An extra business course could really help engineering students, especially those looking to get into project management, product development, or even starting their own businesses. While NJIT’s engineering management course covers the basics, having a deeper understanding of things like marketing, finance, or entrepreneurship could be super useful when they enter the industry. That said, adding another full course might not work for everyone, so workshops or shorter classes focusing on specific business skills could be a great alternative. In the end, it really depends on each student’s career goals, but more business training could definitely benefit those aiming for leadership or business development roles.

I think it can be an optional course counted toward the degree, not a mandatory course though because each person has his/her own path and not that everyone will need or willing to take that course enjoyably. With that being said, the degree you are pursing does not really determine the field or the type of work position you will take on later, therefore it is hard to incorporate such course into the program. Therefore, I think it is best to make the course available to everyone but not specifically in biomedical engineering, because I guess someone from chemical engineering or biochemistry who want to open a business would need to learn the same thing, right? 

It is very true and important that taking a business course would definitely benefit engineering students entering the industry.

However, rather than requiring a full semester-long course, offering certifications could be a more effective approach. Certifications allow students to learn at their own pace while still having deadlines, helping everyone focus on the basics. These certifications are earned little by little as students pass each course, which keeps them motivated and encourages them to pursue additional certifications. Additionally, obtaining certifications can enhance a graduate's resume and provide valuable skills that are directly applicable in the industry, making them more competitive in the job market.

I do believe that engineering students should be required to take at least one or two courses on businesses and how they are run. Similar to quality control, if an engineer only thinks about the science of a product and has no knowledge of how the business will run to make the product a reality, certain decisions made early on can ruin the entire business. For example, if as an engineer/CEO, you decide to use a more expensive material to produce your product than a cheaper alternative just because it makes your product 2% better, you may fail to take into account that this price increase may decrease revenue by 200%, and now your company is making no money. Having knowledge of issues how businesses are run, even if you are not directly involved in the running, can only really help make better decisions not matter what department you work in.

I personally don't think more business classes should be offered as required classes but definitely an option for electives. You can do so many things with engineering that you don't always end up in industry. It is certainly helpful for students who do wish to work in industry, so if there was some hypothetical engineering concentration that leaned towards industry, i could see more business classes being required. However, I don't think it is necessarily required in general. However, some people could argue that they should required to get an idea of what to expect in the real world and I do understand where they are coming from. So in short, I think additional business classes are great for preparing students for the real world and preparing them for industry, but I do not necessarily think they are required in the sense that some people could just end up not doing industry after their undergrad.

I think these business courses are very beneficial for engineers that want to work in the industry. I took classes like these and they helped me learn a lot and I think they are very important. While technical knowledge is crucial, understanding the business side like budgeting, marketing, supply chains, and management will help engineers see the bigger picture of how their work fits into a company. I don't think one course is enough to learn everything but it will still be helpful for a student in the long run. It could push them to want to purse more classes in the business side of things.

I believe engineering students should be required to take an additional business course before graduating. While most engineering programs do a great job teaching technical problem solving, they often overlook how those solutions fit into a company's financial and strategic framework. Engineers do not just design products, they also work within budgets, coordinate with marketing teams, and must understand how business decisions affect product development. A deeper business education would prepare graduates for leadership roles and make them more adaptable in the workplace. For example, understanding profit margins, supply chain costs, and market demands helps engineers design more practical, cost effective solutions. 

Workshops are useful for exposure, but they can not replace a structured course that builds a foundation in economics, project management, and entrepreneurship. An extra business course would ultimately make engineers more competitive and well-rounded professionals which is something I feel employers are increasingly looking for.

I believe it would be very useful to add an additional business subject to take. The majority of us graduate with knowledge of how to design or construct things, but not necessarily how a business operates or generates revenue. Having some experience with marketing and budgeting of projects could really make all the difference for our first jobs. However, I don't think it has to be a lengthy or demanding course. Maybe just a few practical workshops that are directly related to actual engineering examples or a shorter course over the summer or winter will suffice. 

I believe it depends on the person's background, their interests, and also the depth the course takes. For example, I completed my undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in business. I took classes in management, marketing, corporate finance, and accounting. However, to me, the classes were not as effective. This is because I had taken similar courses in high school as electives and I already learned almost everything that I was learning in at least my corporate finance and accounting classes. Management and marketing were the 2 classes where I was not as familiar so I did learn a good amount in terms of background information that most people would not know unless they take a course on it. So, to answer this question, yes, it can be effective depending on the person and the class. For me, I did not see great benefit in taking undergraduate level business courses even for my minor since most of the things I learned I already had a decent background of just from reading articles/news/own self-interest. However, for an engineer who has relatively no business knowledge/background, it would be relatively effective in helping them develop this.

For the first question, I think we have to be careful only slightly when describing courses to prep for industry. While I personally want to go into industry, I think having courses that prepare a student for industry automatically assumes for the student that they want to go into industry (rather than staying in school or trying to obtain a PhD. With that said, I think it could still be beneficial to have an additional course or a workshop. that helps the student prep if they did want to go into industry. This might be asking too much, but even a workshop for recent graduates that could prepare a network for them could be beneficial too. Not only would it be instructing and prepping the student for their next endeavor, but it would provide a foot in the door for where they'd want to go. Either way, I do think it is beneficial to the student to have an additional course or workshop.

I would say that having general business class that engineers need to take can be very vital as everyone at one point will have to deal with some sort of topic in business throughout their career. By having this better understanding it can help student to see both sides of the two different world of business and engineering itself. It will also help student be more versed and be able to approach the business side with the basic and necessary skill they need for it and wont be completely lost. It can help student to have better communication and leadership skills as well. A lot of business is about how much you can talk the talk with able being to walk the walk as well. Having a basic set of classes is only going to help engineering students to be able to be better equip for industry and being able to talk with management and business parts about the work that they are doing and presenting their work in an effective way. Having workshops for the other skills can be beneficial as well, especialy for more specialized things with in business that a student may need to sharpen or hone those skill even more. 

I think most engineering students could benefit from learning a bit more about the business side of things. The engineering management class does a nice job introducing project management and basic economics, but it only scratches the surface. Once you actually start working in industry, you realize how much decisions depend on budgets, timelines, and market demands, not just the technical side of a design. I think having an extra business course could really help students feel more confident when they first start their careers. Knowing how to read a budget sheet, communicate with non-engineering teams, or understand how your project affects company profit can make a big difference early on. That said, I know most students already have full schedules, so maybe shorter workshops or guest lectures could work too. Hearing from engineers who’ve transitioned into management or business roles might make it more engaging and practical. Do you guys think learning more about business could ever take time away from developing strong technical skills?