Curriculum Overview
The MS in product development program is a 60-credit program consisting of 13 business and engineering courses (10 required courses and three electives) plus a capstone project. Students complete required courses in a defined sequence with the other members of their graduating class.
Core Courses
- 0303-780 Excellence in Product Development
- 0303-786 Engineering of Systems I
- 0303-788 Engineering of Systems II
- 0303-784 Systems and Project Management
Foundation Courses
- 0102-740 Organizational Behavior and Leadership
- 0105-761 Marketing Concepts
- 0303-785 Decision and Risk Benefit Analysis
- 0303-764 Operations and Manufacturing Systems
- 0303-787 Systems Optimization
- 0101-703 Accounting for Decision Makers
Elective courses
Elective courses afford the opportunity for students to tailor the program to better meet personal and organizational needs. Three elective courses (12 credits) are required. The program will offer each cohort of students a series of graduate-level electives from engineering and business during the normally scheduled class times on Fridays.
Students may select from a list of other courses approved by the program, but at least one elective must be from business and one from engineering. Recommended electives may include such courses as Managing Research and Innovation, New Venture Creation, Systems Dynamics, Sustainable Design and Advanced Topics in Product Development, among others.
Capstone Project
Students must successfully complete a capstone project (8 credits) during the final nine months of the program, based on a real-world problem often identified in the companies where they work. The corporate-oriented capstone project encompasses the broad integrative aspects of new product development. It synthesizes, increases, and demonstrates the student’s understanding and knowledge of previous program material and underscores the behaviors essential to product development leadership.
The capstone project provides immediate benefits to sponsoring organizations and is an excellent opportunity for students to gain visibility and recognition. View previous capstone projects.