Biotechnology

This course teaches business management & development skills.

Students will learn:

• Modern business practices
• How to create and use effective business plans
• To make business forecasts and scenarios
• To be effective managers
• Marketing and sales strategies
• Financial planning and analysis

This course teaches scientists & engineers how to excel in their careers.

This course includes:

• Interactive lectures
• Practical exercises
• Real-world case studies
• Self-assessments

Students will learn:

• To improve their professional abilities
• To be better communicators
• How to advance their careers

This is a cohort class for first-year MST students.

This course offers functional skills for & the improvement of organizational processes.

Students will learn:

• To manage value creation
• Effective and efficient process design
• Operational design and theory
• To plan and organize functions of management
• To carry out and oversee functions of management

This course teaches scientific reasoning, inquiry, & problem-solving skills. 

Topics covered include:

• Simple and theoretical induction
• Bayesianism
• Statistical and causal hypotheses
• Using scientific information in decision making
• Inference to the best explanation
• Science and the individual
• Science and society

Required of all first-year MST students.

This course teaches exploratory data analysis (EDA) & the R coding language.

This course includes:

• Practical exercises
• Real-world examples

Students will learn:

• To apply graphical EDA to representative data sets using:
  • Scatter plots
  • Box plots
  • Histograms
  • Probability plots
  • Residual plots
  • Mean plots
• The RStudio platform
• Standard and quantitative data evaluation techniques

No prior knowledge of the R coding language needed and you should bring your laptop.

This course assists with methods and skills needed to complete a professional project.

Students will learn:

• Realistic goal setting
• Project initiation
• To define objectives and scope
• To identify and manage risk
• Resource allocation
• Scheduling
• To keep track of progress
• Closure

This course bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Students will be able to apply diverse skills gained from their studies such as:

• Problem-solving
• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Project management
• Collaboration

An overview of the methods of chemical analysis used to characterize biological samples.

Topics include:

• Separations techniques
• Spectroscopy of biological molecules
• Immunological and enzymatic assays
• Surface analytical methods

The course covers advanced topics in cell biology. Its core is reading and discussing research papers that explore the inner workings of modern biology. It probes structure/function relationships in the cell.

It will touch on a variety of topics and techniques:

• Endocytosis and secretion
• Nuclear organization
• The cytoskeleton
• The mitochondria
• Phase separation
• Microscopy
• The "omics"

Prerequisites: "C-" or better in BIOL 2020 OR BIOL 2021

This course covers topics related to:

• Human genetics
• The mechanisms of gene and cellular regulation
• DNA structure
• Genes and mutations
• Basic cytogenetics
• Population genetics
• Immune genetics
• Risk analysis

Prerequisites: (Genetic Counseling Students OR Instructor's Consent) and Undergraduate Course in Genetics

This is a survey course. It covers the basic principles of Immunology with lectures provided by faculty who work in their areas of the field.

The final third of the course features clinical and experimental topics.

The course is slated for graduate and master students. It is open to particularly interested undergrad students. It is not intended as preparation for Med School due to its programmatic depth. Students should have some exposure to biochemistry, modern genetics, and cell biology. We encourage undergrads to complete BIOL 2020, 2030, and 3510 before taking this course.

The nervous system is the most complex organ in the body; behavior requires unique cell biology and biochemistry. The goal of this course will be to introduce core cellular and molecular processes in the main brain cell types; neurons and glia. In addition, we will highlight how these processes can go awry in neurological disorders.

Topics covered include:

• Cellular and molecular composition of the nervous system
• The molecular basis for synaptic transmission – the conversion of electrical activity by chemical synapses.
• How synapses form circuits during development and learning
• How synapses signal to the nucleus to regulate gene expression
• The role of glia (microglia and astrocytes) in brain function.
• Molecular basis of common neurological disorders
• New advanced methods to study the brain – optogenetics, human pluripotent stem cells, organoids

The course will begin with a lecture series on the fundamentals of stem cell biology and the use of stem cells, in particular induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), as models for the study of development and disease. Following the lecture series, each student will present a journal article related to a lecture topic, and write the Specific Aims page of a hypothetical grant application based on one of the discussion papers. Lab sessions will provide students with practical hands-on techniques required for reprogramming, culturing, and cryopreserving iPSCs.

