Through the Duke I&E Certificate program, I have achieved my original goals and more. The courses have taught me how to think critically about starting/running/operating a business, business finance, strategy, and even some marketing. The I&E coursework has taken me from inside the classroom, to study away (Duke in Silicon Valley), and virtual (during the pandemic). Regardless of setting, I have deeply enjoyed learning from the faculty and connecting with peers who not only have diverse passions but also a shared interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. It was also incredibly satisfying to apply what I have learned to my I&E capstone course, where I had the opportunity to work with a real start-up client tackling the challenge of recruiting and scaling their team.
I also had the opportunity to apply what I have learned to my experiences outside coursework, including my internships and research projects. The I&E Certificate has enabled me to think more broadly about the business and societal implications of my work, and make meaningful contributions using that insight. For example, my internship at General Motors after sophomore year was engineering-focused, but I also took on the task of performing market benchmarking of an automotive feature. I dove deep into competitor analysis and made recommendations on how to improve the featureset to make the product I was working on more attractive to consumers.
My overall takeaway from the I&E Certificate program is that it has given me the skills, confidence, and vocabulary to pursue any idea. It has complemented my engineering/technical education to enable me to solve problems creatively for people, regardless of domain or industry.
