Bachelor of Innovation™ (BI) Degree

General Information

The Bachelor of Innovation (BI) is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program. The BI™ is a family of degrees, much like a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts. It is a very structured program that consists of an Innovation Core, a Cross-Discipline Core, a major field of study, general education courses and Compass Curriculum requirements. The Cross-Discipline Core helps to ensure the breadth needed for innovation. Compass Curriculum requirements are mostly fulfilled by the Innovation Core courses. General education requirements are determined by the College and department in which the major is offered.

The Colleges of Business, Education, Engineering, and Letters, Arts, and Sciences all offer BI degrees.

The minimum number of credit hours needed to graduate with a BI degree is 120 credit hours. At least 45 hours of the total must be upper division (3000+ level) credit. Some BI degrees require more than 120 hours to graduate. Please see each program’s catalog page (below) or webpage for more information.

Bachelor of Innovation Courses

The Innovation Core

The Innovation Core consists of eight courses that are required for all BI degrees. The courses are geared toward developing skills in innovation and entrepreneurship. A key component is multi-disciplinary team activities over the sophomore, junior and senior years. The courses for the Innovation Core total 24 credit hours and are listed below.

Cross-Discipline Cores

Each Cross-Discipline Core is a concentration of five courses from one “cross over” area outside of the designated major. Students select one Cross-Discipline Core to complement their education and career goals. The courses provide basic knowledge, appreciation and experience about what professionals in that area do, and sufficient background to effectively interact in that domain. The courses for each Cross-Discipline Core total 15 credit hours and are listed below. Open each expandable link for more information.

BI Business Core
(for non-Business majors)
BI Creative Communication Core
(for non-LAS majors)
BI Engineering Technology Core
(for non-Engineering majors)
BI Globalization Core
(for any BI major)
BI Inclusive Education Core
(for non-IECE majors)
BI Custom Core
(for Veterans and Transfer students only)

BI Major Fields of Study

Thirteen majors are included in the the Bachelor of Innovation program. The major is a subject in which to specialize and typically requires one-third to one-half of the credits required for the degree. The majors included in the BI degree are listed below.