This course will focus on biochemical and biophysical approaches to studying proteins and their functional interactions.

Topics covered will include:

• Protein-ligand interactions, cooperativity and allostery
• Protein folding and design
• Spectroscopic techniques
• Analytical ultracentrifugation
• Calorimetry
• Biosensors
• Proteomics approaches
• Protein structure prediction

Prerequisite: MBIOL 6410 or BLCHM 6410 or equivalent.

This course provides an integrated approach to the applications of X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy in structural biology. Topics covered include basic theory and the application of methods of structure determination.

This half-semester course will begin with a review of carbohydrate and lipid metabolic pathways, with an emphasis on an integrated understanding the pathways and what is known about their regulation. The course will progress to an in-depth analysis of current research in specific areas of nutritional sensing and metabolic regulation.

How cells decode the information in their genomes and regulate the processing, localization, and degradation of RNA and proteins. Exploration of the role of gene expression in cell differentiation and disease. Reading from the current research literature. It is recommended that BIOL 2030 is completed prior to taking this course.

Prerequisites: "C-" or better in BIOL 2020 OR BIOL 2021

The course will address advanced topics in cell biology, probing structure/function relationships in the cell. Among the topics covered are endocytosis and secretion, nuclear organization, they cytoskeleton, the mitochondria and phase separation. We will also touch on cutting edge techniques, ranging from microscopy to 'omics. A central component of the course is reading and discussion of primary research papers, giving an insight into the inner workings of modern biology.

Prerequisites: "C-" or better in BIOL 2020 OR BIOL 2021

Advanced Genetics covers the fundamentals of classical genetics and genetic analysis in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Classical genetics encompasses the mechanisms of inheritance and the behavior of genes and chromosomes in somatic cells and germ cells. Genetic analysis is a branch of biological investigation that uses mutations and mutant phenotypes to study the function and behavior of cells and groups of cells, in isolation and in a developmental context. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes have different modes of inheritance and significant differences in gene regulation and in their cellular biology. Prokaryotes provided the foundational discoveries of molecular biology and continue to be a source of new genetic tools and biological understanding with health and ecological relevance. Modern eukaryotic genetics blends the tools of molecular biology, cell biology and classical genetics to investigate gene and cell function in complex organisms.

This course is designed for life science graduate students with a perhaps rusty background in mathematics and statistics who wish to become real practitioners of the art of modern statistics. The course is based on the R programming language.

This half-semester course welcomes students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to the University of Utah’s Biological Chemistry Graduate Program. Our goal is to ensure that all students will have a solid foundation in nucleic acid biochemistry, protein structure and function, and bioorganic and biophysical chemistry as you start your first year of graduate school. Basic content will be provided as pre-work and in-class time will be spent discussing and applying these concepts to data interpretation, problem-solving, and the primary literature.

This course is designed to help students succeed in the biomedical industry by providing students with a solid understanding of current government regulations and how to apply them. This course places special emphasis on US medical device regulations. The course stresses the practical, hands-on, project-based learning by analysis of real-world case studies, preparation of actual regulatory submissions, and communication with industry professionals. This is a stand-alone course and does not require continuation in Regulatory Affairs II - Drugs, Biologics, and Combination Products.

Cells have a remarkable ability to continuously sense, integrate, and store relevant physiological and biological information throughout their lives. They integrate many signals that surround them, and execute complex cellular behaviors based on these inputs. These attributes can be harnessed and manipulated using synthetic biology to tightly control gene expression in dynamic patterns, in addition to programming cells to sense, respond, and record changes in their microenvironment. Altogether, approaches in synthetic biology can be used to reprogram cells in rational and systematic ways to produce predictable and robust cellular behavior for many biotechnology applications. This new course will introduce advanced undergraduate and graduate students to the principles of genetic engineering, synthetic biology and the design of biological machines. We will discuss parts, devices and systems in DNA assembly for genetic engineering and synthetic biology applications. Students will learn about network structure, pathway engineering, and ultimately understand how synthetic networks can be simulated, built, and tested in a real organism. Specific topics will include various ways to control gene expression in biological systems, and examples will be discussed to demonstrate how intracellular components interact to give the observed biological behavior. Specifically, we will discuss engineering cellular Boolean logic gates, biosensors, endowing cells with memory, switches, oscillators, noise in cellular systems, feedback, and computational modeling of cellular networks.

