To corporations and successful professionals the "big picture" and "the bottom line" are more than catch phrases. Understanding how to be effective in a corporation will set you apart from your peers in other engineering programs. Some companies call this level of comprehension a "soft skill." But in today's work environment it's a corporate necessity -- one that an increasing number of companies are demanding of their current engineers and their new hires. A two-course sequence the Integrated Engineering and Business Practices Program at the University of Notre Dame is one of the few programs actually integrated into engineering curricula. And, it is taught by an engineer with more than 30 years of experience in corporate America. The first course in the sequence, focuses on four subject areas: the corporation and its financial processes; human resources and management; innovation processes, including project management; and supply chain processes and quality. You will learn how to read a financial report and study business planning cycles. You will examine managerial styles and organizational climates and discuss hiring trends in human resources. Product development, marketing, and life cycle management are among the topics covered in the innovation processes segment of the course. The supply chain section covers topics from manufacturing and procurement to distribution, flow of materials, and quality concepts -- such as ISO 9000 and Six-Sigma. In addition to classroom instruction, the course features guest speakers who are professional engineers and managers, teleconferences with industry executives, and student presentations. The second course is comprised of three main sections -- lecture, case studies and special projects, and the Capstone® Business Simulation software (CAPSIM). CAPSIM teams you with other students in roles that mimic executives in the corporate world, and CAPSIM simulations are run every week for a total of eight weeks. Each week's efforts correspond to a year's worth of business, and the simulation provides you with opportunities to practice what you have learned in class. Guest speakers and a corporate field trip are highlights of this second course.