Topics in Technology Career Paths and In
Topics in Technology Career Paths and Industry
is a discussion series where faculty, alumni, and industry professionals share their experiences navigating careers across the technology landscape.
This series offers a look at how the program’s curriculum translates into real-world skills and professional opportunities. Explore how the courses, projects, and experiences shape thinking, support building technical and professional toolkits, and launch impactful careers in technology.
Students will examine a range of career paths, gain insights into industry trends, and engage in conversations that connect classroom learning to practice.
- W 8:10 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
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Instructor:
Shahryar Shaghaghi
Info - 0 points
Banking and Technology: Financial Servic
This course offers students a strategic and applied framework for understanding the transformative impact of financial technology (FinTech) on the global banking and financial services industry. Through case studies, industry analysis, and collaborative projects, students will explore how traditional banks, fintech unicorns, big tech firms, and non-bank financial players are reshaping the competitive landscape.
The course traces the evolution of fintech across core sectors, including payments, lending, and capital markets, while examining the rise of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, open banking, and digital currencies, including CBDCs, cryptocurrencies, and decentralized finance. Students will also analyze the regulatory and governance challenges emerging from rapid innovation in financial services.
Emphasizing strategic thinking, leadership, and applied analysis over technical specialization, the course culminates in an individual research paper and a team-based final project. It is designed for students aspiring to leadership roles in the evolving global digital financial ecosystem.
Delivered in person over seven weeks, this 1.5-elective course is open to graduate students across the School of Professional Studies and other Columbia University programs. There are no specific competencies, prerequisite knowledge, or prior coursework in the discipline required to enroll.
- R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Richard Goldberg
Info - 1.5 points
Special Topics: Ethics and Technology in
This 1.5-credit onsite graduate course examines the ethical dynamics shaping contemporary technology management as innovation, regulation, and societal expectations rapidly evolve. Drawing on globally recognized perspectives and frameworks in responsible AI leadership and governance, the course explores how ethical considerations inform strategic decision-making across the technology lifecycle, from human-centered design to enterprise-scale digital transformation. Students critically analyze emerging challenges in artificial intelligence, data stewardship, collective decision-making systems, and value alignment, with attention to governance models, institutional accountability, and evolving regulatory frameworks. An emphasis is placed on evaluating the economic, social, and sustainable implications of technologies to strengthen ethical leadership discernment and strategic risk evaluation. The course equips students to critically navigate the ethical complexities of technological progress while aligning innovation with institutional values, societal responsibility, and long-term organizational integrity in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
- W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- 1.5 points
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: DEVELOP/IMPLEMENT NEW
This course is designed for students interested in entrepreneurship and becoming CEO/Founders or leaders in industry as innovators and operators. The class is appropriate for those with a strong interest in new ventures or innovation at the corporate level, or for those who want to develop an entrepreneurial mindset even if you have no plans to start a business. This includes potential entrepreneurs, those interested in the financing of new ventures, working in new ventures, or a portfolio company, or in broader general management of entrepreneurial firms. Entrepreneurial topics include: the entrepreneurial journey, founders & co-founders, the art of the pitch, shaping opportunities, traditional business models, business models for the greater good, the lean startup method and the hypothesis-driven approach, technology strategy, product testing, marketing strategy, entrepreneurial marketing, venture financing and emerging developments. Academic readings, analysis of case studies, class discussions, independent exercises, reading assessments, team work, guest speakers, investor panels, weekly deliverable options and a final investor pitch are the main modalities used to help you learn and assist you on your entrepreneurial path. There are no prerequisites for this course.
- M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Michael E Jr McGuire
Info - 3 points
Design-Based Innovation
Design-based Innovation is a set of perspectives and processes that organizations of all kinds, in any kind of industry or context, can use to navigate ambiguity to find the best possible opportunities to create change. It is also a well-developed set of practices to devise and deliver solutions for those potential audiences that result in valuable product, service, and other experiences that customers, consistent, and others respond to with satisfaction, delight, and a sense of value.
- R 8:10 p.m.-10 p.m.