In this course, for graduate and advanced undergraduate students from the Colleges of Engineering, Sciences and Pharmacy and the School of Medicine, we will discuss:

• Technologies for high-throughout acquisition of molecular biological data on genomic and proteomic scales, such as DNA and protein arrays
• Databases and large-scale datasets generated by national and international consortia as well as individual research groups using these technologies
• Mathematical analysis and modeling of these data using ideas from signal processing, numerical computation and information systems
• Biological and medical predictions made by these analyses and models, their experimental tests and their applications toward better understanding of basic biology as well as improved medical diagnosis treatment and drug design.

The course provides an overview of the current healthcare system, value based care, quality measures, guidelines and their uses, patient safety, quality improvement cycles and population health; and concludes with student group presentations. This course engages an active learning framework (lectures online, classroom devoted to hands-on activities); blends knowledge and skills; provide opportunities to see workflow in real environments; and used a case-based learning approach.

This class is Hybrid with online and synchronous lab sessions that meet online. This online introductory course will focus on vocabularies and standards commonly used in clinical and public health systems, particularly those required for information exchange and meaningful use of data. Students will be directed to the current literature and resources to gain knowledge about clinical information models and standard terminologies. Students will view online lectures and perform interactive modules that allow students to get hands on experience with selecting vocabulary, mapping concepts to standard vocabularies, creating and testing standardized messages, and creating information models. Students will learn to browse LOINC and SNOMED CT and describe the benefits of using data and messaging standards and their role for the secondary use of data for quality improvement, public health reporting, decision support and research.

This is a one half semester course that focuses on the application of organic chemistry to the study and manipulation of proteins. Topics include chemical synthesis of peptides, proteins, and peptide mimics and chemical biology methods to study the role of proteins in cell biology and signaling. Prerequisite: 2 semesters undergraduate organic chemistry.

This course is intended to provide an overview of the methods of chemical analysis used to characterize biological samples. Topics will include a discussion of separations techniques, the spectroscopy of biological molecules, immunological and enzymatic assays, and surface analytical methods.

This course will cover the fundamentals of polymer chemistry and polymer structure.

The topics will include:

• Basic types of polymers, their characterization
• Mechanisms of polymer formation
• Specific examples of polymer structures
• Applications of polymeric materials
• Advances in polymer chemistry

Three lectures, one discussion per week for 7.5 weeks. Students will be required to pass a midterm and a final exam and prepare a presentation on a topic of current interest in the area of polymer chemistry.

Topics covered include:

• Basics of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, with applications in biochemistry
• Transport phenomena
• Enzyme kinetics and inhibition
• Kinetic isotope effects
• Principles and applications of absorbance, fluorescence, and CD spectroscopies

This is a one half semester course which focuses on the mechanisms of chemical reactions involving peptides and proteins and methods for their study. Subject matter includes enzyme mechanisms, chemical modification of proteins and cofactor chemistry.

Prerequisite: organic chemistry.

This is a one half semester course that focuses on the application of organic chemistry to the study and manipulation of nucleic acids. Topics include chemical synthesis of DNA and RNA, nucleoside and oligomer analogs, chemistry of DNA damage and repair, nucleic acid-targeted drugs and binding agents.

Prerequisite: 2 semesters undergraduate organic chemistry.

This one-half semester course will cover material related to the instrumentation, fundamentals, and applications of mass spectrometry. Topics will include a discussion of mass spectrometry nomenclature, ionization sources, mass analyzers, and detectors.

Prerequisite: quantitative analysis.

