Everybody wants to make a positive impact in his professional career. Armed with an advanced degree in physics, I was lucky enough to land a job at a Silicon Valley research lab, working with engineers and scientists to develop advanced materials. The work was rewarding and engaging and met my need for technical creativity. However, as “cool” as our lab technologies were, I was often curious if our ideas ever ended up in a real product or enhanced someone’s life. 
It turns out the odds were stacked against us. Richard Maulsby of the United States Patent and Trademark Office estimates that less than 1 percent of issued patents are commercially viable. Surely we can do better! Industrial researchers, technology management professionals, entrepreneurs and funding agencies are increasingly interested in identifying the best ways to find the next great idea and move it to market.
A STEM degree can be a great pathway to a rewarding career, but business skills and perspective will significantly broaden your career options. Current estimates are that you will change your career five to seven times over your professional life. Hiring managers look for candidates with broad skills in addition to technical competence.
The Technology Commercialization track in the OSU MBA program can provide that perspective to enhance your technical skills, or enable a career in technical management. In the Integrated Business Project (IBP), MBA students work to develop commercialization plans for selected technologies from OSU researchers, actual startup companies and other sources. Teams evaluate markets, talk with potential customers and develop a strategic plan to move their technology to market. At the OSU Advantage Accelerator we are actively interested in the plans developed by our MBA teams for their startup potential. The skills you develop in the Technology Commercialization track will serve you well regardless of your career plans: as an entrepreneur or a technology manager, or in business development.
John Turner, Ph.D. is the co-director of the OSU Advantage Accelerator. He can be reached at john.turner@oregonstate.edu.