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Instructor:
Nathan Shedroff
Info - 3 points
Practices in Design and Innovation
Pract in Design and Innov
Design is at the core of every innovation. It’s the visual, experiential, and strategic medium through which ideas transform into tangible and digital products, service platforms, experiences, and consequences. This course is a comprehensive exploration of the methods, vocabulary, challenges, and opportunities of design-led innovation. It demystifies how business and design intersect through the lens of innovation, and is foundational for anyone seeking to generate positive social and economic outcomes.
Students experience the course through interconnected paths—interrogating contemporary issues in design and business while simultaneously moving a chosen project through a sequence of hands-on design sprints. These sprints cover everything from ideation and visualization to journey mapping, prototyping, user testing, and branding of their own unique ideas. Participants will emerge with a critical and reusable toolkit for both understanding the innovation process and effectively leading creative teams.
Topics include: Design Thinking; User-Centered Design; Business Value of Design; Problem Framing; Systems Mapping; User Journey Mapping; Ambiguity and Complexity; Liberatory Design Practices; The Impact of AI; Design Ethics; Sustainability, Wicked Problems; Design Futuring and speculative design.
- T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Allan Chochinov
Info - 3 points
Finance for Technology Leaders
An exploration of the central concepts of corporate finance for those who already have some basic knowledge of finance and accounting. This case-based course considers project valuation; cost of capital; capital structure; firm valuation; the interplay between financial decisions, strategic consideration, and economic analyses; and the provision and acquisition of funds. These concepts are analyzed in relation to agency problems: market domination, risk profile, and risk resolution; and market efficiency or the lack thereof. The validity of analytic tools is tested on issues such as highly leveraged transactions, hybrid securities, volatility in initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, acquisition and control premiums, corporate restructurings, and sustainable and unsustainable market inefficiencies.
- W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Conrad Fernandes
Info - 3 points
Presence and Persuasion for Technology L
This course teaches students how to get through to any audience for any reason. Technology leaders, more than in any other industry, must be equally comfortable as public speakers for vastly different audiences, from software developers and sales teams to politicians and the general public. Through exercises in speaker and audience analysis, studies in public speaking techniques, and an exploration of behavioral psychology principles influencing audience receptivity, students will gain tangible skills to increase their impact as public speakers. Specifically, this course will equip students to: 1. identify how impactful speakers prepare for, present to, and pivot for maximum impact according to audience type, size, and receptivity; 2. learn strategies on how to “read the room” and adapt both verbal and nonverbal communication techniques in real-time; and 3. gain hands-on experience in public speaking through exercises designed to develop public speaking skills across a range of tech-sector specific experiences, circumstances, audiences.
- W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Alexis Wichowski
CULPA: 1 h-index: 6 Info - 3 points
Driving Social Change with Technology
Driving Social Change w T
This one-semester onsite course explores how social entrepreneurs use technology innovation to achieve social impact and help achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in collaboration with corporations and governments. Social entrepreneurs are defined as organizations who develop and implement solutions to social and environmental problems while striving for financial sustainability.
- T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Alexis Wichowski
CULPA: 1 h-index: 6 Info - 3 points
Law for Technology
Law is infused into every part of business, especially through the lens of technology. Fluency in business and legal frameworks, risk/benefit principles, from idea to exit, is essential for any innovation leader. This course offers a deep dive into the critical phases of technology companies and their journey through growth, scaling, and eventual market exit. Topics include capital formation, contracts, intellectual property, human capital, and business transactions.
- T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
- 3 points
Strategic Advocacy
Today, leaders must confront a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. It demands that we strengthen how we lead change. We are all being stretched to learn, unlearn, relearn, and this is especially true for technology leaders – who operate in the ‘eye of the storm’ of relentless change.
In this context, strategic advocacy -- achieving support for change to address the challenges that confront an organization and the opportunities they provide – requires knowing and applying useful skills, behavior, and practices to win commitment to new, even unanticipated directions.
