Subject: BTEC

Term: Fall 2026

BTEC 398: Digital Innovation and Transformation Lab (xLab) (100/15100)

Agamanolis, S

AI and emerging technologies are reshaping how organizations design solutions, improve processes, and create new value. This project-based course provides students with hands-on experience in AI-enabled transformation and innovation through real-world, team-based projects. Students work on open-ended innovation challenges and applied industry-style problems, using modern analytical, computational, and design tools to develop and implement practical solutions. Projects follow a human-centered design approach, beginning with stakeholder and user needs, problem framing, and context analysis, and moving through solution design, prototyping, testing, and refinement. Students learn how to translate ambiguous needs into structured project plans, evaluate alternative approaches, iterate on solutions, and communicate results to stakeholders. Typical projects may involve AI-assisted analysis, process improvement, data-driven solution design, prototype development, and innovation strategy. The course develops skills in human-centered design, project scoping, experimentation, implementation planning, and team-based delivery in complex, technology-enabled environments. In this course, students will have a unique learning opportunity to learn the actual contemporary digital innovation practice, working on real-world projects in a small agile multi-disciplinary team. The goal is to equip students with the necessary technical and managerial skills. The target audience is the students who want to become product strategists, product managers, product owners, agile scrum masters, UX designers, full-stack developers, or digital innovation consultants. This course serves as a capstone experience in which students integrate technical, analytical, and design skills developed in prior coursework to deliver a comprehensive, real-world AI and innovation project. The course emphasizes synthesis, implementation, and professional communication through a final written report, public presentation, and reflective analysis.

BTEC 420: Introduction to Programming for Business Applications (100/13245)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Aug 24-Dec 04

Agamanolis, S

This course will introduce students to the basics of programming logic utilizing the Python programming language and environment. The course will help students understand how to apply programming solutions and related algorithmic thinking to solve common business and decision problems. This class is a great introduction into programming logic, it just happens to use Python. This course will teach the fundamentals of programming logic, which could be applied to any programming language available today or into the future. Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course students should have a foundational knowledge of how to use variables, operators, manipulate strings, loops, functions, and basic array manipulation all through Python programming language. The course will culminate with a final project where students will be divided into groups with each group solving a different small business problem. The final submission will require a joint white paper submission that demonstrates the following learned objectives: problem research, scope, architect, and design a potential solution using python environment. A sample of the implemented Python code that was used to solve this problem will be required for final submission. Each student must have access to a computer that can be brought to class. No programming experience is required. Downloading and installing Python is covered at the start of the course. Basic computer skills: surfing websites, running programs, saving and opening documents, etc.

BTEC 420: Introduction to Programming for Business Applications (101/13246)

W 06:25-08:55 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Stanek, D

This course will introduce students to the basics of programming logic utilizing the Python programming language and environment. The course will help students understand how to apply programming solutions and related algorithmic thinking to solve common business and decision problems. This class is a great introduction into programming logic, it just happens to use Python. This course will teach the fundamentals of programming logic, which could be applied to any programming language available today or into the future. Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course students should have a foundational knowledge of how to use variables, operators, manipulate strings, loops, functions, and basic array manipulation all through Python programming language. The course will culminate with a final project where students will be divided into groups with each group solving a different small business problem. The final submission will require a joint white paper submission that demonstrates the following learned objectives: problem research, scope, architect, and design a potential solution using python environment. A sample of the implemented Python code that was used to solve this problem will be required for final submission. Each student must have access to a computer that can be brought to class. No programming experience is required. Downloading and installing Python is covered at the start of the course. Basic computer skills: surfing websites, running programs, saving and opening documents, etc.

BTEC 498: Digital Innovation and Transformation Lab (xLab) (100/15099)

Agamanolis, S

AI and emerging technologies are reshaping how organizations design solutions, improve processes, and create new value. This project-based course provides students with hands-on experience in AI-enabled transformation and innovation through real-world, team-based projects. Students work on open-ended innovation challenges and applied industry-style problems, using modern analytical, computational, and design tools to develop and implement practical solutions. Projects follow a human-centered design approach, beginning with stakeholder and user needs, problem framing, and context analysis, and moving through solution design, prototyping, testing, and refinement. Students learn how to translate ambiguous needs into structured project plans, evaluate alternative approaches, iterate on solutions, and communicate results to stakeholders. Typical projects may involve AI-assisted analysis, process improvement, data-driven solution design, prototype development, and innovation strategy. The course develops skills in human-centered design, project scoping, experimentation, implementation planning, and team-based delivery in complex, technology-enabled environments. In this course, students will have a unique learning opportunity to learn the actual contemporary digital innovation practice, working on real-world projects in a small agile multi-disciplinary team. The goal is to equip students with the necessary technical and managerial skills. The target audience is the students who want to become product strategists, product managers, product owners, agile scrum masters, UX designers, full-stack developers, or digital innovation consultants. This course serves as a capstone experience in which students integrate technical, analytical, and design skills developed in prior coursework to deliver a comprehensive, real-world AI and innovation project. The course emphasizes synthesis, implementation, and professional communication through a final written report, public presentation, and reflective analysis.