<p>I have some general goals for where I want to be in the buisness of Invention. At the heart of my interests is more the desire to conceptualize original (mostly technology based) products and have a team of experts that I would work with to develop the product. However I do see the instability of doing only the conceptual entreprenueral side, and i am still open and interested in the "product development" side. I'm sure the enviroment of "product development" would open up recources and be a general stimulus for ideas that I would enable me to explore the entreprenueral side.
I am looking at some interdisciplinary programs at NC State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Purdue, along with their mechanical engineering departments. </p>
<p>Am I better off doing something interdisciplinary, or should I stick to something like Mechanical or Industrial Design?
What other majors should I consider to go into Invention?</p>
<p>Mechanical engineering is probably the best route to go. It's a very broad and general way to learn how to design things. I wouldn't go with an interdisciplinary program... Those often don't have the sort of reputation that you might want later on. </p>
<p>Look at the general engineering program at Harvey Mudd College. It's got a pretty impressive reputation, and it'll teach you how to design things most efficiently. My brother's a freshman there and he's just submitted a patent application with three of his colleagues for something he designed for a required freshman engineering course.</p>
<p>Another thing I recommend is, if you're interested in the entrepreneurial side of things, there are often venture capitalism courses to take at a business school. You could plan on getting an MBA later on, that'd make you more marketable, especially with a mechanical engineering degree. Take some courses on copyright and patent law, if you'd like. A minor in business might not be a bad idea, either.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>