Three lectures, one discussion per week for 7.5 weeks.

This course provides an overview of the principles of optical spectroscopy covering the following topics:

• Basic optics, such as light propagation, polarization, Fresnel's equations, and elementary optics
• Mechanics of optical spectroscopy, including light sources, wavelength selection, and dectors
• Sensitivity and dynamic range in spectroscopic measurements
• Advanced topics in absorbance, fluorescence and vibrational (IR and Raman) spectroscopy
• Surface spectroscopic methods based on optical waveguides, total internal reflection, and surface plasmon resonance
• Nonlinear optical spectroscopes, including second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency generation

Topics will be related to Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC)/micro-Total Analysis Systems (mTAS). Fundamental topics related to scaling down analytical systems to the micro-scale and smaller will be the focus of discussions in the class. More in depth exploration of specific systems and applications will be through homework assignments and discussion of scientific articles.

Major topics will include:

• Advantages and challenges of scaling down analytical methods
• Micro/nano-fluidics
• Fabrication approaches for LOC/mTAS
• Micro/nano-scale separation methods
• Detection approaches
• Combining LOC/mTAS with macro-scale methods.

Three lectures, one discussion per week for 7.5 weeks.

This course examines all the ways we continually communicate (verbally and nonverbally, visually, and through actions and practices) about the natural world or environment around us. Environmental communication interprets and defines all that is beyond human and thus shapes individual and societal values and choices. It influences where we see “nature” and our relationship with it. The course analyzes and critiques pop culture communication about the environment (advertising, food, entertainment, consumption, and leisure), environmental ideology and identity (with roots in childhood), and mediated forms of environmental communication (mass media, public relations and government).

Advanced study of science and risk communication theories relevant to public opinion formation and dynamics. Science and risk communication are central to understanding STEM issues that have significant ethical, legal, and social implications at the intersection of media and politics.

This course examines theories, issues, challenges, processes, and tools of decision making for educational leaders. The assumptions and weaknesses of classical decision theory are examined and alternative explanations explored, including examination of both formal (scientific) and informal (intuitive) methods of decision-making.

This course is a five-week overview of technology and emerging opportunities in selected industry and technological sectors. The specific content of the course varies from term to term in order to address the broad array of topics that are of interest to students in the David Eccles School of Business and the University community as a whole. This course is supervised by the Management Department but taught by faculty who will be recruited from science and industry for their specific expertise. No scientific background is required.

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to fundamental concepts and experimental approaches in the analysis and interpretation of experimental genomics data. It will be structured as a series of lectures covering key concepts and analytical strategies. A diverse range of biological question enabled by modern DNA sequencing technologies will be explored including sequence alignment, the identification of genetic variation, structural variation, and ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis. Students will learn and apply the fundamental data formats and analysis strategies that underlie computational genomics research. The primary goal of the course is for students to be grounded in theory and have the ability to conduct independent genomic analyses.

This course covers topics related to human genetics and the mechanisms of gene and cellular regulation, DNA structure, genes and mutations, basic cytogenetics, population genetics, immune-genetics, and risk analysis.

Prerequisites: (Genetic Counseling Students OR Instructor's Consent) AND Undergraduate Course in Genetics.

This course will educate physicians and graduate students on the fundamentals of biochemical genetics. Includes inborn errors of metabolism and several common disorders, such as diabetes and hypertension, which have biochemical bases correctable by diet or other medical intervention. Provides overview of biochemical pathways, practical experience on how the biochemical pathways can be studied in vivo and in vitro, the molecular bases of common metabolic problems, the mechanism of inheritance including recurrence risk, and how to rationally treat metabolic blocks.

Prerequisite: College level biochemistry.

Advanced topics in database theory and design, including hands-on development of a working database system.

