About the Program

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"This isn't just a class. it's a proving ground. Bring your perspective-whatever your major-and help shape solutions to today's toughest challenges."

Innovation for Defense (I4D) is a hands-on course where William & Mary students tackle urgent challenges facing the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Interdisciplinary teams work directly with government sponsors to design and deliver innovative solutions. All in just a few weeks!

This is applied problem-solving in a high-tempo environment that mirrors the pressures of real-world decision-making.

Why It Matters

Today's national security challenges don't fit neatly into one discipline. Cybersecurity, energy, diplomacy, economics, and environmental change all intersect. That's why I4D is open to students from any major. Your unique perspective makes interdisciplinary teams powerful. You will leave the program with practical skills in problem framing, prototyping, interviewing, and communicating insights to senior leaders–tools valuable in any career.

How You Will Learn

I4D emphasizes active engagement, rapid experimentation, and real-world application. You will learn through doing. Building, testing, and refining ideas in a dynamic environment where feedback comes fast and often.

• Lean Startup in Action: You will test ideas quickly, challenge assumptions, and pivot to meet real needs.
• Flipped Classroom: Lectures are online so class time is spent applying concepts and asking questions.
• Experiential Learning: Each week your team conducts at least 10 stakeholder interviews that drive your insights.
• Inverted Lecture Hall: Faculty and mentors critique progress with direct feedback drawn from real-world experience.
• Peer-to-Peer Culture: You will learn as much from your classmates as from the teaching team through active exchange.
• Startup Culture: The pace is fast, the feedback is blunt, and the intensity pushes you to adapt and deliver.

What to Expect

The course builds week by week, with team presentations and direct critiques in front of peers. The pace accelerates as the semester unfolds, pushing you to adapt under pressure while learning from instructors, classmates, and guest experts. By the end, you will have experienced the intensity of real-world innovation and gained the confidence to thrive in it.