Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MTEI)

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The Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MTEI) program is a graduate professional program intended to develop professional, nimble, and investable T-shaped technology entrepreneurs and innovators. The program takes interdisciplinary knowledge and skills from a synthesis of:

  • information technology,
  • management,
  • marketing and sales,
  • leadership,
  • finance,
  • accounting,
  • communications, and
  • economics disciplines

and integrates these with best practices from industry to produce an innovative and unique learning environment. The principles from the lean entrepreneurship movement are interwoven through the MTEI program’s courses.

Features of the program include:

  • Stimulating, innovative, and cross-disciplinary classes with rigorous graduate-level standards.
  • Classes meet on alternating weeks on Fridays and Saturdays for 8 months. Students complete 8 courses in 8 months.
  • After the completion of 8 required courses, students take one of four options (Internship, Start-up, Coursework or Thesis). Options provide flexibility for meeting students’ goals.
  • The Internship Option is 8-months in duration, the Start-up Option can be completed in 8 months, and the Thesis Option may take from one year to 16 months to complete.  The Coursework Option entails an additional twelve (12.0) credit hours of approved graduate level electives and an additional required non-credit course (MTEI 0020).
  • Technical and business experiences and practical backgrounds of participants will be further developed.

Admission Requirements

The MTEI follows the general admission requirements and procedures of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research as outlined in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar with the following additional requirements and procedures.

The MTEI Admissions Committee will consider an applicant’s prior academic record, military or work experience, extracurricular activities, recommendation forms, and the written application. While each of these general criteria is important, the applicant’s entire profile will be evaluated, where significant strengths in one area may help compensate for weaknesses in another.

Academic records will be evaluated as evidence of academic grade; however, the Admissions Committee will also look for personal qualities, such as accomplishments, and leadership and motivation, which are important for success as an innovator and entrepreneur.

Applications will not be evaluated until the application is complete, including test scores. It will be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete.

In general, an applicant for admission to the MTEI program will:

  1. Have completed an undergraduate degree or have an equivalent combination of training and experience. N.B. The MTEI student’s undergraduate degree can be in any discipline, although an undergraduate degree in a technology-related discipline is preferred. This open requirement allows us to accept students who have the ability to partner with technologists for increasing innovation and entrepreneurial capability and capacity.
  2. Have an undergraduate degree with at least a “B” average and attained a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least a 3.0 out of 4.3 in the candidate’s final sixty (60) credit hours taken at university. In exceptional circumstances, when an applicant is otherwise qualified, the admissions committee may waive this requirement.
  3. Submit official transcripts from post-secondary institutions directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Saint Mary's University.
  4. Submit a one-page description of how and what the student expects to learn in the MTEI program will be of benefit to her/him and/or to her/his organization.
  5. Submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae.
  6. Applicants to this program, whose first language is not English, must demonstrate their English language proficiency as outlined in Graduate Academic Regulation 1e with the following additional requirement;
    1. a TOEFL (iBT) score of at least 92 with no band below 20; or
    2. an IELTS score of at least 7.0, with no band below 6.5.
  7. Complete the appropriate application form and submit an application fee as specified by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
  8. Submit two recommendation forms, with at least one being from an academic referee.
  9. Agree to an online interview.

Applications to the MTEI program should be made as early as possible.  For students who plan to start in the fall semester (September), the application deadline for international students is April 1 and for domestic students it is June 30th.  For students who plan to start in the winter semester (January), the application deadline for international students is July 1 and for domestic students it is October 31.

Application information is available on the Internet at http://www.smu.ca/academics/apply-to-grad-studies.html.  

An MTEI student who is dismissed for academic reasons or voluntarily withdraws may, after the lapse of one calendar year, seek re-admission by submitting a new application to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. The application for re-admission shall be evaluated by the MTEI Program Council (and not the Admissions Committee alone). The Program Council may recommend re-admission to the FGSR subject to stipulated conditions.

Financial Support

Full-time students admitted to the program may be eligible for funding administered by Saint Mary’s University. Funding recommendations are made by the program. All successful applicants are automatically considered for graduate funding. Students are encouraged to apply for external scholarships. Applications for teaching assistantships should be made to individual academic departments. Applications for funding support are due April 1.