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Creative thinkers bring new ideas to life. Emerging entrepreneurs seek out change, innovation, and connection. They embrace critical thinking and seek continuous improvement. At Northeastern University, we want to inspire this kind of thinking. We encourage our graduate students from all academic backgrounds to explore their drive for innovation.

Program Overview

  • Program Structure: Full-time or part-time
  • Class Schedule: Courses are primarily offered Monday–Thursday during the evening. Students may take one course online. International students must complete all of their classes on campus.
  • Time to Complete: May be completed over the course of just two semesters, or spread out over as long as three years. The length of the program will depend on your course selections. International students must take five courses over an eight-month period to be visa compliant.

Unique Features

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'Just In Time' Learning

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'Just In Time' Learning

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'Stackable' Credentials

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'Stackable' Credentials

Study on your own terms.  Start your Graduate Certificate in Innovation Management at a time that works for you. You can enter the program in January, May, or September. You can also choose to enroll in a class just one night a week or accelerate the program by taking a heavier course load each semester.

Build toward something more. The Graduate Certificate in Innovation Management is a unique opportunity to quickly gain fundamental business knowledge and earn a graduate-level credential from a top ranked university. Our entrepreneurship program has been ranked #9 by The Princeton Review. And that’s just the beginning.

When you are ready to pursue a full graduate degree at Northeastern University, the credits you earn during the certificate program may be applied to eligible D’Amore-McKim master’s programs, including the Part-Time MBA. This is a valuable opportunity to turn your career-impacting graduate certificate into a more advanced professional credential.

Admissions

  • GMAT Required? No.
  • Where do I apply? Apply using this application.
  • Interview required? International applicants who are not native English speakers must demonstrate English language proficiency. You may demonstrate this in one of two ways: submit your test score from TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or PTE academic; or complete an intake interview.

There are three entry terms each year in January, May, and September.

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Deadlines & Decisions

Find the deadlines and decision dates you need to know. Submit your application by the earliest date possible for priority consideration.

Please visit the Northeastern Student Financial Services page. Click the dropdown under “Graduate Programs” and you’ll find the cost per credit listed next to “D’Amore-McKim School of Business Programs.”

Curriculum

Required Course

Explores the challenges and processes for harnessing technological innovation for new-business development. Integrates technology strategy, innovation in marketing, product development, and organization design for the purpose of enterprise growth. Through readings, cases, and exercises, studies how firms from different industries gain competitive advantage through distinctive products and services, and leverage their technologies and skills into new emerging markets. Also focuses on processes for conceiving, financing, and organizing new ventures.
ENTR 6200 | 3 credits

Elective Courses (Select 3 to 4)

Course offerings vary each semester.

