Congratulations on your admission to UC Berkeley! We, at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET), are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2024 to the Berkeley community.
This year for Cal Week, we are excited to give you the opportunity to learn more about us through a series of online events. The Center will be hosting two interactive sessions where you will have the chance to meet faculty, staff and students who will share information about the SCET curriculum and the entrepreneurship community at UC Berkeley. We invite you to learn about our coursework and opportunities at the Center to discover how they can play into your intended field of study or career. All are welcome!
What is SCET?
The Pantas and Ting Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) is where aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators take deep dives into the world of technology entrepreneurship and innovation. Since 2005, SCET has created the foundation of Berkeley’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and an extensive network of Silicon Valley and global partners. The Center is also known for developing the Berkeley Method — an internationally recognized approach to teaching technology entrepreneurship and innovation to students and professionals alike. SCET is housed within the College of Engineering and we offer 15-30 classes each year. Students can take individual courses, and they can also use our courses towards the SCET Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology.
Check out our Virtual Cal Week Sessions!
Session 1
Bearicorns: Berkeley Entrepreneurs, Your Journey Starts Here
Monday, April 20 from 4-5pm (Pacific Time)
Interested in launching a startup? We invite you to join our information session to hear about SCET’s real-world curriculum that develops lifelong skills, leading to career opportunities with innovative companies and new ventures. During this session, you will also have the chance to ask questions and interact with our SCET faculty, staff, and students.
Session 2
Entrepreneurship Community at Cal
Thursday, April 23 from 4-5pm (Pacific Time)
Join us for a faculty panel to hear from SCET instructors David Law, Naeem Zafar, Shomit Ghose, Gigi Wang, Luke Kowalski, Victoria Howell, and Ken Singer. Faculty will talk about their courses and how they help students gain the insight, exposure and practical training they need to become leaders and innovators. Listen in to learn more about our Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology, which is open to students from all majors.
Also check out this Cal Week video to learn more about the SCET Alt Meat Lab and the Berkeley Food Institute!
Students and staff share tasty bean recipes and talk about their environmental impact.
To learn more about our classes, join us for the upcoming Collider Cup, SCET’s all-star showcase of the best student teams from the semester. During the virtual event, our top teams will pitch to a panel of investors and industry experts as they vie to win the grand prize, the Collider Cup!
Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology
The SCET Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology is open to any UC Berkeley student from any major. There is also no application to be able to pursue the Certificate, only a completion application. Students can earn the Certificate by completing any of our three tracks: coursework, startup, or study abroad.
SCET Courses
SCET courses offer UC Berkeley students the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and technology through the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship, an award-winning teaching method that was developed at SCET. In our classes, students will learn from experts in their fields, as well as their classmates, and address real-world problems through hands-on group projects. Students have the chance to build networks, learn how to start and grow their own start up, and strengthen transferrable skills in areas such as leadership, teamwork, and communication. The mindsets and skills introduced in SCET classes prepare students to become innovative leaders in their industry, jobs or ventures regardless of the field.
Our courses are open to all Cal students, regardless of major, and students can take our classes as early as their freshman year as long as their curriculum requirements allow for it. We welcome students from diverse backgrounds because we feel the collision of different perspectives and skills can help create new ideas!
Featured Courses and Labs
Newton Lecture Series
The Newton Lecture Series recognizes the entrepreneurial vision of A. Richard Newton, Dean of UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering from 2000 to 2007, by inviting distinguished innovators to share lessons from their own successes and failures. This course is required for the SCET Certificate. Click below to learn more about previous speakers who have come to share their experience with our students.
Challenge Lab
Challenge Lab classes are designed to lead students through the venture creation project from idea to pitching to panels of investors and expert faculty. In a competition-based format, students work in cross-discipline lean start-up teams vying to create innovative products. Through frequent interaction with the sponsors and mentors, student teams will develop a working prototype and a "white paper."
Data-X
The Data-X framework is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice as well as academia and industry, by exposing students to state-of-the-art implementation techniques and mindsets. This highly-applied course surveys a variety of key of concepts and tools that are useful for designing and building data science, AI, and Machine Learning applications and systems.
Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
The BMoE bootcamp facilitates immersive learning for new venture creation through a four and a half day intensive workshop. During the program, participants attend sessions that weave together lectures and interactive game-based exercises, receive one-on-one mentoring from SCET faculty and industry experts; and learn in a collaborative environment with Cal students and our global partners.
European Innovation Academy
Our Berkeley Study Abroad program takes students to Portugal for an intensive, fast-paced learning experience where they learn from venture capitalists, serial entrepreneurs, executives from Silicon Valley companies, and experts from across the globe. Students participate in challenges, leadership training, and team formation and collaborate with over over 60 mentors and 400 students from all over the world.
Alternative Meat Lab
The Alt: Meat Lab is a hub connecting students, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and industry leaders interested in creating the plant-based food of the future. The Lab aims to research and educate through a research lab and a course. Although the Lab began its work replicating animal meat, the Lab is broadly interested in all types of animal products, including but not limited to eggs, dairy and seafood.
What our Students are Saying about SCET
"The most impactful gift Berkeley continually gives its students is opportunity. Being involved with programs like SCET opens so many doors for self-discovery and interdisciplinary integration. I've learned, and keep learning, that the opportunity is out there. All I have to do is reach for it."
- Anika Ramachandran, M.E.T. (Engineering and Business) '22
"I've found a home at SCET. Over the past few semesters, I've grown immensely, having met very inspiring people and doing things I never expected to such as conducting research and helping run classes. I'm extremely lucky to be here, and can't wait for more exciting experiences!"
- Mudit Goyal, B.A. Cognitive Science '19
See What Started Here
The Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology is where aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators take deep dives into the world of technology entrepreneurship & innovation, and continue on the path to developing exciting new ventures. Here are some of the entrepreneurs, startups and institutions that got their start at our center.
More Than Just a Center, SCET is a Community - Come Join Us!
Additional Cal Week Information
Contact
See the Enrollment FAQs on our courses page and certificate page and contact
scet-academics@berkeley.edu for additional questions.