Topics covered include:

• The relational database model
• Foundations in relational algebra
• Design techniques
• SQL
• Distributed databases
• Multimedia databases
• Knowledge bases

This half-semester course welcomes students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to the University of Utah’s graduate Molecular Biology Program. We strive to ensure that all students will have a strong foundation in nucleic acid metabolism, gene expression, protein structure and function, genetics and cell biology as you start your first year of graduate school. Basic content will be provided as pre-work and in-class time will be spent applying these concepts to data interpretation, problem-solving and model-building. Content experts will join the course directors to ensure both a consistent course structure as well as cutting-edge expertise and an opportunity to meet several faculty. We will work to create a supportive learning environment where all students can actively participate.

Contemporary problems in Mechanical Engineering.

This course examines processes and techniques of negotiating in organizational settings. Students develop negotiation skills through extensive case analyses, role-playing, and simulations. Negotiations examined in the class include negotiating between individuals, buyers and sellers, bosses and subordinates, departments and groups, and large collectivities such as labor and management. There is a fee for this class to cover the copyright costs of the negotiation exercises.

This course is designed to expose students to issues and considerations that confront managers entering an international setting. The class does this by exposing students to issues related to ways in which cultural contexts inform different social, technological, and business norms. We will use lectures, cases, videos, and articles to learn and apply course concepts, and to understand how international management issues are perceived by different stakeholders in a variety of international environments.

This course is designed to teach graduate students the basic principles of electronic microscopy and scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy and their application in nanoscale probing and imaging, as well as single molecule detection. It is designed for improving the understanding and interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

In alternating years, this course is focused on the current understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of cancer along with how this knowledge relates to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. The complementary sister-course is focused on clinical cancer biology. It is designed for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in basic science departments with an interest in modern principles and practice of oncology. It will cover general principles and new developments in cancer etiology, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The course is organized around specific diseases, using advances in each area to highlight modern principles and practice of oncology.

This course will develop decision making abilities with data-analysis and decision models. Applications will be in the business functional areas. Students will use computers to solve business problems. Course topics will include advanced statistical analysis, regression models, decision analysis basics, and portfolio management.

Six Sigma is a philosophy and set of concrete tools designed to reduce variation in all critical processes to achieve continuous and breakthrough improvements that impact the bottom line of organization and increase customer satisfaction. In this course, we will study the five phase DMAIC (Design-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) approach in detail with a combination of lecture, small group breakout sessions, and hands-on practice. Course topics will include a review of statistics, process improvement tools, statistical process control, measurement system evaluation, capability analysis and design of experiments. Statistical software such as Minitab will be required and used throughout the class.

Prerequisites: 'C-' or better in OSC 6040 

Project management has become the way of life in many industries. Whether it is development of a new product, organizational-wide implementation of a new IT tool, or execution of a merger, project management skills are required to manage cross-functional teams subject to strict deadlines and tight budget constraints. In this course we discuss all three phases of project management: project conception, execution, and closure. Issues related to project leadership, budgeting, and scheduling will be addressed in the course, and case discussions will highlight state of the art project management practices. Project management software will be introduced (possibly including group project using MS Project Software).

This is a survey course covering the basic principles in Immunology with lectures provided by faculty directly involved in particular areas. The final third of the course will feature clinical and experimental topics in Immunology. The course is primarily slated for graduate and master students. It is also open for particularly interested undergrad students, but is not specifically intended as preparation for Med School due to its programmatic depth. Students should have some exposure to biochemistry, modern genetics, and cell biology. It meets the requirements for the Medical Technology (B.S.) and Medical Laboratory Science (M.S.) programs.

Undergrad students are encouraged to complete BIOL 2020, 2030 and 3510 prior to taking this course.

Develop advanced understanding of scientific principles of molecular biology as applied to molecular diagnostic laboratory testing. Understand the application of molecular diagnostics as a means to assess health and disease including test selection and correlation of laboratory data to pathologic states in areas of genetics, oncology and infectious disease. Learn to assess the quality of performance of molecular testing, abnormal laboratory data, discrepant results and validity of test results.