Gives students the opportunity to build a complete business plan for new high-potential ventures. Covers all aspects of the planning process, from the point of view of both the prospective entrepreneur and the potential investor. Explores the demands of the entrepreneurial career through reading, self-assessment exercises, and group projects. Guest speakers from startup companies, law firms, and venture capital firms provide a window on current experiences in the small-business world. Recommended for prospective entrepreneurs as well as others who may become involved with new ventures.
ENTR 6212 | 3 credits
Designed to provide students with an in-depth exposure to entrepreneurship in the social sector, a rapidly growing segment of the global economy. Uses the case method to expose students to leading entrepreneurs who have developed and implemented business models to solve social problems such as extreme poverty, disease, illiteracy, and economic and social dislocation. Focuses on uniquely creative and driven people who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in the lives of others through values-based entrepreneurship.
ENTR 6214 | 3 credits
Introduces major topics in the modern understanding of business models: their essence and role in securing competitive advantage, key components and design of business models, business model change and innovation, technology commercialization through sustaining business models, financial representation of a business model, and validation of developed business models.
ENTR 6218 | 3 credits
Explores the unique challenges and strengths of family firms. Uses a learning framework with particular emphasis upon the insights and lessons learned by successful family business leaders. Offers students an opportunity to heighten their awareness of themselves concerning their roles in the family firm and their future career plans, as well as to develop key leadership skills associated with strategic planning and implantation within family enterprises. Explores particular functional issues unique to family firms in the areas of marketing, finance, control and human resource management, as well as family and business governance.
ENTR 6220 | 3 credits
Reviews the key theories and tools needed to understand how technological change creates new markets and prompts new business models, how technology-based firms can outcompete rivals in fast-growing markets characterized by high uncertainty, and how the evolution of technology in an industry affects the type of firm capabilities needed to succeed over time.
ENTR 6222 | 3 credits
Introduces the major areas of the legal environment for innovation and new ventures and their relationship to early stage decisions and product and business development. Analyzes the nature, practical impact, and competitive usefulness of laws in the areas of intellectual property, contracts, employment, e-commerce, regulatory compliance, and entity formation. Offers students an opportunity to integrate and apply their understanding of legal, financial, business, technology, and ethical factors; sharpen their analytic skills; and use their skills and understanding to recognize opportunities for adding value and managing risk.
ENTR 6224 | 3 credits
Offers students an opportunity to analyze whether, why, and how multibusiness corporations expand their operations into new business areas by questioning decisions to grow globally through mechanisms such as acquisitions or alliances. Uses rigorous case-based discussions, expert readings, and major current events to discuss issues related to the choice of make, buy, or partner. Offers students an opportunity to evaluate how these different corporate entrepreneurial strategies are used to help firms be more competitive and innovative. 
ENTR 6225 | 3 credits
Uses digital mashups, iterative design, and “play” to unlock creative potential in the way products and services work for customers. Based on the principle that innovation is a discipline that is capable of being learned and being practiced and that arts-based learning and design thinking can unlock creative potential and foster an environment that encourages innovation. A team-based group project applies the principles of iterative design introduced in this course.
ENTR 6293 | 3 credits
Covers the legal environment in which businesses operate and its impact on businesses and their transactions. Exposes students to a variety of legal concepts and topics, such as corporations and other legal entities; contract law, mergers and acquisitions, e-commerce, and other types of business transactions; intellectual property; compliance with securities, consumer products, and other regulations; debtor-creditor relations, employment, and agency law; torts and strict liability; and the international legal environment. Addresses the complementary application of legal, financial, business, and ethical analysis to business management and decision making. Offers students an opportunity to sharpen their analytical and critical thinking skills, to develop a manager’s understanding of laws and the legal system, and to use those skills and understanding to create opportunities for adding value and managing risk.
MGMT 6210 | 3 credits
Focuses on the challenges and decisions new-product managers face as they take ideas through the new-product-development process. Companies need to create, develop, and market new products and services continually to compete effectively in a rapidly changing environment. Provides an overview of the new-product-development process, with an emphasis on customer involvement in this process. Provides detailed insights on such topics as new-product strategy, idea generation, idea selection and evaluation, concept development and testing, product development and testing, and market testing.
MKTG 6214 | 3 credits
Covers the role emerging technologies play in innovation for new ventures and established corporations. Includes a mix of theory and practical knowledge. Topics covered include technology disruption, diffusion, life cycles, and research-and-development strategy. Explores, in detail, the technical and market opportunities for current and emerging technologies across a broad spectrum of industries.
TECE 6222 | 3 credits
Examines the specific situation of entrepreneurial marketing. Topics include how to perform a market analysis when there are limited resources and tight schedules to be met. Also addresses new market situations, opportunity assessment, customer segmentation, going to market, and writing a marketing plan.
TECE 6230 | 3 credits
Covers the intersection of customer research with product design, specifically lean design and how to map abstract attributes that customers seek into concrete product designs that can actually be built. Other topics include managing the technology business interface, creating product teams, and drafting product development plans. 
TECE 6250 | 3 credits
Covers topics specific to managing a business or a strategic business unit within a firm. Considers the special issues related to technology-based firms. Topics include creating a culture, operations planning, staffing for technical excellence, dealing with technology vendors, dealing with advisers, supply chain management, and writing operations plans. 
TECE 6300 | 3 credits
Focuses on the personal skills an entrepreneur needs to lead and persuade others. Students read about and complete exercises on leadership and selling ideas. In addition, students meet members of the entrepreneurship community in New England. Stresses communications skills, both written and oral, along with self-discovery of leadership style.
TECE 6340 | 3 credits

The curriculum is subject to change by D’Amore-McKim faculty. Course offerings may vary by semester.

Get in touch

Jelena Pejic

Jelena Pejic

Recruitment Manager

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Upcoming Future Student Events

Dec 8

Join Admissions representatives for an informal, webinar information session to learn what makes the D’Amore-McKim Graduate Certificate Programs distinctive and the ins-and-outs of the application process.

Jan 14

Join Admissions representatives for an informal, webinar information session to learn what makes the D’Amore-McKim Graduate Certificate Programs distinctive and the ins-and-outs of the application process.

Feb 18

Join Admissions representatives for an informal, webinar information session to learn what makes the D’Amore-McKim Graduate Certificate Programs distinctive and the ins-and-outs of the application process.

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