This is a full-semester core course in the MS in Technology Management executive program designed to expose students to practices, tools, frameworks, concepts, and real-world examples that will help you move from a technical/functional role to a senior executive orientation. Everyone’s journey is unique. As you apply the course content in real life you will be expected to choose, experiment with, and adapt the relevant approaches most meaningful to your situation.
Digital Transformation
This course explores the principles, strategies, and challenges of technology-driven transformation in organizations. Students will examine emerging technologies, digital disruption, and frameworks for implementing large-scale change. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of digital transformation, focusing on how businesses leverage technology to drive transformation based on various drivers including efficiency, productivity, competitive advantage, and compliance. Students will explore key topics such as product development, systems development lifecycle, enterprise architecture, IT capabilities, and automation. Through case studies, research, and hands-on projects, students will develop the skills needed to lead strategic and technical skills necessary to lead and manage digital transformation initiatives.
- T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
- R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Richard R. Ranade
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Instructor:
Shahryar Shaghaghi
Info - 3 points
Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystems
This onsite course takes students on a virtual journey through the world’s leading innovation hubs across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Students will analyze the structures, dynamics, and key stakeholders that shape entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide, including entrepreneurs, corporations, investors, policymakers, universities, accelerators, incubators, and industry associations.
- R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Katja Schroeder
Info - 3 points
Technology Marketing
This class provides students with a deep dive into marketing and communication strategies and channels for tech company, product, and services launches. Students will work on customer personas for B2B and B2C technologies and reflect upon sustainability guidelines to shape their marketing strategy. They will analyze the different elements that make a soft and hard launch successful, such customer testimonials and industry analyst relations. The course will also discuss how AI is changing the marketing of companies, products and services.
- M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Katja Schroeder
Info - 3 points
AI/ML for Leaders
Generative AI represents a pivotal technological evolution with profound implications for the global economy and modern society. This course delves into the decades-long development of AI and machine learning, emphasizing its emergence as a critical economic and strategic force. As we explore this technology, we will assess its potential to revolutionize industries, enhance capabilities, and introduce complex challenges related to security, identity, and ethical considerations.
In this dynamic landscape, both incumbent businesses and governmental bodies face the urgent need to adapt to this disruption and the transformative changes it heralds. This course seeks to unpack the catalysts of this technological surge, its foundational principles, and the critical knowledge required for modern leadership in the AI era.
- W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Hsing-Hsing Li
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Instructor:
Mark Ritzmann
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Instructor:
Raghvender Arni
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Instructor:
Christopher Kuo
Info - 3 points
AI/ML for Leaders
Generative AI represents a pivotal technological evolution with profound implications for the global economy and modern society. This course delves into the decades-long development of AI and machine learning, emphasizing its emergence as a critical economic and strategic force. As we explore this technology, we will assess its potential to revolutionize industries, enhance capabilities, and introduce complex challenges related to security, identity, and ethical considerations.
In this dynamic landscape, both incumbent businesses and governmental bodies face the urgent need to adapt to this disruption and the transformative changes it heralds. This course seeks to unpack the catalysts of this technological surge, its foundational principles, and the critical knowledge required for modern leadership in the AI era.
- T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Christopher Kuo
Info - 3 points
Internship In TMGT
This course requires you to experience firsthand a program-related job in a real working environment. You will engage in personal, environmental and organizational reflection. The ideal Internship will provide you an opportunity to gain tangible and practical knowledge in your chosen field by taking on a position that is closely aligned with your coursework and professional interests. Before registering for this course, you must have completed the Internship Application Form in which you will describe your internship sponsor and provide details about the work that you will be doing. This form must be signed by your internship supervisor and approved by your program director BEFORE you register for this course.
To receive instructor approval, the internship:
● Must provide an opportunity for the student to apply course concepts, either at the organizational or team level
● Must fit into the planned future program-related career path of the student
You must identify your own internship opportunities. The internship must involve a commitment to completing a minimum of 210 hours over the semester.
At the end of your course, you will submit an evaluation form to your internship supervisor. The evaluation form should be returned directly to the instructor
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Instructor:
Robin Wang
Info - 3 points