Minot State to hold innovation engineering open house launch event

MINOT, N.D. - Minot State University will host an open house launch event where prospective students can learn about MSU's newest degree offering and meet with program counselors and enrollment specialists.

Minot State announced the addition of a Bachelor of Science in Innovation Engineering in early September and will enroll students for the Fall 2026 semester. Innovation engineering is planned to launch pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission.

"We are excited to launch innovation engineering," said Bryan Schmidt, chair of the Department of Science. "The program will provide new opportunities in engineering for our students while helping to address a strong workforce need for western North Dakota."

The open house is set for Monday, Oct. 6, from 6-8 p.m. in the Minot State Student Center Conference Center. Prospective students will learn from industry leaders and faculty about the demand for this new kind of engineering education in Western North Dakota. Along with information, prospective students can sign up for a scholarship drawing.

The new program will focus on producing field-ready engineers. Innovation engineering will utilize a micro-credentialing system for specialized learning and will incorporate hands-on experience into its curriculum.

Along with information on MSU's newest program, the University is excited to spotlight special guest speaker, Heiko Kabutz, who does fascinating research on insect-inspired robotics designs at the University of Colorado's Animal Inspired Movement and Robotics Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Kabutz is currently a doctoral student in mechanical engineering. For more information on his work, see the University of Colorado's YOUTUBE.

For more information on the open house launch event, see the attached FLYER, and for more information on the program, log on to Minot State's innovation engineering WEBSITE.