Sometimes combining two great things creates something even more appealing, like putting peanut butter and jelly together. Such is the case with the TechESP program, a nationally unique double major that provides the most comprehensive curriculum in technology entrepreneurship. It combines the major in Emerging Technology and Business and Design and the co-major in Entrepreneurship. The program, offered by the College of Creative Arts and the Farmer School of Business was an instant hit with Miami students.

“When I compare this semester next to any of my previous semesters or even the semesters that my friends had I know I made the right choice saying yes to this program," junior interactive media studies major Kyle McCorvey explained. "And the craziest part is this is only the first stepping stone, the growth I've had this semester was only to prepare me for more growth and I can’t wait!” 

College of Creative Arts dean Liz Mullenix noted, "The TechESP program not only provides students with highly marketable skills but comes with several benefits, including guaranteed admission into the celebrated Digital Innovation semesters in San Francisco, Luxembourg, and Cincinnati, workshops that come with built-in tech industry internships." 

Jenny Darroch, Farmer School dean and Mitchell P. Rales Chair in Business Leadership added, “This inter-divisional collaboration provides students access to coveted skills in entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation and opens the door to unique and valuable high income jobs with some of the world’s most innovative companies for our students, including a wide variety of career options in many of the most sought-after fields, across the US and around the world.”

Prior to the creation of the Fellowship, students seeking a degree path that would position them for success in starting a technology-related company or working for an organization in that fast-growing field had to navigate between the two divisions to craft a program that fit their needs while meeting university graduation criteria.

Students who are accepted into the program gain more than just knowledge – they have access to a wide variety of leadership, experiential and career-focused opportunities, including:

• A coveted internship slot in the Altman Summer Scholars Internship program, one of the only university-led entrepreneurship internship programs in the nation that wraps course curriculum and content around the internship to enhance the learning experience for students.
• Guaranteed admission to multiple off-campus programs, such as Digital Innovation programs, European Innovation Academy, Creative Entrepreneurial Consulting Design Your Life, Invention and Innovation: Walt Disney World, and/or London Interactive Design.
• The ability to create teams during entrepreneurship-focused University special events, including Techstars^® StartUp Weekend Miami, Social Innovation Weekend, the Venture Capital Immersion Program and Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), and Technology Innovation and Commercialization.
• Access to coaching from a network of practicing founders, angel investors and VCs, social entrepreneurs, technologists, and business leaders.
• An off-campus weekend event (in a regional U.S. city) for networking with entrepreneurs.
• One-to-one coaching for resume optimization.

Learn more about the program and apply!