In place of a traditional master’s thesis, students in the Professional Science Master’s program end their academic journey with us by completing a Capstone project. In the course Science and Technology Management Capstone, led by Dr. Tom Bryant, students choose a science-derived intellectual property (IP) and work in groups to create "start-ups,” developing business plans to take these products to market. Through this Capstone, students become entrepreneurs, using all they have learned while completing the Master of Business and Science Degree to manage science-intensive opportunities.
With over 25 concentrations and 750+ enrolled students, the PSM program is one of the largest professional programs at Rutgers. Each group had 10 minutes to pitch their start-up to a panel of “angel investors.” These angel investors have years of professional experience relating to business, science, and entrepreneurship. Investors then had five minutes to ask questions and provide advice.
On December 13th and 14th, nearly 100 MBS students spread across 23 teams gave their final presentations. This year, presentations were held in a hybrid fashion. Students, judges, coaches, and MBS faculty could join Dr. Bryant at the Rutgers Inn and Conference Center or over Zoom.
Each team comprised passionate members who saw value in their chosen IP—and maybe even saw the ability to change the world. Projects included the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, healthcare, mental health, and more.
During each presentation, teams clearly stated a problem faced by today’s society and an IP that offers an innovative solution. They provided an analysis of competitors, target market to reach, key partners, a multi-year plan, and funding requirements. Each investor had an imaginary budget of $100,000 to allocate between the teams presenting for the session.
Congratulations to all Capstone students! You’ve achieved something truly remarkable. We can’t wait to celebrate your hard work at graduation in May 2024!