Courses
The 33-credit Master's in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIENT) is a highly customizable interdisciplinary program that allows you to earn graduate certificates while pursuing your master’s degree online.
As a Penn State World Campus student, you can schedule courses in order to complete the program at your own pace. Your courses are primarily asynchronous — meaning you are not required to attend online classes at a specific time. Most courses, however, will include a voluntary synchronous component to allow you the opportunity to interact with professors and peers virtually weekly or bi-weekly.
Your education will blend self-study with peer-to-peer interaction over an online learning network. You'll complete weekly assignments, readings, discussions, and occasional group work, as well as exams and other activities designed to enhance your learning outcomes, all at times that are most convenient for you.
The program is structured into four distinct areas:
- Required courses
- Final capstone course
- Primary concentration
- Secondary concentration
At least 18 credits must be at the 500 or 800 level, with at least 6 at the 500 level. Depending on course availability, you can complete the program in as little as five semesters of study, or spread out the courses to suit your personal responsibilities and work commitments.
Core Courses (12 credits)
Upon request, a Graduate Certificate in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be awarded to students who complete ENTR 502, ENTR 810, ENTR 820, and MBADM 531 and submit a graduate certificate application.
Capstone Experience (3 credits)
Primary Concentration (9 credits)
Students in the CIENT program have the flexibility to choose a concentration in either business management foundations or engineering innovation foundations.
Business Management Foundation (select 9 credits)
Elective courses for those who aspire to a more business-facing role.
Engineering Innovation Foundations (9 credits)
Elective courses for those who aspire to a more technical leadership role.
Secondary Concentration (9 credits)
The secondary concentration allows you to drill down into a specialty area to consider how the principles of corporate innovation may be applied. To ensure student success, some secondary concentrations have prerequisite course and/or work experience requirements in order to gain entrance. These requirements have been established to ensure students have the necessary foundational knowledge prior to entering the concentration. Please refer to the concentration selections below for further details.
Completion of a secondary concentration may lead to an additional graduate certificate. Some graduate certificates will require you to take an extra course outside of the 33 credits needed for the master's degree.
Accounting Foundations (select 9 credits)
If MBADM 811 is completed in the primary concentration, ACCTG 812, 813, and 814 must be completed for the secondary concentration.
Business Analytics (9 credits)
Because key concepts build from one course to the next, please plan to start with BAN 830, follow with 840, and finish with 550. Prerequisite includes previous work experience and/or academic background with statistics. Please contact the program for further information at [email protected].
Business Architecture (9 credits)
Three credits for this requirement must be selected from a pre-determined list maintained by the program. Please contact the program for course options at [email protected].
Business Sustainability Strategy (9 credits)
General Management (select 9 credits)
Students pursuing the General Management concentration may select from a list of online courses in consultation with their academic adviser. For an updated list of courses, please contact [email protected].
Management Consulting (9 credits)
Three credits for this requirements must be selected from a pre-determined list maintained by the program. Please contact the program for course options at [email protected].
Marketing Analytics (select 9 credits)
Prerequisite includes previous work experience and/or academic background in marketing fundamentals. Please contact the program for further information at [email protected].
Negotiation and Influence (9 credits)
Real Estate Law and Valuation (9 credits)
Strategic Leadership (9 credits)
Supply Chain Management (select 9 credits)
Three (3) credits must come from SCM 800. Students can choose how to fulfill the remaining six (6) credits with the courses in this section.
Supply Chain Risk Management (select 9 credits)
Elective courses and/or concentrations may change or be added to address evolving trends in the industry, current student feedback, and/or fluctuations in demand. For the most updated list of approved electives, please contact our program office directly at [email protected].
Optional Global Immersion Experience
This learning experience is designed to enhance your ability to communicate cross-culturally, adapt to evolving business environments, and manage some of the key risks and benefits of operating on a global scale. The Global Immersion trip may include visits to corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities, as well as meetings with executives and government officials to learn about international business from those experiencing it firsthand in the country you are visiting.
The Global Immersion trip and corresponding course(s) will be offered each spring. Please note that course work is required both before and after the trip. Online students may pursue the Global Immersion experience/courses in one of two ways:
- Option 1: Take BA 836 for 1 credit in a spring semester. The 1-credit course will include the trip and associated pre/post-work. BA 836 would be an additional credit on top of the 33 required to graduate.
- Option 2: Take BA 836 for 1 credit AND BA 835 for 2 credits during spring semester. Together, the 3 credits will involve more extensive course work in this subject area and will include the trip. The 3 combined credits for BA 835 and 836 may replace one 3-credit program elective course with approval. Please contact the program office with any questions.
We aim to have enough students across programs to allow students to choose from 3–4 locations each spring. Past trips for the full-time and executive students have included Johannesburg, South Africa; Shanghai, China; Prague, Czech Republic; and Santiago, Chile. The trip choices will be made by the program faculty directors based on global business climate and corporate and alumni relationships that will allow for the most fruitful experience. Please contact the program office for more details, including fee structure, upcoming dates, and locations. Please note that students pay course tuition as well as an additional trip fee to participate in the Global Immersion experience.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Ready to Learn More?
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.