McCombs MSTC Program in Austin

Overview

First Go-to-Market Graduate Program

MSTC was the first go-to-market graduate program in the United States and has run continuously since 1996. Kozmetsky, who founded the IC² Institute in 1977 to pursue his technopolis model, saw that engineers and inventors had no graduate path to commercialization skills, while MBAs trained general managers. Eduniversal ranks MSTC second in the US and first among public universities for technology commercialization.

MSTC is one of the McCombs specialized master's programs alongside the Master in Professional Accounting, MS in Business Analytics, Master in Finance and Master in Marketing. The Kozmetsky Scholar Award at commencement and the George Kozmetsky Tuition Waiver for UT employees carry his name. See UT Austin and the Kozmetsky Foundation.

Curriculum

Program Structure

The lockstep cohort takes 12 required courses over three consecutive semesters, from a May Launch Week in Austin to graduation the next May. Classes meet on alternating weekends at Rowling Hall or by live video, with recordings archived. The May and August Launch Weeks and the International Trip are in person; the rest can be done remotely. Course topics span AI, nanotechnology, robotics, biotechnology, energy and digital platforms.

Students

Cohort, Admissions and Faculty

Cohorts have run roughly 50% entrepreneurs, 40% corporate innovators and 10% commercialization specialists. About 25% of recent students are veterans or active-duty military, supported by the Texas McCombs MSTC Military Waiver and Post-9/11 GI Bill. Most keep their full-time jobs.

No technical degree is required. The GMAT or GRE can be waived for applicants with 15 years of work experience, five years of people or project management, an advanced degree, or an expired GMAT score; current UT undergraduates can apply through the MS Bridge Program.

McCombs faculty teach alongside Austin venture, corporate and startup practitioners. Senior Lecturer Rob Adams, Ph.D. is among the longest-serving MSTC faculty, and Brett Hurt, founder of several Austin startups and Hurt Family Investments, has worked with cohorts as a McCombs entrepreneur-in-residence.

Alumni

Notable Alumni

Other alumni work in product management, corporate innovation and venture capital at Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, IBM, Samsung Austin and Dell, and as founders and operators in Capital Factory and ATI companies. After 30 years of cohorts, earlier graduates mentor and introduce capital to later ones.

Context

Place in the UT Entrepreneurship Programs

See the McCombs Entrepreneurship Complex for the full set of programs.

Related coverage

Related Coverage

• Austin Unicorns and Notable Exits
• Austin VC Community
• Austin Startup Nexus
• UT Austin Industry-Academic Partnerships