Sales Engineering Academic Programs

Built in response to employer demand for graduates with both technical knowledge and professional selling skills, this minor combines coursework in strategic sales, negotiations, pricing and B2B decision-making, and either sales management or customer success strategy. It also includes an applied component through ProSales or a sales practicum, so the curriculum is not purely classroom-based. Students outside the Huntsman School can pursue it, though the minor has GPA requirements and some courses or experiences require prerequisites, permission, or application.

Akron’s certificate is a focused add-on for engineering students who want formal training in the commercial side of technical work. Its core is three upper-level sales courses covering professional selling, negotiations, and advanced selling, then one technical elective keeps the program tied to engineering practice. The elective list spans fields such as construction, biomedical engineering, communications, and design, so the certificate can align with different technical interests while still emphasizing sales capability.

Rather than a full minor or degree, this is a targeted course for engineering and computing students who want formal training in professional selling. It focuses on communication, negotiation, and explaining technical concepts to non-technical audiences, making it relevant even for students who do not plan to work in sales. The course can also satisfy elective requirements in several engineering and computing majors, and it fits into USC’s 4+1 engineering-and-MBA pathway with the Darla Moore School of Business.

This certificate sits within uOttawa’s Engineering Sales School, which has offered this training since 2009 and reports more than 3,000 engineering students served. The CSE track builds on the school’s Business Communication and Influence curriculum and adds commercial skills relevant to roles that connect technical knowledge with business decisions, including sales, product management, entrepreneurship, and related functions. The broader program is also offered through uOttawa’s Professional Development Institute, extending access beyond degree-seeking students.

This certificate is organized as a five-course continuing education program with three required courses and two electives, and students can complete the courses in any order over a three-year period. The curriculum goes beyond basic selling to cover consultative sales, pipeline management, presentation delivery, performance measurement, and negotiation strategy. Its workshop-based format makes it a practical option for technical professionals who want more structured training in customer-facing commercial work.