The “Pathophysiology of Disease” course is a flipped course consisting of online assignments and in-class activities. This course builds a foundation for understanding mechanisms responsible for the development of common diseases and conditions including immune, genetic, blood, nervous and endocrine system disorders, as well as pathophysiological processes responsible for the development of infectious, liver, kidney, and lung diseases. This course is suitable for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who want to learn more about normal structures and functions of organs and systems in the body, and the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying common diseases. Online activities comprise of watching recorded lectures, studying textbook chapters and reading additional materials covering major topics of pathophysiology of the diseases. In-class activities include online material and case study discussions. This course is a preparatory course for PATH 6900 (Biochemical Techniques).

Current and future technologies used in research and diagnostic medicine are covered, including basic principles, instrumentation, and clinical applications.

Topics include:

• Electrophoresis
• Flow cytometry
• DNA technologies
• Chromatography
• Immunologic techniques

Basic course in the use of biostatistical methods in the analysis of health and medical data with emphasis on interpretation of results for research, policy, and practice. Focus on quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and the analysis of data using biostatistics, informatics, and software to demonstrate the importance of evidence-based practice in the field of public health.

The R programming language is a wildly popular tool for manipulating, visualizing, and analyzing data. This course is designed to introduce the R programming language to graduate and advanced undergraduate students who are planning to conduct research in the health sciences. Students should already have a basic understanding of statistical methods such as regression, but prior experience with R is not required. This three-credit-hour course fluidly interweaves lecture and in-class lab time; each student will need to bring a laptop to class.

Public health is a multifaceted field that aims to maintain and improve the well-being of populations. It is prudent for individuals in the profession to have a basic knowledge of the physiologic processes that contribute to morbidity and mortality. The goal of this course is to help public health professionals in training (with no background in medicine) understand that basic biology and pathophysiology behind the leading causes of mortality and disability in the United States.

This half-semester course, which is open to graduate students from departments in the College of Pharmacy and those participating in the Biological Chemistry/Molecular Biology PhD programs, will explore the process of developing therapeutics. Subject matters include steps spanning the entire drug development process from discovering active species, developing them into compounds that are suitable for clinical evaluation, assessing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and determining the efficacy of candidates in clinical studies and after FDA approval.

Chemical, physical, and biological properties of synthetic polymer, metal, and ceramic biomaterials. Relationship between the structure of biomaterials and their interaction with blood, soft, and hard tissue. Mechanical properties, fabrication, and degradation mechanisms, and performance testing of materials in biomedical use.

This course will review fundamental aspects of genetic engineering and molecular biology, with application to health sciences.

Introduction to polymer in Pharmaceutics and drug delivery. Transport phenomena in drug delivery systems. Macromolecular and vesicular carriers. Biorecognition and drug targeting. Protein, oligonucleotide, and gene delivery systems.

Prerequisite: Graduate student status or instructor consent and CHEM 7050.

The convergence of recent advances in nanotechnology with modern biology and medicine has created the new research domain of nanobiotechnology. The use in medicine is termed nanomedicine. Nanomedicine research includes the development of diagnostics for rapid monitoring, targeted cancer therapies, localized drug delivery, improved cell material interactions, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and gene delivery systems among others. Successful research and development in nanomedicine where ultimately patients and the general public can benefit from these new technologies require the interaction of a multitude of disciplines including chemistry, materials science and engineering, cellular biology, pharmaceutical sciences and clinical translational research. This course will span the spectrum of how such materials are fabricated, characterized, interact with the biological environment, used in specific biomedical applications and translated from concept to the clinic and commercialization. Topics are taught by experts in the respective areas and will include fundamentals of nanomedicine, bottom up and top down approaches to nanofabrication, conjugation strategies, physiochemical characterization, cellular uptake and toxicity, biodistribution, clinical and preclinical nanomedicine as well as special topics in nanobiosensors, nanofluidics, polymer therapeutics and commercialization of nanomedicine products. This course will count as an elective for the Nanotechnology Graduate Programs and potentially other departmental graduate programs at the University of Utah.

Survey of current statistical software such as SAS, SPSS, and R or Stata. Selected demonstrations of specialized software at an introductory level. Participants develop the skills of using statistical software responsibly and learning new statistical software quickly.

