The Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship (DTE) program at Illinois Wesleyan provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to conceive, develop, and deliver products and services for industry, society, and the planet. This program incorporates creative and technical skills, material science, and finance and management. Students will make product prototypes, create business plans, and develop portfolios of their finished products. They will gain familiarity with basic scientific concepts useful for product design and the creative ideation process. Students will also gain experience rendering their product concepts using technical drawing skills and computer aided design (CAD) software. They will have the opportunity to fabricate prototypes using 3D printers, laser cutters, and other equipment. To round out the experience, students will gain experience in business processes, accounting, and marketing to help them take their products to market.
Learning in the DTE program isn't just in the classroom.
All students have access to our state-of-the-art IDEA Center where they will invent, prototype, and launch their ideas into reality. You'll use new technologies, diverse equipment, and the opportunity to collaborate with highly motivated, like-minded individuals.
This annual event brings community members and students together to compete for seed money during an intensive weekend of innovation and entrepreneurship.
If you have a strong business idea, are a passionate innovator, entrepreneurially minded and interested in developing your business idea, then submit your proposal for the IWU Entrepreneurship Fellowship for a chance to receive a $5,000 grant.
Students will select from one of the three following areas of concentration:
In addition to a major in Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship, two minors are available: in Entrepreneurship and Product Design.