking

This course is designed to give students a foundational understanding of how electronic communication systems and networks are built, their capabilities, modern systems and how systems evolve. Students will learn the basic elements of both communication systems and networks using the industry terminology and key metrics that describe them. Students will be able to describe systems using the commonly used ISO “layered” abstraction model from physical connections through application-level information exchange. Building upon these core understandings the student will be able to describe the Internet and upcoming 5G Wireless networks using the terminology and tools they’ve learned. The course will also build upon the technical material to describe non-technical forces that have governed the history and evolution of systems such as Industrial competition, International and country-specific standards, backward compatibility and Security.

ITE 502: Introduction to Launching a Technology Business

This course has two primary objectives: (1) to provide an understanding of the formation and financing of startups and other small businesses, and (2) to provide a foundational understanding of the principles of finance and how they relate to business entities. Students will learn how funding from angel investors, venture capital funds, private equity funds, and corporate partners finds its way to entrepreneurial pursuits. Methods of valuation and the distinct concerns and points of view of the business and the potential investors will be analyzed and understood. Topics include the time value of money, risk and return, cost of capital, capital market efficiency, capital budgeting, cash flow projection, and firm valuation. Students will also learn the accounting principles, conventions, and concepts underlying financial reporting with the objective of developing the ability to analyze and interpret financial statements. At the end of the course, students will be led through a structured “hackathon” process that assists them in the process of converting an idea into a viable startup launch strategy.

ITE 510: Principles of Cloud and Mobile Computing

The objective of this course is to give students a foundational technical and business understanding of cloud and mobile computing. Students will learn about basic tradeoffs between Centralized vs. Distributed computing. They will understand how and why today’s computing, networking, and ubiquitous network technologies created today’s cloud computing paradigm. Students will understand how software operating systems, and “stacks”, evolved with the hardware to create changes in the software “unit of deployment” and how this drives efficiencies and lower prices. Students will analyze the business offerings of leading cloud computing suppliers and write a simple program to run on one of the cloud services. Finally, students will look at an example emerging application and describe “use cases” to identify considerations for partitioning the workload between central (cloud) and distributed (mobile or IoT) devices.

ITE 520: Principles of Connectivity

This course is an introduction to the emergence and proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) and its impact on Cybersecurity. IoT has evolved well beyond its initial value proposition as a way to understand the flow of goods and services using RFID tags, to transforming physical systems consisting of sensors, actuators, and controllers into a complex network of connected devices. Along the way, simple open source computing engines with diverse I/O portfolios, such as Arduino® and Raspberry Pi®, as well as proprietary embedded processors such as the Qualcomm Dragon Board® have enabled the development and implementation of diverse IoT applications. In this course, students will be introduced to the history of IoT, key developments in the field, and advances enabled by IoT technologies in markets such as home and building automation, wearables and telemedicine, connected cars, and the smart grid.

The proliferation of IoT has also elevated concerns about cybersecurity, simply as a result of the explosion of access points in large networks. To understand such issues, students will be instructed on the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including understanding concepts of threats, vulnerabilities, and risk as the definition of “security” for a system. The course will examine types of security policy frameworks, provide definitions and examples of contemporary technical, administrative, and physical security controls setting the foundation for system engineering requirements. Common attacks and mitigations will be analyzed to provide an evaluation and comparison of common, contemporary

ITE 530: Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship

This course covers the process of identifying and quantifying market opportunities, then conceptualizing, planning, and either starting a new, technology-based enterprise or creating an innovation ecosystem within larger organizations. Topics include opportunity assessment, the value proposition, the entrepreneur, legal issues, entrepreneurial ethics, the business plan, the founding team, seeking customers and raising funds. Working in teams, students develop business models for a start-up projects that can launch as a standalone company or as an intrapreneurship team. Projects are experiential and require incrementally designing the business model and the product/service while talking to customers/stakeholders each week. The course is intended for students who want to start their own business upon graduation, further develop an existing business, be a member of a management team in a new enterprise, or better understand the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial process.

ITE 540: Technology Management and Leadership

This course is intended for students to understand challenges in managing technology organizations, choosing from different models a leadership approach that best suits the needs of the company. The course explores the value of leadership in technology-intensive environments, and provides students with the tools necessary to inculcate a positive corporate culture and instill organizational processes and best practices most suited for the organization. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to (i) make changes in their style of leadership and improve their effectiveness in managing technology organizations, (ii) implement strategy and process within their organization to increase trust, transparency, and ownership, (iii) develop best practices for the organization that are aligned with technology needs, and (iv) institute metrics and Continuous Improvement Processes (CIP).

ITE 550: Big Data

This course is based on fundamental concepts of understanding business intelligence systems and data science techniques in a managerial approach. Course topics include big data concepts and technologies, statistical modeling and data visualization, business intelligence, decision support systems, data mining techniques, text and Web mining methodologies, future trends, and considerations in data science.

ITE 560: Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 refers to the notion of a “digital factory,” where technology-based innovations transform almost every stage and aspect of how a product concept is brought to market. It covers the full range of topics from design tools and simulation environments that reduce gaps between product design and manufacturing, to planning and implementing (discrete and continuous) manufacturing lines based on Internet of Things (IoT) architecture and design principles. In this course, students will learn the fundamental concepts upon which Industry 4.0 has been developed, currently available design and simulation tools for products and services, the integration of IoT methods, devices, and controllers into manufacturing systems (also known as Industrial IoT, or IIoT), and the development of industrial TCP/IP communication and networking standards. In the final weeks of the course, students will discuss challenges and opportunities in the evolution of Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing sector. This part of the course will look at advanced robotics, software-as-service, the use of machine learning to organize and optimize global operations.

ITE 570: Sustainability

This course is designed to have students understand the fundamental concepts related to the design, installation, and maintenance of renewable energy systems. Students completing the course will have the skill sets required to analyze and design: 1) solar systems that use photovoltaics (PV); 2) small- and large-scale wind systems; 3) energy systems consisting of renewable generation and energy storage technologies; 4) smart grid technologies in transmission and distribution; and 5) building systems including lighting and HVAC. In addition, they will develop problem-solving skills in sustainable energy and energy efficiency and explore future trends in energy systems to understand opportunities and obstacles present in the creation of energy technology ventures.

ITE 580: Venture Financing and Exits

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, and Exits (M&A) from the perspective of the suitor and target business executive. The course will cover the key aspects of the M&A process including corporate strategy, IPO’s, target selection and screening, valuation, deal negotiation, legal concerns, due diligence, pre-closing activities, announcement, integration, and reporting.

ITE 590: Capstone Experience (Customer and Market Discovery)

As individuals rise in an organization, they get a wider view of responsibilities, Entrepreneurship Projects in Connectivity are proposed by individuals, small groups, or faculty members and must be approved by the MITE Faculty. Students will be required to apply knowledge and skills learned throughout the Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship curriculum.

ITE 595: Capstone Experience (Customer Validation and Product Strategy)

Entrepreneurship Projects in Connectivity are proposed by individuals, small groups, or faculty members and must be approved by the MITE Faculty. Students will be required to apply knowledge and skills learned throughout the Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship curriculum.

ITE 599: Capstone Project Experience (Business Modeling and Venture Launch)

Entrepreneurship Projects in Connectivity are proposed by individuals, small groups, or faculty members and must be approved by the MITE Faculty. Students will be required to apply knowledge and skills learned throughout the Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship curriculum.