This course is designed to help students gain an awareness of legal and regulatory controls that impact organizational leaders. Students will develop an understanding of how to implement strategies to avoid potential legal liability by examining best practices in various sectors such a healthcare, consumer products, and technology. Guest presentations by attorneys and corporate executives will also provide students with practical advice on how to manage legal and ethical issues.

This course will examine ways to improve the performance of under-performing firms. Primary attention will be given to the role of strategic change or re-orientation in the turnaround process. Students will examine the role of managers in leading turnarounds. Students will also be introduced to analytical frameworks that examine how organizational levers such as structure, incentives, and measurement facilitate turnarounds.

This course is designed to acquaint students with trends and challenges of leading an organization in today’s economy and business environment. This is accomplished by reading about and discussing current leadership topics and by introducing students to weekly guest speakers; business executives, community leaders and entrepreneurs. Guest speakers demonstrate leadership style and technique through lectures, recommended readings, and presentations. This course has been developed in partnership with the Goff Strategic Leadership Center, whose aim is to change how organizations and people work by developing individuals into value creators. They do this by building a bridge between WHAT students learn in the classroom and HOW they work to drive impact as strategic leaders. Entrepreneurship requires leadership. This class is designed to familiarize students with the current challenges and trends of growing a business in today’s economy. Students learn not only through lectures and readings, but also from frequent presentations by distinguished entrepreneurs and business leaders who share their real-world experiences. This business elective has no prerequisites and is open to all majors at the University of Utah.

This course provides an introduction to Business Development as practiced in technology-focused companies. Concepts of strategy (vs. strategic planning), the role and deliverables of marketing organizations within companies that focus on business to business sales, and the fundamentals of accounting and finance that are essential for managers and other decision-makers will be presented. The course focus is on how scientists and engineers support and work with business development teams. This is a cohort class for first-year MST students.

Permission of PMST Program Director required.

This course offers strategies for effective communication and leadership that are essential for managers and other decision-makers. Students will develop skills in communication, collaboration, negotiation, and persuasion. Students will examine best practices of managing meetings, facilitating group problem solving, and consensus building within cross-functional teams that are commonly found in technology companies. This is a cohort class for first-year MST students.

Permission of PMST Program Director required.

This course focuses on the management of value creation through effective and efficient process design and project management. The course will cover operational design and theory within the planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring functions of management, the fundamentals of traditional project management and agile processes. The goal of this course is to provide students with context and tools to increase their ability to function within and improve, organizational processes. This is a cohort class for first-year MST students.

Permission of PMST Program Director required.

This course focuses on scientific reasoning, inquiry and problem solving skills. Topics covered include simple and theoretical induction, bayesianism, statistical and causal hypotheses, using scientific information in decision making, inference to the best explanation, science and the individual, and science and society. Required of all first-year MST students.

Permission of PMST Program Director required.

This case/example-based course introduces exploratory data analysis (EDA) using R. No prior knowledge of R is assumed. A primary objective is for students to apply graphical EDA techniques (including: scatter plots, box plots, histograms, probability plots, residual plots, and mean plots) to representative data sets using the RStuido platform. Additionally, students evaluate data using standard, quantitative statistical techniques. Practical exercises and industry cases are used throughout the term. Students are encouraged to bring laptops to class.

Recommended Prerequisites: MATH 1220 OR Instructor Consent.

Students will complete planning activities associated with the Professional Experience Project (MST 6975) including: identifying a project sponsor, documenting the project objectives and project description, writing a formal project proposal and formal presentation.

The Professional Experience Project is designed to give practical, hands-on training and experience in a meaningful work environment, with both science and business content. The project engages students in the issues, techniques, current practices, climate and culture of a particular industry sector. Eligible students are required to have taken a minimum of 15 credits of coursework, including MST 6010, 6012, 6020, 6021, 6022, 6023, and 6600. The project must be approved following the program guidelines. A final exam/presentation, which is evaluated on a pass/fail basis, is given at the end of the project. The presentation is open to the public. A final report is prepared by the student, which is considered a public document. The student's supervisory committee assigns a grade when the project, final presentation, and final report have been completed.