For many aspiring entrepreneurs, intellectual property can feel like an afterthought, something to consider later, once the business is “real.” At San Diego State University (SDSU), that mindset is being intentionally challenged.
In the Fowler College of Business, Dr. Mujtaba Ahsan has embedded the Inventor’s Patent Academy (TIPA) directly into MGT 358: Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, a required undergraduate course. The goal is simple but powerful: ensure that every student understands intellectual property as a core component of entrepreneurship, not an optional add-on.
Rather than treating IP as a standalone lecture, TIPA is woven into the course structure. Students are required to complete Module 1 of TIPA’s full-length, three-module course, A Comprehensive Guide to Patenting, and submit their completion certificate as part of a graded assignment. But the learning doesn’t stop there. Students are asked to reflect on what they’ve learned and apply it to real-world entrepreneurial stories.
One of the most effective elements of the assignment is its connection to storytelling. Students analyze podcast episodes, such as NPR’s How I Built This, and identify which types of intellectual property protections the featured entrepreneur uses or should consider. By connecting IP concepts to real founders and real products, students move beyond theory and into applied understanding.
This approach reinforces two critical lessons. First, intellectual property decisions are deeply tied to business strategy. Second, early awareness matters. By encountering patent and IP concepts early in their academic careers, students are better prepared to recognize protectable ideas when they encounter them, whether in a startup, a corporate role, or future ventures of their own.
What makes SDSU’s implementation particularly effective is its consistency. Because the course is a core requirement, every cohort of entrepreneurship students gains exposure to IP fundamentals through TIPA. Over time, this creates a shared baseline of knowledge across the program and raises the overall level of IP fluency among graduates.
Through this structured, repeatable integration, SDSU demonstrates how TIPA can scale within a university setting, reaching hundreds of students while still maintaining meaningful engagement.
This post is part of the Inventor’s Patent Academy Partner Series, highlighting how universities and organizations are expanding access to patent education.
