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TI:GER® PhD FAQs

Are there prerequisite or corequisite courses for PhD students?

No.
Is TI:GER® a technology commercialization program?

TI:GER-- Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results -- is a technology innovation program. Although students do learn technology commercialization, technology innovation is much broader and much deeper, giving PhD students many more career options.
I just started my PhD program. May I apply to the TI:GER program.
Yes. PhD students can join TI:GER in their first year.
Must I bring my dissertation project with me into the TI:GER program?
No. We welcome PhD candidates without their dissertation projects. You can enter the TI:GER program (a) without a project, (b) with your PhD dissertation project, or (c) with a project from your lab.
How do I apply to the TI:GER® Program?
Complete the application here.

Apply here
What is the application deadline? And when do I get a decision?

The deadline for TI:GER application submission is: October 1st

You receive a decision within four weeks of the application deadline.
How does the TI:GER® program select applicants?

There is no formula for acceptance. We review the entire application, including academic achievement and your written responses in the application.
Is financial support provided by the TI:GER® program?

No, there is no financial support provided by the TI:GER program or the Scheller College of Business.
How will this benefit my research?

The TI:GER program provides a unique opportunity to work with a transdisciplinary team to gain practical insights to the commercial potential of your research. This work can help direct your research toward more useful applications, assist you in more relevant grant proposals, and provide unique experience and networks for your professional career.
How many terms is the program?

A TI:GER cohort begins in the Spring term and continues through the next Spring term. During these three terms, (i.e. Spring, Fall, and Spring), Ph.D. students take four credit hours of courses each term, for a total of 12 credit hours. Ph.D. students seeking to earn the TI:GER certificate must also take Principles of Management (MGT 6753).
Am I expected to start a company?
No. This is an educational program; however, some students have launched successful startups through the TI:GER program.
Are there networking opportunities?

Yes, through the TI:GER program you can meet with investors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, corporate innovation executives, and others in the local and global innovation community.
What are the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) and CDL-Atlanta?

TI:GER is the educational program for the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Atlanta), which is a global milestone-based mentoring program for massively-scalable science-based startups. CDL-Atlanta is directed and operated from the Strategy and Innovation academic area at Scheller College. The courses in the TI:GER program prepare Georgia Tech MBA and PhD students to work with CDL-Atlanta startups. For MBA and PhD students who want to work with CDL startups, gaining admission to the TI:GER program and successfully completing the TI:GER courses in the first spring term are prerequisites to CDL-Atlanta participation in the second and third terms of the TI:GER program.
What is the connection between TI:GER and CDL-Atlanta?
The TI:GER program is the educational program for CDL-Atlanta.
I’d like to work with a CDL venture. Is the TI:GER program the only entry point for CDL-Atlanta?
Yes.