TechTrek West

Boston College TechTrek West is an award-winning course, combining classroom learning on the BC campus with a week-long field study to Silicon Valley. The course involves some 20 master-class sessions with senior executives, entrepreneurs, and venture partners (nearly all sessions are led by successful BC alumni at firms from Apple to Zynga).  Students study tech industry strategy and competition, entrepreneurship, and venture finance, examining how firms go from startup to blue chip.

Undergraduate TechTrek West (MI205) is competitively admitted, and is open to all BC undergraduates in all schools, sophomores to seniors. Applications are posted mid-September, selection on or near Oct. 1^st. Classroom study is in the first half of spring semester, the field study is held over spring break.

Graduate TechTrek West (MI805) is open to all Carroll School graduate students (and occasionally grad students outside the Carroll School, pending available space).  Admission is through a lottery conducted by the Carroll Graduate Dean’s office. The MI805 field study also includes sessions in Seattle. Applications are posted mid-September, with selection on or near Oct. 1^st. Classroom study is held the second half of the fall semester (much of it on extended Friday night sessions), with field study travel during the second week in January.

Photos of recent TechTrek West field studies

For application information, contact the Information Systems Dept. Admin in Fulton 460: Ashley LoBue

For other questions, contact Prof. John Gallaugher

TechTrek 2013 Information

Travel dates for 2013 Field Studies are:

Graduate: January 5-13, 2013   Undergraduate: March 2-9, 2013

Graduate TechTrek classes will be held in Fulton 150 from 6-6:50PM on 10/18, and 9AM-3PM on 10/28 and 11/4.  A pre-departure class will be held in Fulton 150 on 12/14 from 6-7PM.

Applications will be available mid-September 2012, and the application deadline will be Friday, October 5, 2012.  Information Sessions will be held Wed. Sept. 19, 2012. Undergraduate: 5-5:50pm, Graduate: 6-6:50pm, Location Fulton 150.

Access TechTrek 2013:

Please use the following link if you are interested in applying for TechTrek 2012. Users will need their BC username and password to access this site: TechTrek 2013.

TechTrek East

A finalist for the MITX “Best Contribution to Innovation by a University” Award, TechTrek East provides additional non-credit outlets for high-impact field learning in tech, entrepreneurship, and venture finance.

TechTrek Boston sessions are held nearly every Friday afternoon during the academic year and are organized by the BC IS Academy in conjunction with the BC IS Department (signup for notifications via: isacademybc@gmail.com). The City of Boston is regularly rated the “Most Innovative City in America", and through this program, students leverage BC’s geographic advantage to engage area firms and executives for master-class learning sessions.  Visits are open to all BC undergrads and grad students. Visit participants are expected to research firms to maximize opportunities to engage in on-site Q&A with host firm executives, entrepreneurs, and venture partners.

Photos from recent TechTrek Boston field visits

TechTrek NYC is held every Spring semester on Marathon Day (a Massachusetts holiday) and is organized by the BC IS Academy and the BC IS Department.  Students depart campus at roughly 4:00am via bus to New York and meet with executives at some five tech and startup firms, returning by midnight.

Photos from recent TechTrek NYC field visits

Questions can be directed to Prof. John Gallaugher: E-mail, Web, Twitter:@Gallaugher