Colorado Launches Bachelor of Innovation Across 23 Majors

College graduates often spend their first decade learning to communicate across departments and work with diverse teams. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs decided to fix that problem before students even leave campus.

The Bachelor of Innovation gives students the technical skills of a traditional degree plus the ability to bridge disciplines from day one. Available in 23 majors from chemistry to marketing to ethnic studies, the program launched in 2007 and remains unique to UCCS.

Professor Terrance Boult created the degree after watching companies struggle to find young graduates with crossover skills. "I wanted engineers and businesspeople who could work together, both of whom could work with clients," Boult said. "The only people we could find with those kinds of skills were 10 or 15 years out from college, because they developed them after."

The program works like a standard bachelor's degree but swaps some general education requirements for innovation courses. Students take classes in entrepreneurship, technical writing, business law, and leadership alongside their normal major requirements. They also complete 15 credit hours in a discipline outside their field, exposing them to different professional cultures.

The structure means an engineering student might take business courses, while a music major learns technical communication. All the innovation classes count toward standard graduation requirements, so students graduate on time with their peers.

The Ripple Effect

Companies initially unfamiliar with the Bachelor of Innovation still hire graduates because the degree is fully accredited. Students can list their major normally, like "Bachelor's in Computer Science," which satisfies job requirements for bachelor's holders.

The program's impact extends beyond first jobs. Graduate schools accept the degree, and several alumni now hold PhDs. More academic departments at UCCS continue creating Bachelor of Innovation tracks as the program proves its value.

The innovation core courses expose students to perspectives they wouldn't encounter in their major alone. A business school operates differently than an engineering program, and understanding those cultural differences makes graduates more adaptable employees and colleagues.

Students interested in the program can explore all 23 available majors through the university's innovation program website. The degree proves that preparing graduates for real workplace collaboration doesn't require extra years or post-graduation training.

UCCS turned traditional higher education on its head by asking what skills actually matter after graduation, then building those competencies into the degree itself.