This toolkit is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in business or entrepreneurship but are not majoring in a related field. It highlights industry- and entrepreneurship-related events and opportunities, and provides resources on exploring these fields, searching for opportunities, preparing for the application/interview process, and more.

Hacking For Defense (HFD) is an undergraduate course sponsored by the National Security Innovation Network, a problem-solving network under the Department of Defense. In H4D, teams of students apply lean startup principles to validated and curated problems presented by organizations within the US military and intelligence communities. Students work collaboratively with national security professionals to rapidly address the nation’s emerging threats and security challenges.

The Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies Living Learning Community(HIES LLC) is a first of its kind community that will admit incoming students directly into the Entrepreneurship Minor. This entrepreneurial living learning community provides students with access to entrepreneurship classes, campus housing, and the McCombs business community, a credential program that is usually reserved for admitted upperclassmen students.

The Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship Certificate helps students develop skills to bring creative thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset to their goals, whether they’re interested in turning their ideas into a new venture, being part of a startup team, or bringing new ideas to established organizations. Through interdisciplinary coursework and research or internships, students gain skills including idea generation, design/prototyping, problem-solving, pitching ideas, and collaboration.

The Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits Certificate brings together students who are interested in pursuing a career in the public service sector and expanding their involvement in the community. Students have the opportunity to take coursework from a variety of disciplines that provide skills and knowledge in non-profit management, community engagement, and development. Students also gain hands-on experience through internships and research.

Texas Biodesign is inspired by Stanford Biodesign’s process of front-end innovation development, in which interdisciplinary teams of researchers, engineers, business participants, and clinicians work to understand how to use needs-driven innovation to solve medical and business problems. Texas Biodesign is a collaboration between UT’s Texas Innovation Center and Texas Venture Labs, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and NASA.

Texas Inventionworks (TIW) supports physical prototypes from idea to first article for curriculum, competition teams, research, commercialization and student-led projects.  The staff can help with almost any physical product. Visitors learn to run machines and do the work using 3D printers, laser cutters, wood and metal working, electronics and wireless. It is open to engineering students and via qualified classes or projects for other students, faculty and staff. Please connect to learn more.